A. Options for Resolving Special Education Disputes
Speaker: Marcie Romberger, Esq.
A discussion about the options that parents have to resolve special education disputes in Pennsylvania. Topics will include prehearing conferences, mediation and due process hearings. Topics also will include other services available to parents from the Office for Dispute Resolution.
Chair: Jane Barry DePaul, parent of dyslexic child

B. Prediction and Prevention of an Early Reading Disability: A Case Study
Speaker: Adele Gerber, MA, CCC/SLP
This presentation is a report of the diagnosis and treatment of a five-year-old boy's significant delay (first percentile) in the ability to discriminate between letters and numbers, knowledge of letter names and sounds in the presence of normal intelligence. After 21 sessions of treatment based on procedures employed by Speech/Language Pathologists to heighten phonological awareness, he achieved 100% accuracy in mapping 16 consonant sounds onto their corresponding letters and success in reading single Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words as well as rudimentary connected text consisting of an experience content story.
Chair: Marcia Levinson, Ph.D., Director, Early Childhood Development and Evaluation Program, Temple University

C. The Neuropsychology of Reading Disorders: Diagnosis and Intervention
Speaker: Steven G. Feifer, Ed.S., NCSP
This presentation will discuss the assessment and remediation of various subtypes of dyslexia from a brain-behavioral perspective as opposed to the traditional discrepancy model. Based upon cutting edge research from the neurosciences, the 90 minute dyslexia evaluation will be introduced to better allow practitioners to diagnose specific subtypes of dyslexia during critical junctures in brain development. Scores of remediation techniques tailored to the neurodevelopmental profile of the child will be discussed.
Chair: Jerilynn Radcliffe, Ph.D., Director, Assessment and Neuropsychology Service, Department of Psychology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

D. A Cooks Tour of Multisensory Programs
Speakers: Betty S. Levinson, Ph.D. and Claire D. Nissenbaum, M.A., F.A.O.G.P.E.
During this session, participants will review a variety of multisensory techniques that prepare students for success in reading, writing, and spelling.
Chair: Barbara J. Amster, Ph.D., CCC/SLP, Director, Speech-Language-Hearing Science Program, LaSalle University

E. The Language/Literacy Connection
Speakers: Melanie Bechtel, B.S., Special Education/Speech
This presentation will look at the research findings of longitudinal studies conducted for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Years of empirical research demonstrate a strong association between phonemic awareness and reading ability. Phonemic awareness is necessary but not sufficient for adequate reading development. The underlying language base of receptive and expressive skills serves as an important function in students' learning to read. Other key areas include automaticity with the code of connected text, as well as fluent, reflective reading. We will review a continuum of skills needed for effective beginning reading with an emphasis on phonological awareness assessment and teaching strategies..
Chair: Marie B. Koals, Ed.D., Head of Lower School, Germantown Academy

F. Talking to Write: Strategies for Expository Expression at the Word, Sentence, Paragraph and Essay Levels
Speakers: Terrill M. Jennings, Ed.M.
This session will explore how systematic, hierarchical sequences for patterning sentences and paragraphs provide support for students with language impairments and at the same time strengthen the language skills of all students in the classroom. A particular focus is the use of 'frameworks', or linguistic templates that help students construct paragraphs because of the small-step instruction they contain.
Chair: Valery E. Yura, M.Ed., CCC/SLP, Supervisor, Speech-Language Support, Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22

G. Making The Right Match & Making The Match Right: LD Students in Independent Schools
Speakers: Margaret van Steenwyk, M.A. & Sharon Russell, M.S.W.
This workshop will address issues for parents of learning different students who are in the independent school system or are searching for an independent school setting. The workshop will offer practical suggestions from a school's perspective on what to look for in a school, how much to divulge, how to recognize when a school is not serving your child's needs, and how to negotiate the system.
Chair: Jamisen Shrut, M.A., CCC/SLP, Speech and Language Pathologist, Lower Merion School District

H. A Decade Later - A Public School System's Dyslexia Program Flourishes
Speakers: Paula Haney, M.Ed. & Karen K. Cochran, A.P.C.
This session details a public school system's research-based dyslexia program. The presentation provides general educators with a model for identification, instruction, and staff development using local funds and personnel.
Chair: Michael D. Cummings, M.Ed., Special Education Supervisor, Upper Dublin School

Lunch, Presentation of Hoopes Award, and Exhibits

AFTERNOON SESSIONS I-P

I. Wordfinding Disorders in Students with Language Learning Disabilities
Speaker: Anthony S. Bashir, Ph.D.
For students with language learning disabilities, word finding often poses a challenge. This is especially true when students are involved in on-line, real time conversations and discussions. This presentation will focus on the current state of research in word finding, describe the symptomatic behaviors associated with word retrieval difficulties, and address intervention goals.
Chair: Irene Papanicolaou, M.A., CCC/SLP, Certified Speech/Language Therapist, Upper Dublin School District

J. Research to Practice: Fact or Fiction?
Speaker: Helen Conahan-Dettrey, MA, CCC/SLP
Almost every reading program or methodology claims to be 'research-based'. That claim is mostly fiction. The fact is that much of what is reported as educational research lacks scientific rigor. This session will focus on discriminating fact from fiction in reading research and identifying instructional approaches and strategies supported by empirical evidence.
Chair: Christine Horwitz, M.Ed., CCC/SLP, Lead Speech/Language Therapist, School District of Philadelphia

K. 'The Deep Slumber of Decided Opinion' - Giving Urban Children an Equal Chance at Literacy
Speaker: Jack McGovern, Ed.D.
Learn how Children's Literacy Initiative (CLI) enhances the opportunity for children from low-income families to enter school ready to learn and, once in school, to be successful in learning to read. CLI has worked to prevent remediation and functional illiteracy by providing professional development for teachers of pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Our programs provide training in the most effective literacy practices and include quality books and materials for creating a literacy-rich classroom environment.
Chair: Elizabeth O'Donnell, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, Office of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

L. Fluency: A Stepping Stone to Comprehension
Speaker: Susan Campbell Palmer, M.Ed., Fellow/AOGPE
This session will provide an overview of research findings that reinforce the importance of fluency training. Techniques for improving word, phrase and sentence automaticity, emphasis in 'chunking' strategies with video examples will be presented.
Chair: Esther Balkin, M.Ed., Lead Teacher, Title 1, Nonpublic Categorical Programs, School District of Philadelphia

M. Developmental Dyslexia: Lessons from Brain Research
Speaker: Gordon F. Sherman, Ph.D.
Recent neuroscience research is teaching us that dyslexia is a product of a differently organized brain. These brains, like all brains, have a combination of strengths and weaknesses. This talk will present these latest findings and their impact on teaching strategies.
Chair: Edward Moss, Ph.D, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

N. Why Can't I Do Math?': Clues from Mathematics Assessment
Speaker: Anne W. Hummer, Ph.D.
This session will address thinking skills, knowledge and problem solving techniques needed for success in mathematics, based upon assessment of students for mathematics learning differences. Suggestions for instruments to be used in testing and ideas for remediation will be included.
Chair: Mary E. Kaiser, M.Ed., Math Coordinator/Classroom Teacher, The Crossroads School

O. Assistive Technologies for Dyslexia
Speaker: Barry Mansfield, M.Ed.
Great strides in technology in recent years have allowed many to realize successes that could only have been dreamt of in the past. Gain insight into emerging trends in the field of Assistive Technologies and see what the future has in store for us.
Chair: Barbara Buckley-Deni, M.Ed., Principal, Albert M. Greenfield School, School District of Philadelphia

P. Peer Survival Skills: Teaching Social Competence to Children and Adolescents
Speaker: Jane W. Newhall, Ph.D.
This presentation will describe an interactive small group approach for teaching essential social skills to children and adolescents. Techniques will be presented for working with children with non-verbal learning disorders, language related learning differences, attention deficits and personality or behavioral attributes which can interfere with development of positive peer relationships.
Chair: Alice Trisdorfer, Ph.D., psychologist in private practice

back to top