Events

Events sponsored by Decoding Dyslexia CA (DDCA) are indicated on the events calendar.  Local events held by other organizations may also be listed that may be of interest to our members. DDCA does not endorse any specific program or company.

Jun
26
Mon
Chartwell School Professional Development Institute Summer 2017 @ Chartwell School
Jun 26 @ 8:30 am – Jun 29 @ 12:00 pm

Educating Professionals in the Field of Learning Differences

The Summer Institute offers a professional development program for teachers, educational therapists, tutors and parents who would like to learn more about dyslexia and other learning differences. CUE credits are available through CSUMB.

Topics Include:

  • Understanding Dyslexia & the Reading Brain
  • Dyslexia Law (2015): AB 1369
  • Understanding ADHD & Executive Function Skills
  • Learning and the Brain: Stress, Memory & Growth Mindset
  • Keys to Literacy: Components of Effective Reading Programs
  • IDEA (2004) & Rehabilitation Act (1973): Section 504

About the Presenter:

Gretchen Giuffre, M.A. Ed., has been involved in independent and public sector education since 1999. Specializing in children with learning differences, she is the former Middle School Coordinator at Chartwell. Additional experience includes the following roles: Reading and Math Intervention Coach, Language Arts Educator and Advisor for a Language & Literacy School Reform Initiative.

Sep
29
Fri
Dyslexia & AB 1369 @ UC Merced
Sep 29 @ 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Learn about:

  • Dyslexia
  • New Laws & Guidelines
  • Assessments & Intervention

Presenters:

  • Jeff Gilger, Ph.D., UC Merced
  • Kathy Futterman, Ed.D., CSU East Bay

Registration includes lunch.

For more information, click HERE for the flyer.

Oct
9
Mon
Dyslexia & Phonological Processing 101 @ Online Event
Oct 9 @ 12:00 am – Oct 15 @ 11:45 pm


Parents, Advocates and Teachers – join us for a FREE one-hour introductory webinar on Dyslexia and Phonological Processing with an emphasis on one of the most widely used and popular assessments for reading-related phonological processing skills –
the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2).


This pre-recorded webinar will be presented by international dyslexia expert Dr. Richard Wagner, Ph.D., Principal Investigator of NICHD Florida Learning Disabilities Research Center, Associate Director, Florida Center for Reading Research and Co-Author of the CTOPP-2.  Dr. Wagner is also a member of the CA Department of Education’s Dyslexia Work Group that are producing statewide dyslexia guidelines to be released in August.

This webinar is intended for parents, guardians, teachers and advocates.

Participants must pre-register for this free 1 hour webinar.

Webinar will only be available for viewing during the following specified times:

October 9th at 8:00 a.m. (PDT) through October 15th at 11:00p.m. (PDT)

On October 8th, you will receive an email with the link and a password to access the webinar.

Click HERE to download the flyer.

Sponsored By:

Decoding Dyslexia CA is a grassroots movement driven by California families, educators and professionals concerned with the limited access to educational interventions for dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities within our public schools.  We aim to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children, and inform policymakers on best practices to identify, remediate, and support students with dyslexia in CA public schools.

 

Susan Barton is the founder of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia and is recognized internationally as an expert in dyslexia.  She is in the Hall of Honor at the headquarters of the Internaitonal Dyslexia Association.  Her goal is to help parents, teachers, and others understand dyslexia so they can provide the appropriate help for dyslexics.  

 

 

 

Dec
4
Mon
Discovering the Sense in English Spelling: The Foundation of Literacy for Every Student @ Online Webinar
Dec 4 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

CEU’s available for $10.00

Presented by:  Timothy T. Houge, Ph.D. and Sue Hegland

If you care about literacy, you must have asked yourself this question at times: is it possible to structure literacy instruction to excite, challenge and empower all students, from the dyslexic reader who is struggling to the strong reader who is flying? It is actually possible to do this, and it’s also possible to make sure that each and every student becomes fully literate. But to make these things happen, we must rethink some misunderstandings about the structure and purpose of written English. This presentation will include an overview of the some of the foundational patterns in our completely coherent English writing system, along with examples from dyslexic and non-dyslexic student work. Join us for an introduction to the difference this can make for students at every level.

This talk was previously presented as the keynote at the Oct 4 “Literacy for All: Understanding Language, Learning and Dyslexia” conference in Sioux Falls, SD.

About the Speakers:  

 Timothy T. Houge, Ph.D. is an associate professor of elementary and secondary reading at Northern State University and the director of a campus one-to-one literacy-tutoring clinic. He has published multiple journal articles and presented his work at national, state, and local conferences. A long-standing advocate for effective reading and spelling education for all children, he has actively promoted the use of research to inform instruction. He has been a classroom teacher and a pull-out reading specialist, removing students from mainstream classrooms for a portion of the day to provide intense specialized reading instruction.

Sue Hegland is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach and has extensively studied real spelling and Structured Word Inquiry. She is the author of the website LearningAboutSpelling.com.  Sue’s mission is sharing information about the coherence and structure of the English language and the fact that spelling always makes sense.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Dyslexia Association, Upper Midwest Branch, and spent six years on the Board of Education for the Brandon Valley School District. She has served on a dyslexia workgroup for the state of South Dakota, has presented at Special Education and dyslexia conferences, and provides tutoring and training for teachers, private tutors, parents and students. Sue began learning about dyslexia in 2003, as the parent of a dyslexic child.

 

This webinar will be recorded and available to view on IDA-UMB’s website after the event. If you register, you will be notified when the recording is available. 

Feb
8
Thu
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Conference @ Oakland Scottish Rite Center
Feb 8 @ 9:00 am – 4:30 pm

A one day, hands-on, special education workshop designed to meet the needs of parents and professionals serving children and teens with disabilities. Perfect for educators, healthcare providers, advocates and attorneys. This program is not disability or state specific.

For more information (parking, accommodations etc): http://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/18.02.ca.htm

Each ticket includes:

  • Wrightslaw book set ($63 value) – Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition and Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
  • Sandwich lunches and all-day tea/coffee bar

Early Bird Discounts until January 7, 2018*

*Early Bird registrants will also receive emailed pdf copies of Wrightslaw Special Education Law, 2nd Ed. and Wrightslaw: Special Education Legal Developments and Cases 2016 which retail for $29.95.

Oct
11
Thu
Wrightslaw Special Education & Advocacy Training @ WestGate
Oct 11 @ 9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Pete Wright photo

Save The Date!

Wrightslaw Special Education & Advocacy Training

Comes to San Jose on

October 11, 2018  9 am – 4:30 pm

Register at: https://php.networkforgood.com/

Don’t miss this one-day, hands-on, special education workshop with Pete Wright, designed to meet the needs of parents and professionals serving children and teen with disabilities.

Perfect for parents, educators, healthcare providers, advocates, and attorneys.  This program is not disability or state specific.

For more information on Pete Wright at http://wrightslaw.com

http://bit.ly/PHP_Wrightslaw

Oct
20
Sat
Dyslexia Symposium @ Empire College
Oct 20 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Please join co-founders Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley and Tracy Block-Zaretsky of Dyslexia Training Institute and Decoding Dyslexia CA for a one day Dyslexia Symposium.  Kelli and Tracy are the developers of the “Dyslexia for a Day” simulation kit.  Attendees will participate in a simulation followed by a discussion on AB 1369 and the new California Dyslexia Guidelines.  Kelli and Tracy will be discussing what dyslexia is, its neurobiological origin, structured literacy and appropriate accommodations for students with dyslexia.  Kelli was the key dyslexia expert  that testified in support of AB 1369.  In a powerful TEDEd video Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley urges us to think again about dyslexic brain function and to celebrate the neurodiversity of the human brain.

About our speakers:

Kelli Sandman-Hurley, Ed.D. is an author, TEDEd presenter and co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute. She received her doctorate in literacy with a specialization in reading and dyslexia from San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. She is also completing her TESOL certification. Dr. Kelli is a certified special education advocate assisting parents and children through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan process. She has training in mediation and also serves as an expert witness in the area of dyslexia. Dr. Kelli is trained in Structured Word Inquiry, the Orton-Gillingham approach, Lindamood-Bell, RAVE-O and Read Naturally. Dr. Kelli is a Past-President of the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. She is a dyslexia consultant working with schools to improve services offered to students with dyslexia and training teachers. She co-created and produced “Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia,” and she is a frequent speaker at conferences. She is the author of the well-received book, Dyslexia Advocate! How to Advocate for a Child with Dyslexia within the Public Education System.

 

Tracy Block-Zaretsky is the co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute. She has provided remediation for children and adults with dyslexia for the past 20 years and has developed and taught workplace and family literacy program. She is a certified Special Education advocate assisting parents and children through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504Plan process. She is a past President of the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.Tracy has training in Structured Word Inquiry, the Orton-Gillingham approach, Lindamood-Bell programs, Read Naturally and a variety of reading and writing assessments. She co-created and produced, “Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia,” and has provided professional development for educators and training for parents at numerous conferences, private on-site trainings and online courses and webinars. Tracy is also a parent of a child with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADD and Executive Function Disorder.

 

Downloadable Flyer

Dyslexia and AB 1369 @ Ed Roberts Campus
Oct 20 @ 10:00 am – 3:30 pm

Register now as this event will sell out! Please join IDA NorCal and our co-sponsors Decoding Dyslexia CA and Learning Ally for an interactive and engaging panel discussion with dyslexia experts, former members of the CDE Dyslexia Guidelines workgroup, teachers and school administrators as we discuss how to implement AB 1369 best practices in improving outcomes for our students with dyslexia. Learn about real examples of how school districts are making a difference and discuss the challenges ahead as we join together to address this important topic. Event will include an opportunity to participate in an Experience Dyslexia® simulation. In addition, the event will feature booths and exhibitors with information on assistive technology and local dyslexia resources.

This event is intended for school administrators, educators, parents/guardians and other interested community members.

Please click here for the event schedule.
Please click here for the event flyer.
Please click here to register for the event.

The panelists for the event are as follows:

  • Wendi Aghily, Ed.D., Director of Special Education, Mt. Diablo USD/SELPA
  • Kathy Futterman, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty CSU East Bay, Educational Specialist Mt. Diablo USD, CDE Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group Member, Dyslexia Consultant Decoding Dyslexia CA
  • Tobie Meyer, State Director Decoding Dyslexia CA, CDE Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group Member
  • Monina Salazar, Assistant Principal Parkside Intermediate School, San Bruno Park School District, Former District Teacher on Special Assignment – Literacy Intervention Instructional Coach San Ramon Valley USD
  • John Santonastaso, Brier Elementary First Grade Teacher, Fremont USD,International Dyslexia Association NorCal Vice President
  • Amy Bull, Vintage Hills Elementary School Kindergarten Teacher, Pleasanton USD, AppRISE Pilot Program Participant (dyslexia screener app)

Sponsored By:

Co-Sponsors:

Mar
21
Thu
Learning While Black in SFUSD @ African American Art and Culture Complex
Mar 21 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Learning While Black in SFUSD – On March 21st, 5:30 – 8pm join the community in an educational panel round-table discussion and resource fair featuring Darryl Lester, the main plaintiff in the landmark special education case, Larry P. vs. California.

Mr. Lester was never taught how to read and was labeled “educable mentally retarded” in the 1970’s.  KALW, a local public radio station, produced a recent story of interest addressing a legacy of mistreatment of San Francisco’s black special education students.  The reporter stated the following about Mr. Lester, “it turns out, he did have a learning difficulty, a really specific one. He struggled with reading. He never got the help he needed.”

DDCA is concerned that SFUSD’s recent dyslexia pilot and implementation does not meet California dyslexia guidelines best practices.  Join us in discussing how SFUSD is meeting the needs of its current African American students with reading disabilities.

Downloadable Flyer