Evaluations, Therapy, & Advocacy
Working with children, teens, and adults
Comprehensive Reading & Writing Assessments ~ Dyslexia Intervention ~ Reading & Spelling Support ~ Receptive Language Therapy ~ Expressive Language Therapy ~ Speech Sound Therapy ~ Teletherapy
Helping clients improve their:
Sound & letter awareness
Reading comprehension
Reading fluency
Vocabulary knowledge
Verval expression
Writing & written expression
Literacy Evaluations
Literacy/dyslexia evaluations offer a comprehensive profile of your or your child's spoken and written language skills. The evaluation process allows me to get a complete picture of each client's strengths and weaknesses to make a proper diagnosis. Areas tested include:
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Expressive and receptive language
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Phonological awareness
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Reading fluency
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Reading comprehension
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Phonics knowledge
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Written expression
If applicable, I will also review current IEPs, outside reports, etc., prior to the evaluation. A dyslexia diagnosis may be provided based on the data collected during testing.
Speech-Language Evaluations
Speech and language evaluations allow me to develop a deep understanding of you or your child's communication skills. My evaluation process is tailored to the needs of each client, but typically includes testing of the following:
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Speech sound accuracy
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Intelligibility
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Receptive language skills
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Expressive language skills
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Pragmatic language skills
Once testing is complete, I will analyze and interpret my findings in a written report. I take the time to go over the results, answer questions, and discuss my recommendations for therapy. In some cases, this process may take multiple sessions.
Literacy Intervention
Dyslexia ~ Reading Difficulties ~ Spelling Challenges ~ Writing Difficulties
My literacy intervention sessions include structured and multi-sensory experiences to help your child gain essential skills for reading, spelling, and writing. Based on the client's specific literacy challenges, I will use a combination of principles from the Orton-Gillingham approach, Reading with TLC, and Vivido Learning to work towards measureable goals.
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Phonological awareness
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Phonics knowledge
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Reading fluency
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Vocabulary
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Reading comprehension
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Written expression
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Decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling)
Language Therapy
Receptive Language Disorders ~ Expressive Language Disorders ~ Social Language Challenges
My structured activities are focused on developing the skills for understanding and using language - in both spoken and written forms. Language therapy sessions support a variety of academic skills, including vocabulary, sentence comprehension, grammar, and verbal organization. Parent coaching is also provided to allow for practice and growth between sessions.
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Following directions
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Comprehending sentences
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Learning new vocabulary words
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Using proper grammar and word order
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Generating complex sentences
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Telling or re-telling stories
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Summarizing information
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Verbal and written expression
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Pragmatic/social language skills
Speech Therapy
Articulation Errors ~ Phonological Disorders
Speech therapy sessions are goal-oriented and guided by the client's individual speech sound errors. I determine the nature of the errors - articulation or phonological - and help you or your child practice accurate speech sounds during engaging activities and games. Speech therapy will help you or your child speak clearly, monitor their own speech, and confidently communicate with others.
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Produce all age-appropriate sounds
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Adjust positioning of oral muscles
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Speak clearly and intelligibly
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Learn accurate speech sound patterns
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Self-correct sound errors
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Reduce frustration and communication breakdowns
Dyslexia Advocacy
I often find that children and teens with dyslexia do not have their needs appropriately addressed at school. Dyslexia advocacy and parent coaching services are designed to work with parents looking for guidance from a dyslexia expert who understands how to properly support children with reading, writing, and language challenges at school.
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Review of your child’s IEP or 504 Plan
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Preparation for IEP meetings
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Guidance about ‘what questions to ask’ at their child’s school
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Support for supporting your child at home with homework
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Preparing for life after high school
Professional Mentorship
If you are a speech therapist who is interested in adding literacy assessment and therapy to your practice, I now offer mentorship to guide you through the process. Work with an experienced speech-language pathologist to build this rewarding aspect of your business.
Possible topics include ~ assessment procedures, types of intervention, payment options, training options, resources, etc.
Coaching is $60.00 for a 30-minute call and $120 for an hour call. Click here to get started.
Teletherapy
Virtual therapy and online reading intervention services are available!
Teletherapy is an effective intervention model for many children. I provide Orton-Gillingham literacy intervention services to children all around the world through an online platform, and I offer virtual speech-language therapy sessions to Virginia residents.