Adele Sherman, Educational Therapist

A love of children combined with an interest in psychology led me to become an Educational Therapist. My earliest understanding of learning difficulties was garnered from my learning-disabled brother, who provided the initial inspiration for my work. From my earliest days of teaching, I empathized with children who were struggling with learning issues. I had a keen understanding of the impact of these challenges on their self-esteem and wanted to help them develop their potential and find their place in the world. Consequently, I entered the field of education specifically to help struggling learners.

The result of over thirty years in the field has provided me with a wide range of experience working with students from kindergarten to university level, and more recently, adults as well. I have helped students with Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Mild Developmental Delay and Emotional Difficulties overcome their particular challenges and become successful learners.

My background in education and degree in Psychology provide the foundation for my work with learning disabled students. I hold the equivalent of a Master of Education in Special Education/Learning Disabilities, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and an Ontario Teacher’s Certificate. Since teaching in the Toronto District School Board and private school systems for 13 years, in both regular and special education classes, I have been established in private practice in Toronto for the past 15 years. My work has recently expanded to include teaching abroad on special assignment.

I created LearnAbility as a service for both children and adults, to help each person find the missing developmental steps that interfere with their learning and enable them to reach their potential.

My varied toolkit has given me the flexibility and range to effectively meet each student’s individual learning needs. The Lindamood-Bell® approach to reading, spelling and comprehension provides the basis for my work in literacy skills. In addition, I am a certified provider of the Cellfield Reading Program, Interactive Metronome® and Fast ForWord®. I am also trained in Jump Math. I am a member of both the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (LDAO).

My keen analytical and diagnostic skills, holistic approach and openness to exploring a variety of options, are essential elements in my search for the key to each person’s learning breakthrough. For many of my students, working with me has been a game-changer, improving life-long learning capabilities and directly impacting their future success.