The Reading Clinic LLC was founded by Lindsey Blackburn. Lindsey taught for years as a special educator and was frustrated by the limited help for dyslexic students. She was trained under a fellow of the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and became a therapist to be part of the solution. The Reading Clinic provides online support for struggling readers, writers and spellers. We specialize in assisting students with learning challenges such as dyslexia and language based learning disabilities. Our therapists provide 1 on 1 individualized instruction using a form of structured literacy known as the Orton Gillingham approach.
Lindsey earned her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Wake Forest University and her Masters Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine. She worked for New England public schools as a certified special education teacher and learning disabilities specialist. She has extensive training in the Orton Gillingham (OG) approach and over a decade of experience in the public and private sectors. In addition to her OG training, Lindsey has completed additional training in a variety of structured literacy programs such as Wilson and Lindamood Bell.
Fun Fact: She currently resides in Cape Neddick, Maine where she can be found hiking, biking, and skiing with her husband and son. Teaching children to read is Lindsey's passion and she loves being able to partner with her colleagues and families through tele-therapy to meet the needs of all her students. Her approach is emotionally sound with an emphasis on the strengths and successes of her students.
Meet Jean Bates! I have 25 years experience teaching students having difficulty with reading and spelling. In addition to working with students privately, I work with kindergarten to fourth grade in a public elementary school in Central New Jersey. I was named Teacher of the Year for my school in 2010 and was a recipient of the Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award by the National Association of Special Education Teachers for 2010-2011.
Reading and spelling do not come easily to all and the most amazing part of working with my students is that point in time when they begin to feel success. Watching their confidence build is one of the many reasons I enjoy the work that I do.
Fun fact: I have a collection of over a hundred succulents. During the colder months they take over my house!
Meet Cristin Fischer! She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with endorsements in Early Childhood Education, Library Media and German. She completed an MA program in K-12 Reading and is currently a Reading Specialist in a public-school setting. Cristin has also completed Structured Literacy coursework and a practicum to gain Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist designation. With more than 21 years of teaching experience in public education, as well as 3 years of providing structured literacy therapy, Cristin has worked with students of all ages, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Cristin loves the work she does, because she is able to design and deliver lessons to meet the unique needs of each student, which has a lasting, positive impact on every aspect of a child’s life.
Fun Fact: In her spare time, Cristin has a licensed therapy dog named Luna, and together, they volunteer for Love on a Leash. Cristin and Luna work as a team, to provide comfort and stress relief in a variety of situations and places of need.
Meet Jennifer A. Garcia! She is a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist who has been teaching children to read in both English and Spanish since 2003. She received her Masters in Education from Texas A & M University- Commerce in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Bilingual Education and Bachelors in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University. Jennifer worked as a classroom teacher and dyslexia specialist in Dallas County, Texas.
In 2018 she joined The Reading Clinic LLC team, performing dyslexia evaluations and teaching students to read using Orton Gillingham structured literacy curriculum and partnering with families for the student’s progress in literacy, increasing self-esteem in students who had previously struggled.
Meet Keri Hope! She has been an educator in California for over 15 years, working mostly as a Reading Specialist for students ages 5 through young adult. In 2020, she completed her Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (SLDS) certification and added one-on-one reading therapy to her resume.
After many years working with larger groups of students in public school settings, she finds it incredibly rewarding to see the amount of progress a student can make in an individualized, systematic format. In fact, one of her favorite things about her work as a one-on-one reading therapist is how relieved students and families often feel when reading finally starts to make sense to a child.
Fun Fact: When Keri is not working with her students or reading for her own growth and enjoyment, she can be found fulfilling her other mission as a part-time mermaid, surfing, swimming, and paddling in the ocean.
Meet Cynthia Lang! My personal experience with my dyslexic daughter led me to training/certification in Structured Literacy and Orton-Gillingham. My passion drives using my experience and training to prove to my students that they can be successful learners.
Meet Joanna Brown! She is an Orton-Gillingham reading tutor with over 15 years of experience providing personalized, one-on-one reading instruction. Joanna earned her M.A. in Elementary Education and Literacy from Bank Street College of Education in New York City in 2011, and her B.A. in History from the University of Colorado in 2004. Joanna began tutoring children in reading in New York City in 2005.
She has worked with hundreds of struggling readers, dyslexic readers, and readers needing enrichment. She also works with students who have a variety of educational differences including dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, speech and language disorders, writing issues, and executive functioning issues. Joanna has a calm, patient nature and a playful sense of humor that help her to connect with students on a personal level.
Fun Fact! After many years of living in Brooklyn, NY, Joanna now resides in her hometown of Denver, Colorado in an 1890 bungalow. In her spare time, she figure skates, watches horror movies, and fosters dogs.
“I didn’t succeed despite my dyslexia but because of it. It wasn’t my deficit, but my advantage. Although there are neurological trade-offs that require that I work creatively [and] smarter in reading, writing and speaking, I would never wish to be any other way than my awesome self. I love being me, regardless of the early challenges I had faced.””
“Cindy was patient, persistent, and encouraging. She strived to know my child and build a trusting relationship so that my son developed both foundational reading skills and a love of books.”
-Parent, Director, SPED