Reading in the Rockies 2008

Presenters

Nancy Hennessy, M.Ed.

Nancy Hennessy, M.Ed., is an experienced general and special education teacher, diagnostician, administrator, and consultant. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Regis College, a graduate degree in special education from William Paterson University and has completed advanced studies in administration.

While in public schools, she provided leadership and guidance in the development and implementation of innovative programming for special needs students and professional development planning for all staff. She served as a training specialist for New Jersey Department of Education for its pilot project “Plan to Revise Special Education” and was responsible for implementation including training and data collection in her district and dissemination activities statewide. She has developed curriculum guides for special education across grade levels K-12. In her last school district, Nancy designed and established an award winning supervision evaluation system.

She has created and delivered presentations nationally and internationally. Her topics have included components of research-based reading, dyslexia, RTI, co-teaching, as well as supervision evaluation systems, mentoring, and professional development planning.

Nancy is the author of articles on the dyslexic experience, study strategies, mentoring, professional development practices, and program implementation

Nancy has written the chapter, “Mentoring in a Professional Community” in The Reflective Mentor: Case Studies in Creating Learning Partnership and more recently developed and facilitated on-line chats on reading research

She has served in various positions for the International Dyslexia Association including Branch Council Chair, National Conference Chair and is the immediate Past President. Nancy has been honored by the New Jersey Branch of IDA with its Community Service Award. She also serves on the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities, and is a member of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic’s National Advisory Council.

Nancy has worked as an adjunct instructor for Fairleigh Dickinson University for several years. She was one of the first instructors in the Dyslexia Specialist program and more recently, consulted on the development of a consultation and collaboration course.

She is the founding member of The Consulting Network, has served as a Lead Trainer for Wilson Language Systems and is currently a National Trainer for LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling).

G. Emerson Dickman, J.D.

Emerson Dickman is an attorney who, for over thirty years, has specialized in the representation of children with disabilities. Among the cases he has handled are leading precedents protecting the due process rights of pupils in special education and the constitutional rights of adults with developmental disabilities. Emerson has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association for 12 years and is currently the President. He was a member of the Professional Advisory Board for the National Center for Learning Disabilities for 6 years and Chairman of the protection and advocacy agency for the State of New Jersey for 5 years. Emerson was Project Leader of the scientific consensus meetings to develop a research definition of Dyslexia for the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in association with the International Dyslexia Association in 1994 and again in 2002. In December 2004 Emerson was Project Leader of an invitational forum attended by 33 organizations on the issue of Building Capacity to Deliver Multi-Tiered Reading Intervention in Public Schools.

Emerson has published articles and book chapters on dyslexia, the link between learning disabilities and behavior, avoiding conflict, inclusion, educational advocacy, adopted child status, guardianship, special needs planning, and other topics in the fields of learning, law, and disabilities

Gary A. Troia, Ph.D.,CCC-SLP

Gary A. Troia is an associate professor of special education at Michigan State University and a principal investigator with the Literacy Achievement Research Center located at MSU. He was a faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle before taking his current position at MSU. Prior to receiving his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 2000, he worked 10 years in the public schools as a special educator and speech-language pathologist, and 6 years as a university clinical supervisor. Dr. Troia is a consulting editor for several journals, including Exceptional Children, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and Learning Disability Quarterly, and an associate editor of Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. He is a member representative to the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. Dr. Troia has authored over two dozen research papers and book chapters and has given numerous presentations about his work in the areas of phonological processing, writing assessment and instruction, and teacher professional development in literacy.

Jim Sandstrum, MA, CCC-SLP

James Sandstrum is the coordinator of business services for Assistive Technology Partners. Mr. Sandstrum has particular expertise in the selection and customization of assistive technology solutions for children and adults in educational and vocational settings. He serves as a consultant to Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment and provides direct support to Colorado’s network of school-based assistive technology providers. Mr. Sandstrum has extensive experience supervising clinical faculty and presents widely on topics relating to assistive technology and accessible information technology. As a trained web developer, he regularly provides technical assistance to agencies and organizations across the nation regarding tools and techniques to improve the accessibility of web sites and web-based distance learning applications. Trained as a speech-language pathologist, Mr. Sandstrum has worked closely with educators, family members, and schools to support the quality education of children with disabilities. His research interests include clinical trials of new technologies and outcomes measurement as they relate to improving quality of care and participation of clients in everyday environments.

Lynn Kuhn, M.A., CCC-SLP

Lynn Kuhn lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, and 18 and 11 year old sons. Lynn has been in the educational field for 28 years. In addition to being a national LANGUAGE ! trainer and a Colorado LETRS and DIBELS trainer, she was the professional development coordinator for Reading First in Colorado for 4 years. She worked for 22 years for the Cherry Creek School District in K through 8th grade positions servicing general and special education students through gifted and talented services. She was also a district level reading consultant and staff developer for multi-sensory structured language curriculum and assessment. Over the past 13 years she has developed literacy and assessment training and professional development projects and workshops within the Colorado Department of Education, regional councils and independently for schools and teachers in Colorado. She is now an independent literacy consultant focusing on Pre-K through 12th grade language and literacy topics and system change initiatives in Colorado, Nationally and Internationally.

Lynn is both the treasurer and past president of the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. She has her ASHA - Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology. Lynn believes that there is an urgency in teaching every child to read and provide teachers with encouragement and learning opportunities to make a difference with the students they are teaching.

Anne Whitney, Ed.D., CCC-SLP

Anne Whitney, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and special educator who is a clinical professor at the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus and is the Coordinator of Speech Language Services. She is president and owner of Spectrum Educational Consulting Services, Inc. in Broomfield, Colorado. Dr. Whitney is a certified National Trainer for Louisa Moats’ Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS), and a national trainer for the LANGUAGE ! curriculum. She is co-author of A Coach’s Guide to Teaching Reading Essentials (in press), SPELL-Links to Reading and Writing: A word study curriculum (2004), Games & Activities for Readers and Spellers (2000); and the Instructional Resources Guide for Teachers (2000). She is a member of, Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (Recording Secretary), ASHA, Colorado Speech-Language Hearing Association, Council for Learning Disabilities, Leadership for Struggling Adolescent Readers through the Colorado Department of Education, and committee chair for Courage to Risk Collaborative Special Education Conference.


	Presenters Nancy Hennessy, M.Ed. Nancy Hennessy, M.Ed., is an experienced general and special education teacher, diagnostician, administrator, and consultant. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Regis College, a graduate degree in special education from William Paterson University and has completed advanced studies in administration. While in public schools, she provided leadership and guidance in the development and implementation of innovative programming for special needs students and professional development planning for all staff. She served as a training specialist for New Jersey Department of Education for its pilot project “Plan to Revise Special Education” and was responsible for implementation including training and data collection in her district and dissemination activities statewide. She has developed curriculum guides for special education across grade levels K-12. In her last school district, Nancy designed and established an award winning supervision evaluation system. She has created and delivered presentations nationally and internationally. Her topics have included components of research-based reading, dyslexia, RTI, co-teaching, as well as supervision evaluation systems, mentoring, and professional development planning. Nancy is the author of articles on the dyslexic experience, study strategies, mentoring, professional development practices, and program implementation Nancy has written the chapter, “Mentoring in a Professional Community” in The Reflective Mentor: Case Studies in Creating Learning Partnership and more recently developed and facilitated on-line chats on reading research She has served in various positions for the International Dyslexia Association including Branch Council Chair, National Conference Chair and is the immediate Past President. Nancy has been honored by the New Jersey Branch of IDA with its Community Service Award. She also serves on the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities, and is a member of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic’s National Advisory Council. Nancy has worked as an adjunct instructor for Fairleigh Dickinson University for several years. She was one of the first instructors in the Dyslexia Specialist program and more recently, consulted on the development of a consultation and collaboration course. She is the founding member of The Consulting Network, has served as a Lead Trainer for Wilson Language Systems and is currently a National Trainer for LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). G. Emerson Dickman, J.D. Emerson Dickman is an attorney who, for over thirty years, has specialized in the representation of children with disabilities. Among the cases he has handled are leading precedents protecting the due process rights of pupils in special education and the constitutional rights of adults with developmental disabilities. Emerson has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association for 12 years and is currently the President. He was a member of the Professional Advisory Board for the National Center for Learning Disabilities for 6 years and Chairman of the protection and advocacy agency for the State of New Jersey for 5 years. Emerson was Project Leader of the scientific consensus meetings to develop a research definition of Dyslexia for the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in association with the International Dyslexia Association in 1994 and again in 2002. In December 2004 Emerson was Project Leader of an invitational forum attended by 33 organizations on the issue of Building Capacity to Deliver Multi-Tiered Reading Intervention in Public Schools. Emerson has published articles and book chapters on dyslexia, the link between learning disabilities and behavior, avoiding conflict, inclusion, educational advocacy, adopted child status, guardianship, special needs planning, and other topics in the fields of learning, law, and disabilities Gary A. Troia, Ph.D.,CCC-SLP Gary A. Troia is an associate professor of special education at Michigan State University and a principal investigator with the Literacy Achievement Research Center located at MSU. He was a faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle before taking his current position at MSU. Prior to receiving his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 2000, he worked 10 years in the public schools as a special educator and speech-language pathologist, and 6 years as a university clinical supervisor. Dr. Troia is a consulting editor for several journals, including Exceptional Children, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and Learning Disability Quarterly, and an associate editor of Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. He is a member representative to the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. Dr. Troia has authored over two dozen research papers and book chapters and has given numerous presentations about his work in the areas of phonological processing, writing assessment and instruction, and teacher professional development in literacy. Jim Sandstrum, MA, CCC-SLP James Sandstrum is the coordinator of business services for Assistive Technology Partners. Mr. Sandstrum has particular expertise in the selection and customization of assistive technology solutions for children and adults in educational and vocational settings. He serves as a consultant to Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment and provides direct support to Colorado’s network of school-based assistive technology providers. Mr. Sandstrum has extensive experience supervising clinical faculty and presents widely on topics relating to assistive technology and accessible information technology. As a trained web developer, he regularly provides technical assistance to agencies and organizations across the nation regarding tools and techniques to improve the accessibility of web sites and web-based distance learning applications. Trained as a speech-language pathologist, Mr. Sandstrum has worked closely with educators, family members, and schools to support the quality education of children with disabilities. His research interests include clinical trials of new technologies and outcomes measurement as they relate to improving quality of care and participation of clients in everyday environments. Lynn Kuhn, M.A., CCC-SLP Lynn Kuhn lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, and 18 and 11 year old sons. Lynn has been in the educational field for 28 years. In addition to being a national LANGUAGE ! trainer and a Colorado LETRS and DIBELS trainer, she was the professional development coordinator for Reading First in Colorado for 4 years. She worked for 22 years for the Cherry Creek School District in K through 8th grade positions servicing general and special education students through gifted and talented services. She was also a district level reading consultant and staff developer for multi-sensory structured language curriculum and assessment. Over the past 13 years she has developed literacy and assessment training and professional development projects and workshops within the Colorado Department of Education, regional councils and independently for schools and teachers in Colorado. She is now an independent literacy consultant focusing on Pre-K through 12th grade language and literacy topics and system change initiatives in Colorado, Nationally and Internationally. Lynn is both the treasurer and past president of the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. She has her ASHA - Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology. Lynn believes that there is an urgency in teaching every child to read and provide teachers with encouragement and learning opportunities to make a difference with the students they are teaching. Anne Whitney, Ed.D., CCC-SLP Anne Whitney, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and special educator who is a clinical professor at the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus and is the Coordinator of Speech Language Services. She is president and owner of Spectrum Educational Consulting Services, Inc. in Broomfield, Colorado. Dr. Whitney is a certified National Trainer for Louisa Moats’ Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS), and a national trainer for the LANGUAGE ! curriculum. She is co-author of A Coach’s Guide to Teaching Reading Essentials (in press), SPELL-Links to Reading and Writing: A word study curriculum (2004), Games & Activities for Readers and Spellers (2000); and the Instructional Resources Guide for Teachers (2000). She is a member of, Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (Recording Secretary), ASHA, Colorado Speech-Language Hearing Association, Council for Learning Disabilities, Leadership for Struggling Adolescent Readers through the Colorado Department of Education, and committee chair for Courage to Risk Collaborative Special Education Conference.