Dr. Valadez received a B.S. and M.Ed. from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Qualified Instructor through ALTA, a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in Texas and holds several certifications, including Texas State Board Certified Educational Diagnostician, Special Education Teacher EC-12, Reading Specialist PreK-12, Elementary Education Teacher, Reading 1-8, and Principal.
The Texas Dyslexia Center was established to help support and meet the needs of students, their families, and the schools, teachers, and providers who service them. Several changes have taken place in the field of dyslexia and related disorders in Texas schools with recent mandates impacting the implementation of dyslexia evaluation, identification, and instruction. We are confident our center will serve as a community resource, helping students with dyslexia reach their full potential.
Our philosophy centers on the belief that reading is a fundamental skill and all children can learn to read.
Reading is a Fundamental Right
Dr. Jackie Valadez is a Certified Academic Language Therapist, Licensed Dyslexia Therapist, and Qualified Instructor. Her passion for teaching and learning expands over 35 years in numerous capacities in higher education as Associate Professor and Director of Student Teaching at St. Mary’s University, Director of Education at Schreiner University, Fellow and Graduate Faculty for the ACE Supervision & Instruction program in the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, and most recently as Visiting Professor at Colorado College in the MAT-Dyslexia Specialist Program. She developed a passion for helping children with dyslexia as a dyslexia therapist, eventually leading her towards therapist training and program administration as team lead, specialist, and program coordinator in Texas school districts. She conducted numerous dyslexia evaluations under Section 504 and in collaboration with special education professional staff for students under IDEA. With the legislative changes in dyslexia evaluation, Dr. Valadez went on to pursue additional schooling in the Graduate Educational Diagnostician certification program at Lamar University.
Dr. Valadez received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in College Station in Educational Administration with specializations in Reading and Human Resources Development. She received both her Master's degree from Texas State University in Elementary Teaching Methods and her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education Reading.
Dr. Valadez holds several state board certifications, including educational diagnostician, principal, professional reading specialist, special education teacher, and elementary education reading teacher. She is President of the Texas Dyslexia Center which provides dyslexia therapist training, professional development, consultation, and evaluation services. She has served on the ALTA Board of Directors for two terms and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Accreditation Commission as Commissioner at Large. She currently serves on the ALTA Higher Education Committee, the Journal of Academic Language Therapy editorial committee, and is co-Chair of the ALTA Bilingual Exam Committee. She has presented at several state and national conferences, and has conducted numerous professional training sessions and workshops for schools and professional organizations on topics of dyslexia and related disorders, preparation of pre-service teachers, and assessment, diagnosis, and remediation of reading difficulties. This January, 2024 she has been invited to present at the Texas ALTA Summit. Her presentation title is: The Evolving Role of the Dyslexia Therapist in Texas Public Schools: Expanding your expertise to confidently contribute to the dyslexia Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE).
Jacqueline Valadez
Ph.D., LDT, CALT-QI
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Our program offers Dyslexia Therapist Course Instruction and Training in multisensory, structured language education.
Therapist
Training
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Getting a diagnosis can lead to early intervention so children do not fall behind. For older children preparing to attend college, an updated evaluation may be necessary to receive accommodations.
Evaluation
Services
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Offering customized professional development services and reading curriculum program training for dyslexia staff, classroom teachers, special education teachers, reading specialists, and reading coaches.
Consulting
