Melissa
Educational Therapist. NILD Standard Licensure
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Hello! My name is Melissa, and I am so excited to share my journey of becoming an educational therapist with you. I received my undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University in Music Education in 2007. I taught music in the classroom for seven years and had the opportunity to work with all age groups from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I also taught private piano lessons one-on-one to all ages for 15 years. Simultaneously, I was a nanny for a little boy with high functioning autism for 10 years. Through these experiences, my passion and interest in helping kids with learning differences on a one-to-one basis began to grow.Â
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I began to pursue graduate level training through the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) in 2013 and subsequently began working as an educational therapist at a private school. My training specifically focuses on students with a variety of learning differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, visual processing disorders, auditory processing disorders, ADHD, high-functioning autism, executive functioning issues, and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD’s). The interventionist methods I use help to target specific educational deficits and strengthen a child’s ability to be a more effective and efficient overall learner. I see each student through a unique lens, and tailor my sessions to support learning profiles by fortifying relative weaknesses and scaffolding strengths. By teaching compensatory strategies and engaging techniques for learning, my students truly grow and thrive.Â
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I am very comfortable working with both teachers and parents to find the best collaborative solutions for your child to succeed in and out of the classroom environment. Being an educational therapist is the most rewarding experience I have ever had, and I can’t wait to be a part of your child’s learning team!