"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid."
Albert Einstein
ABOUT TONI
Toni Blackington has extensive training in the field of education with over 12 years teaching in both private and public settings. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Dyslexia. Toni is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT.) She is trained in the following Orton-Gillingham programs endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA):
Take Flight: A comprehensive Intervention for students with Dyslexia
Pre-Flight: an introduction for young students to Take Flight.
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Toni focuses on enhancing and protecting the strengths and gifts of the individual child while empowering them to overcome obstacles that go along with having dyslexia and other learning differences.
Toni’s desire is to unlock the potential in each child and believes all students deserve understanding and effective evidence based intervention. Some of the brightest minds struggle to learn how to read and often success requires a different approach, a therapeutic approach.
SERVICES OFFERED
TAKE FLIGHT: A COMPREHENSIVE INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA FOR STUDENTS AGES 7 AND UP. IT IS A TWO-YEAR ORTON-GILLINGHAM BASED CURRICULUM WRITTEN BY THE STAFF OF THE LUKE WAITES CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND LEARNING DISORDERS AT TEXAS SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN IN DALLAS. TAKE FLIGHT ADDRESSES THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE READING INSTRUCTION IDENTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL READING PANEL’S RESEARCH AND IS A COMPREHENSIVE TIER III INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA.
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PRE-FLIGHT: IS APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN IN GRADES K-2 WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING SOUNDS (PHONEMIC AWARENESS), LIMITED VOCABULARY OR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, AND WHO FAIL TO EMPLOY STRATEGIES TO REFLECT ON THE MEANING OF TEXT. SINCE IT ONLY ADDRESSES TWO OF THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE READING INSTRUCTION, PRE-FLIGHT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN IDENTIFIED WITH DYSLEXIA
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PARENT CONSULTATIONS
Toni offers 1:1 parent consultations on the following subjects, in person or virtually:
IEP/504 plans/eligibility
Referrals/testing
Social-emotional issues
Dyslexia:what is it?
My child was given the diagnosis of dyslexia, now what?
ACADEMIC SCREENING
C-TOPP: Comprehensive test of Phonological Processing-evaluates reading related phonological processing skills prerequisite to reading. The C-TOPP determines strengths and weaknesses in phonological skills and identifies those whose phonological skills are significantly below their peers.
GORT-5: Gray Oral Reading Test: measures oral reading fluency and reading comprehension.the GORT-5 is used to identify students who may need more intensive or explicit instruction in reading in order to make adequate progress in reading and/or comprehension.
TWS: Test of Written Spelling: instrument that uses a dictated word format to assess spelling skills.
Testing will not lead to a formal diagnosis of dyslexia, as Toni is not a medical professional. The evaluation is not focused on a label or formal diagnosis, but rather on obtaining a measure of a students cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The reports may qualify a child for a 504 plan, depending on the school and their policies. Schools vary in their willingness to provide 504 plans and will most likely perform their own testing for IEP(Individualized Education Plan) eligibility.