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IDA Purpose Statement
 The purpose of The International Dyslexia Association is to pursue and provide the most comprehensive range of information and services that address the full scope of dyslexia and related difficulties in learning to read and write.
In a way that creates hope, possibility and partnership.
So that every individual has the opportunity to lead a productive and fulfilling life, and society benefits from the resource that is liberated.
IDA Mission Statement
 The International Dyslexia Association is an international organization that concerns itself with the complex issues of dyslexia. The IDA membership consists of a variety of professionals in partnership with individuals with dyslexia and their families. We believe all individuals have the right to achieve their potential, that individual learning abilities can be strengthened, and that social, educational and cultural barriers to language acquisition and use must be removed.
IDA actively promotes effective teaching approaches and related clinical educational intervention strategies for individuals with dyslexia. We support and encourage interdisciplinary study and research. We facilitate the exploration of the causes and early identification of dyslexia and are committed to the responsible and wide dissemination of research-based knowledge.
IDA Headquarters
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, IDA has more than 13.000 members worldwide. Members and the public-at-large have access to local resources throughout more than 45 branches in the U.S., Canada and affiliate organizations around the world.
Ontario Branch
The Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (ONBIDA) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in June 2004. The branch is operated entirely by volunteers, providing free information, support and referral services to the public.
Charitable Registration Number 85713 3078 RR0001
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Liisa Freure (President)
Liisa Freure is a former elementary school teacher who received her M.Ed. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Liisa’s initial interest in research-based interventions for at-risk students began when traditional methods of instruction did not seem to work for some students. Then, after two of her own three children exhibited early signs of dyslexia, Liisa began to learn all that she could about strategies for intervention and remediation. Liisa now runs a private educational consulting and tutoring practice for students of all ages. In addition to her background in Special Education, Liisa is a certified education advocate and an Orton-Gillingham trained remedial language therapist.
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Valerie Fish (Vice-President)
Valerie Fish holds a M.H.Sc. degree in SpeechLanguage Pathology. Valerie worked for nine yearsat Toronto’s Riverdale Hospital in the areas of neurogenic rehabilitation and complex continuing care, and has worked as a private Speech Language Pathologist for the past 10 years. In addition to her clinical work, Valerie has been active teaching at the graduate level in the Department of Speech LanguagePathology at the University of Toronto. A proponent of the Orton-Gillingham based approach, Valerie has had a professional interest in the assessment and remediation of dyslexia in school aged children since introduced to the field of dyslexia during her Master’s Degree program in 1986-88.
Alex Wu (Treasurer)
Alex Wu is an analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at National Bank Financial. Alex has had extensive experience analyzing and evaluating the financial health and performance of several public and private companies and has been involved in numerous merger and acquisition transactions. Previously, Alex was also engaged in the field of education having worked as an instructor for a global tutoring firm for 4 years, as well as holding his own private tutoring classes in math and English. Alex holds a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honors) from the Queen’s School of Business
Jennifer Goudey (Secretary)
Jennifer Goudey joins the ONBIDA board with a wealth of knowledge in the field of children’s mental health and management skills. She has recently completed her PhD in School Psychology from the University of Alberta and is currently working with the Learning Disabilities Research Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Her research interest is in the area of parent involvement and children’s reading development, with a focus on parents helping with their children’s reading at home. A current research project looks at the contributions that a home-based parent tutoring program has on children’s reading achievement.
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Kevin Burgess
Kevin Burgess joined the Board of Directors of ONBIDA in 2008 and is currently Chair of the Fundraising Committee. Kevin has previously served on the Board of the Regina Big Brothers Association, volunteered as an account executive for the United Way of Alberta, Capital Region, and was a committee chair for the Quality Council of British Columbia. Kevin brings over twenty years of business development leadership experience in the management consulting, business solutions, systems integration, and information technology industries. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors and Distinction) degree from the University of Saskatchewan. |
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Jan MacLean
Jan McLean worked for thirty years as an occupational therapist. In 1994, she received her M.Sc. in Rehabilitation from Queen's University where she has also taught courses at the Queen's School of Rehabilitation Therapy. After having to travel out-of-province to obtain suitable treatment for her children's dyslexia, Jan founded The Reading Clinic in 2001 to offer intensive, research-based treatment for dyslexia. Her children’s success convinced Jan that this type of service needed to be available in Eastern Ontario, and she became committed to learning the necessary skills to become a specialized reading therapist. Jan's experience as a mother of children with dyslexia makes her sensitive to the concerns and frustrations of parents who have children with reading problems. Jan is a long-time member of the Kingston Learning Disabilities Association and a regular speaker at their conference.
Tali Kellerstein
Avital (Tali) Kellerstein is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Speech and Stuttering Institute where she has worked since completing her M.H.Sc. in 2005. Previously an E.S.L. teacher with an M.A. in English, Tali has always been passionate about literacy and its instruction. In 2007, she opened a private practice, Play on Words, where she applies her professional skills as a Speech-Language Pathogist to her interest in dyslexia.
Reshma Patil
Reshma Patil is an international student from India pursuing her MBA at the Schulich School of Business with three years work experience in IT services. Her involvement in non-profits started with volunteering for the Rotaract Club for 2.5 years in India as a Community Service Director and later as the Vice President. Her involvement with activities and educational seminars for youth and children got her interested in issues related to child development and growth. She was also a co-founder for a small scale industry for financially distressed women and came across cases in which parents did not acknowledge the fact that their children could be suffering from learning difficulties because of social pressures and the cost involved in the overall treatment. Reshma is currently specializing in Marketing and wishes to use her skills and experiences to contribute to the non-profit board as a way of giving back to the community.
Sue Barr
Sue Barr is a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, Cert. AVT and Cert. LSLS with the York Region District School Board since 1985. Sue has two daughters with dyslexia. Three years ago she discussed the idea of establishing a parent support group with then ONBIDA president, Sally Shearman. This lead to the starting of a parent group. Sue is a strong believer in the need for and importance of parental involvement and education in order to support our children with dyslexia.
Sally Gfeller
Sally Gfeller is a Learning Resource Teacher who has taught a variety of ages from Kindergarten through high school in both British Columbia as well as Ontario. Sally’s interest in working with students with dyslexia was spurred during her undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser, where she had the opportunity to work one-to-one with students during a Learning Disabilities Lab course. She was inspired to go on and do a Masters degree in this area, at UBC, and her role as a research assistant for Dr. Linda Siegel helped to cement her passion for supporting individuals with dyslexia and other learning differences. Sally also has experience working privately as an Orton-Gillingham Tutor and she has found this training invaluable as an educator.
STAFF
Michelle Halsey (Executive Director)
As Executive Director, Michelle manages the day to day operations of ONBIDA with a focus on communications and fundraising. Michelle has a B.Sc. in Psychology and is a graduate of the BoardWorx Executive Director (BWED) program. Michelle has an extensive marketing and communications background in the corporate world and with non-profit organizations at local, national, and international levels. Michelle is also a freelance writer and her work has been featured in media such as Today’s Parent, Perspectives on Language and Literacy, and CharityVillage.com. As a member of IDA’s International Strategic Planning Committee, Michelle was chosen to champion marketing and technology initiatives, and she continues to act as a special advisor to IDA’s Marketing Committee.
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