A Year in Review + A Thank You!
In September 2023 the Right to Read Advocacy team launched at full speed! Through our advocacy, it quickly became evident that there’s so much more work to be done to better support our dyslexic learners.
At Right to Read Advocacy our mission is to empower families of dyslexic learners through parent coaching, direct advocacy, and educational content. Following are a few highlights of our work. During the past year, we:
Welcomed three new members – Robin Beauchemin, Allison Meyerson, and Catherine Scholl.
Served clients in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Offered comprehensive literacy evaluations with Evaluator and Advocate Catherine Scholl, M.S. Ed, C-SWD, C-SLDI.
Hosted five live webinars on topics including:
Assistive Technology Tools for Dyslexic Learners,
Do You Have a Struggling Reader? Don’t Delay, Learn What You Need to Do Today,
What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach and Why Does It Work?,
Literacy Evaluations: What Parents Need to Know, and
What Parents Need to Know about Special Education Rights.
Launched our first on-demand webinar series on Defining Dyslexia: A Parent’s Guide.
Appeared in media outlets including Together in Literacy, Care.com, WTNH, WICC 600am, Guardians of Hope, The Norwalk Hour, Dan Woog’s 06880, Ridgefield Patch, and The Photo News.
Hosted two Instagram live interviews – one focused on Dyslexia and Anxiety with Licensed Clinical Psychologist Gillian Donovan, Ph.D. and one that focused on EarlyBird Education’s reading screener with EarlyBird’s Family Success Manager Tara Reynolds
Presented Do You Have a Struggling Reader? Don’t Delay, Learn What You Need to Do Today at numerous libraries in towns including Weston, CT and Nyack, Nanuet, and New City, NY.
Presented How to Advocate for Your Struggling Reader at the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Annual Conference.
Created RTRA’s Special Education Notebook, which is currently available as a free download.
Additionally,
Catherine, Robin, and Jennifer participated in Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates’ (COPAA) 28-week Special Education and Advocacy Training (SEAT) 2.0 course, and
Allison completed the Dyslexia Training Institute’s Dyslexia Advocate Certificate Program.
During this past academic year, we were warmly welcomed into the educational consulting landscape. We were grateful for the opportunity to serve clients across multiple states and work collaboratively toward the best possible outcome for their students. We were also grateful for our valuable professional relationships with special education attorneys, Orton-Gillingham instructors, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, and fellow advocates.
To say thank YOU and celebrate our first successful year, we are giving back to our local communities by offering three hours of advocacy support for an IEP review at a reduced rate. If you’re concerned about your child’s educational progress, start planning NOW for the next academic year. This offer is for new clients in CT, NY, and NJ. Please note that we have limited availability, and this opportunity is available from June 15th- August 15th. Email or call today to learn more!
– Jennifer Bernheim, Founder of RTRA