Reading Plus Of Austin
Ginny Garrison West, Reading Plus of Austin
Certified Academic Language/Dyslexia Therapist
Ginny has two degrees in English, plus an all-level teaching certification (grades 1-12), from the University of Texas-Austin, as well as 18 hours toward a doctorate at Texas State University. She has been working as a Certified Academic Language Therapist, and now as a Licensed Dyselxia Therapist, for 20 years. She also has been a dyslexia therapist in the capacity of tester and therapist for two school districts, and as well as a private consultant, for 20 years.
She has access to and experience in several scientific learning programs (which she either uses in their entirety or pulls from) to create tailored reading, spelling, and writing programs specifically geared for success with each individual child. These heavily researched and scientifically-based programs include: "Basic Language Skills" (used at Rawson-Saunders School in Austin); Scottish Rite Learning Center's "Take Flight Language Program"; Lindamood Bell Company's "Visualizing and Verbalizing," "Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing," and "Seeing Stars" programs; and "Project Read."
Ginny is also able to use her experience treaching honors English and in college debate to work with students' wriitng and honing their receptive/expressive lanuage skills. She works with students from pre-schoolers through adults. Ginny also works with elementary students who have learning disabilities involving mathematics, using the Lindamood-Bell "On Cloud Nine" program. Parent references describing successes are furnished upon request.
Insurance Note: Due to recent licensing requirements implemented by the Texas Department of Health, many insurance companies now provide benefits for language and dyslexia therapy. Ginny can provide formal billing statements to facilitate the processing of insurance claims.
Education/Training
After beginning her education at Abilene Christian University, she studied at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) for two semesters through Pepperdine University. She earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Texas, from which she holds an all-level teaching certification. She taught high school English in Austin for 16 years before becoming Education Editor and Educational Outreach Director for the Austin American-Statesman.
Bio
Ginny, a native of West Texas, grew up with two younger sisters on a ranch near Sweetwater. She was an avid horseperson, and loved working with the ranch Herefords. After graduation from Sweetwater High School, Ginny attended Abilene Christian College for two years, then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin. From there, she moved to Heidelberg, Germany, for two semesters to attend Pepperdine University's campus there and to also take classes at the University of Heidelberg.
Ginny is married to a career journalism and corporate communications practitioner. She has three sons: one in Denver with a wife and her only grandchild, one with a business in Austin, and the third attending the University of Texas at San Antonio (where he stars on the school's quidditch team). Ginny taught English for several years before becoming a risk manager for a doctors' malpractice insurance company, then Director of Educational Services at the Austin American Statesman. After receiving a scholarship to become a language therapist in 1993, she began attending the Neuhaus Education Center in Houston where she became a Certified Academic Language Therapist. Finally, two years ago (as soon as licensing was available) she also became a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist.
Memberships
International Dyslexia Association
Academic Language Therapy Association
Austin Area Branch of the International Dyslexia Association
International Reading Association
Retired Teachers Assocation
Other Languages
Conversational German, Household Spanish
Payments Accepted
Cash and Checks
Hours:7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday
Cost/Session
$60 per hour
License:LDT #1437
Helpful Links
Practice Areas/Issues Treated
 Speech / Language / Hearing
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Language-Based Learning Disabilities
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Adult Speech/Language Disorders
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Learning Disabilities
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Child Speech/Language Disorders
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Raspy Voice / Muscle Tension Dysphonia
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Developmental Delays
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Vocal Coaching for Singing and Performing
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English as a Second Language
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