Dyslexia Expert to Give Free Talk at FLCC
Canandaigua, N.Y. - Lisa Anderson, founder of the New Beginnings Learning Center in Seneca Falls, will give a free talk on dyslexia, a condition that can make it hard to learn to read, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Finger Lakes Community College.
The lecture begins at 12:30 p.m. in Stage 13 on the second floor of the main campus at 3325 Marvin Sands Drive. Visitors should arrive early to leave time for parking due to on-campus construction.
“My focus is on educating people about what dyslexia is and to clarify any misunderstandings and misperceptions,” Anderson said. “I hope that people will get a better insight of what it’s like to be dyslexic and understand that dyslexics are intelligent people who have a different way of learning.”\
Anderson started New Beginnings Learning Center in 2005, the year she became licensed to teach students using the Davis Dyslexia Correction model.
“I became familiar with dyslexia when my oldest son was classified as dyslexic in 2001,” she explained. “My son was in third grade and had shown no improvement in his reading and spelling. I realized then that nothing was working for him. I was in a state of despair and was searching for a solution.
“One day, one of my son’s teachers loaned me the book, ‘The Gift of Dyslexia’ by Ronald Davis, a dyslexic autistic himself. By the middle of my son’s third-grade year, he received the Davis program. This made all of the difference for him,” Anderson said.
The Davis program views dyslexia as a normal developmental pattern and uses methods geared to the students’ natural strengths and talents. For example, people with dyslexia think in pictures, making it harder to understand letters, numbers and symbols.
“Dyslexics are intelligent people who have a different way of learning, and there are many creative ways and strategies that can be used to help people with dyslexia learn,” Anderson said.
At New Beginnings, she has students of all ages and also provides programs in mathematics and for people with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
A native of Seneca Falls, Anderson graduated from Mynderse Academy. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, and a master’s degree in education from SUNY Cortland.
Anderson’s lecture is part of Finger Lakes Community College’s Diversity Series. The next event is a lecture titled “Diversity According to ‘Family Guy’ and ‘South Park’” by Matt Glowacki. TV shows operating on the fringes of societal acceptance often have a more developed, logical and inclusive view of society, he says.
Glowacki, who was born without legs, runs Diversabilities Consulting, giving presentations at schools, colleges and corporations. His talk is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. in Stage 13.
About FLCC:
Finger Lakes Community College (www.flcc.edu) is a State University of New York two-year higher education institution. FLCC’s 250-acre park-like campus is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes in Canandaigua, N.Y. The College offers more than 45 degree and certificate programs, including environmental conservation, ornamental horticulture, music recording technology, nursing, communications, graphic design and tourism management. FLCC’s current enrollment is 6,600 full- and part-time students.