Iona College to Host Dyslexia Symposium, March 5

College Joins The Gow School in Presenting Special Sessions for Educators and Other Professionals

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey to Make Opening Remarks

New Rochelle, NY (February 2011) Iona College will host Dyslexia Symposium: Understanding and Managing the Disability, a day-long series of presentations by experts on the various aspects of the learning disability that is estimated to affect about 5 to 15% of the population. Iona and The Gow School, the internationally renowned educator of dyslexic boys, are presenting special sessions for educators, psychologists, social workers, attorneys, school counselors and other professionals. It will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, March 5 at The Murphy Center at Iona, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle.

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-18th Congressional District) will join Catherine O'Callaghan, PhD, Chair of Iona's Education Department in making the welcoming remarks at 9:30 AM.

Professor O'Callaghan stated: "Dyslexia, which is fairly widespread, poses challenges for educators and parents because the disorder makes it difficult for the child to succeed in the typical instructional environment. This comprehensive, up-to-date symposium will provide  educators and other professionals in the field with a greater understanding of disability and ways that it can effectively managed."

The morning sessions comprise:

Testing and Assessment, presented by Mari Jo Resnick, PhD, Director of Testing and Assessment, The Gow School and Katharine Zaromatidis, PhD, Director of Iona's School Psychology Program.

Executive Function, presented by Julie Tarry, Director of Campus Life, The Gow School.

Dyslexia and the Law, presented by Kenneth F. McCallion, Esq., McCallion & Associates LLP  and Debra Lagapa, Director of Communication, Office of New York State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D-37th State District)

The afternoon sessions are:

Addressing Challenging Behaviors, presented by Robert Degen, LCSW and Marlene Zakerski, PhD, Director of Iona's Special Education Programs and Jillian Flood, PhD, Iona's school psychology program.

Navigating the College Process, presented by Charlie Brown, Director of College Counsel at The Gow and Gravity Goldberg, PhD, Iona's Special Education Program.

Scientifically Proven Methods to Language Remediation, presented by Marykate Russo, reconstructive language teacher and Michael Dibble, English teacher at The Gow School and Cara Nemcheck, Associate Center Director, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes at The Gow School.

A closing panel and discussion on the topic, Collaborating with Parents, will be led by Yvette Goorevitch, Director of Special Education, New Rochelle City School District and Naomi Brickel, Project Coordinator, Hudson Valley Education Parent Center, Westchester Institute for Human Development.

Founded in 1940, Iona College is a four-year private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs.

 

 

For questions or more information please contact:
Dawn Insanalli
Public Relations Office
Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
Office: (914) 637-2726
Fax: (914) 637-2711
dinsanalli@iona.edu