Bainbridge Island & Kitsap County
Dyscalculia & math Learning disability specialist
Dyscalculia & Math Learning Disability Specialist for Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County
Navigating the world of dyscalculia can feel similar to hiking an unknown trail, without a map or guide.
As a dyscalculia specialist and fellow parent of a child with dyscalculia, I can help you get started in the right direction, equip you with the knowledge and proper gear, and help you navigate this unique learning disability journey.
I provide compassionate, knowledgable, and experienced guidance for families, educators, students, and adult individuals.
To learn more about me and my journey becoming a dyscalculia specialist, check out my about-page.
Laura M. Jackson - local dyscalculia specialist and author of the book, Discovering Dyscalculia (2022)
guidance for parents
Your child is struggling in math class. You are spinning in confusion and overwhelm, stressed and exhausted from trying all the things.
As a dyscalculia specialist and consultant I can help you sort through the overwhelm and confusion, and help you get started in the right direction so your child can thrive.
what we can accomplish together:
🟨 Confirm the Cause of Math Struggles: Through my targeted questions, your observations, and dyscalculia screening checklist, we can determine if the challenges are likely due to dyscalculia, dyslexia, or another reason. Then you can make an informed choice on whether to jump into math interventions or pursue an evaluation. I can also review prior evaluation reports and give insights into what may have been overlooked, since many psychologists are still unfamiliar with dyscalculia.
🟨 Start Evaluation Process: If you want to pursue a school evaluation, I can help you use the correct language and help provide evidence for need, which is critical for public school evaluations. For private evaluations, I can guide you on what to ask for, where to find a qualified Seattle evaluator, the process, and insurance considerations.
🟨 Write Teacher Emails: If you know the cause of your child’s math difficulties, together we can draft email communications with detailed information on how the learning disability impacts math learning and other subjects such as science, history, etc. I can provide you with info sheets to share with teachers as well.
🟨 Choose the Right Math Intervention Options: Students struggling in math due to dyscalculia or dyslexia need specific math interventions and teaching methods. I can help you become knowledgeable about the specific teaching strategies and materials needed so you can more confidently choose the right math intervention program, teacher, or tutor. We can also discuss options for specific math intervention at school, privately, at home, or online.
🟨 Choose 504 Accommodations for Dyscalculia: The accommodations suggested by schools for a math learning disability are often unhelpful and lack a real understanding of dyscalculia. Together we can choose the best accommodation options for your unique child, as well as how to ensure their implementation in the classroom. This can be a collaborative meeting with you and your student so that they can be a part of this important discussion on their supports.
🟨 Get Support for Yourself: Maybe you don’t know what you need. You feel too overwhelmed. You may just need to talk through your feelings and experiences of raising a child with a confusing learning disability. Having a safe place to pay attention to your own fears and anxieties with someone who gets it can be immensely helpful. Getting support for ourselves is usually the best support we parents can give to our children.
pricing details
Initial Consult or Coaching Appointments are one-hour on Zoom or in-person on Bainbridge Island and include a followup email with resources discussed in our call. ($200)
Follow-Up Consult or Coaching Calls are one-hour on Zoom or in-person on Bainbridge Island and can be booked anytime after our initial session. ($150)
Local, On-Site
teacher training
teacher professional development
One in every 20 students is dyscalculic. That is about 1-2 students in every classroom. Higher than 5% percent occurs at private schools who often support a higher percentage of neurodivergent students.
Yet teachers in our U.S. education system, including special education teachers, rarely receive training on dyscalculia in their university training or from their school employers. Teachers are left unequipped to recognize dyscalculia, assess for this learning disability, or know how to provide effective interventions and accommodations.
As a dyscalculia specialist, I provide in-depth training and education for teachers, tutors, educational psychologists, and school support staff.
This introductory training on dyscalculia will equip your school staff and teachers to better understand dyscalculia, identify and recognize the signs and symptoms, pursue proper assessment options, apply effective teaching strategies, and provide meaningful supports for students with a math learning disability.
Introduction to Dyscalculia training
Training is 4.5 total hours, divided into 3 sessions (1.5 hours each):
What dyscalculia is. The signs and symptoms. How to identify students. Assessments for instruction. What is at the core of this math learning disability. What is the difference between math struggles caused by dyscalculia, versus ADHD, or dyslexia.
How to provide effective math instruction that develops number-sense and supports dyscalculic learners as well as dyslexic students struggling in math.
Effective accommodations and modifications that best support dyscalculic learners in math, and in other subjects impacted such as science, history, culinary, physical education, etc.
pricing details
Introduction to Dyscalculia is a discussion-based, interactive, and engaging training that will leave your teachers feeling more confident in their important work. Each of the three sessions are 1.5 hours, provided on site at your school. This provides 4.5 hours of teacher training and professional development. ($1,200 on BI, travel compensation added for Kitsap peninsula schools.)
Additional Training on Math Education for Dyscalculia. If you would like to provide additional more in-depth training on how to teach students with dyscalculia, consider adding my Audio Guide to Math Education for Dyscalculia for all math or special education teachers. The Audio Guide is nearly three hours of specific training on teaching math for dyscalculia. This additional training is available via a private podcast audio feed so your staff can more easily learn while on the go. The training is available for a full year from start. A 20% discount is available to schools who purchase 5 or more individual audio trainings. Price is $150 each for 1-4 trainings, five or more for $120 each.
What parents are saying
“I just wanted to sincerely thank you for lending us your amazing expertise about learning challenges. I’m not sure how to express my gratitude for your time and compassionate advice. Truly life-changing for us. ”
“Your guidance and direction was super helpful and I don’t feel like I am moving about blindly on this anymore! ”
“It was so helpful to talk with someone who truly “gets it.””
“I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it is to talk with someone after all of this time who understands what you’ve been going through so much they can finish your sentences. Hugely relieving.”
“My daughter was diagnosed with dyscalculia. It was during my desperate Google searches for answers that led me to Laura’s blog. Her story is so inspiring and has helped me become a more informed parent. Laura brings a wealth of information, and is an incredible resource to anyone in this journey. Laura is genuine, informative and truly passionate to help others and bring awareness. ”
“This workshop was so helpful to me, both for the information shared AND for the connection to other parents going through the same thing. Laura has done an excellent job corralling resources and I am so grateful we found her!”
“Both my husband and I found this class incredibly helpful, we felt that it gave us valuable insight in how to help and understand our child better. We have used what we learned to advocate our child’s case to our school and really able to help our child in the best way and let go of things that we suspected were not working but it was nice having that validation confirming with actual facts that are not helpful. I am eternally grateful to have found Laura. The classes were very well organized, perfect for working parents to fit into their schedule, and well-structured with many resources.”
“Laura has really done her homework. What a wonderful resource to share with parents struggling to understand their child’s diagnosis.”
“We wanted you to know how much we enjoyed the course and how helpful it has been... Thanks again for everything you did to support our family and others. It was so nice to find some hope and support in this journey even though we are early on this path!”
“I just want to let you know how much I appreciate all that you have done and are doing to support families that are impacted by dyscalculia. We are still very early in our journey but the resources you have put together here have truly been invaluable. I have learned so much and feel much better equipped to figure out how to move forward. Hearing your daughter’s story has given me hope that my daughter can thrive with the appropriate interventions. ”
“For once I feel like I am lining things up that will actually help her instead of muddling our way through the status quo…I am so grateful to have found you and signed up for these sessions.”
“The resources you have put together here have truly been invaluable. I have learned so much and feel much better equipped to figure out how to move forward.”
“What a wonderful teacher and support you have been - thank you. I feel hope for my child, thanks to you.”
“I am finally doing something to help my kid with their learning difference, starting with the foundation to have a true understanding is really great.”
“I truly appreciate your lessons. It’s really helped my confidence.”
What Teachers are saying
“Thank you for all of your support in providing a wonderful experience for the teachers. When we came together in person this week to talk about your workshop, the teachers all had a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by dyscalculic learners. They are all motivated to incorporate the resources you recommended into their classroom, and to continue learning more about this population of learners. As feedback about your workshop came in, you should know that your authentic, knowledgeable and kind presence was appreciated by our staff.”
“Thanks for a great session today. A lot of valuable dialogue shared; I always leave our time together with ideas to put into practice or topics to further research and discuss.”
“I REALLY enjoyed your course. I am stunned (and disappointed) that the education of dyscalculia is so lacking in our schools (and in our teacher education)!””
Contact me to learn more about working together!