November 4-6th was The Association of Educational Therapist's 44th Annual National Conference!
It was a busy weekend of learning so many new things and I attended most sessions. If you are interested in learning about the sessions please click this link: https://aetonline.org/index.php/sessions-2022 All sessions were recorded and should be available to watch soon!
Although I was trained in Orton Gillingham over 10 years ago with The Institute for Multisensory Education https://imse.com/about-us/, as well as am a Certified Professional Educational Therapist, I have decided to commit to refreshing my skills with a two year program to become a Certified Dyslexia Therapist, CDT which is certified by the International Dyslexia Association https://dyslexiaida.org/. I learned about The APPLE Group in a session at the conference and I was excited to hear about a different approach to Orton Gillingham called Connections: OG in 3D: https://applegroupdyslexia.com/connections. I will complete this training in January, and then begin their two year program to become a CDT. This is a large investment in my time, not to mention a financial commitment, although I believe it is essential to keep learning new things to help my students. While some of this certification will be review, much has also changed in ten years when it comes to remedial approaches to support dyslexic students. Choosing professional development is an important responsibility Educational Therapists have, and I specifically seek opportunities that are proven- research based and use a science-backed approach. It is an honor and a gift to work with your children. Engagement is essential to learning, and I am committed to learning new ways to engage and develop important skills that they need to accomplish their full potential. Stay tuned! I will be sure to share new approaches.