Francie Matthews, Ph.D., Honored by Dyslexia Association

Oct. 31, 2013 - PRLog -- Learning expert and practitioner, Francie Matthews, Ph.D., received the Community Service Award from the New Jersey branch of the International Dyslexia Association (NJIDA) at its annual Awards Dinner on October 17, 2013 in Somerset, NJ. This award was presented as part of the group’s annual Fall Conference, which drew teachers, psychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and speech and language specialists from around the state.

The Community Service Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated tireless volunteerism and unflagging dedication to advance the mission of NJIDA. The results of these noteworthy efforts have made a significant contribution in improving outcomes for individuals with dyslexia.

Dr. Matthews was recognized for her service in many leadership roles within the NJ branch of this member-based professional organization: as president, secretary, board member, and conference chairperson. She is currently on the NJIDA Advisory Board. In these official capacities, she has spearheaded important initiatives to promote dyslexia awareness in the state including educating pediatricians on dyslexia, training teachers, and advocating for early identification and adult literacy.

“I am so honored to receive this award from my colleagues in NJIDA. Throughout my career, helping children and adults overcome their reading challenges has been extremely gratifying. My affiliation with NJIDA has allowed me to collaborate with other professionals in ways that reach and impact even more individuals,” remarked Matthews.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Matthews has worked with children and adults with language learning differences in a variety of academic and clinical settings and has a long-standing interest in the relationship of oral language abilities to literacy. She co-authored Ready to Read: A Multisensory Approach to Language-Based Comprehension Instruction, with Mary Farrell, Ph.D.

Dr. Matthews is the founder and Director of Academic Success Associates, a private practice specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities, located in Westfield, NJ. Academic Success Associates can be found on the web at http://www.academicsuccessnj.com.