MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, Executive Director
Telephone: 412-341-1515, extension 206
Email: mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org
Website: www.ldaamerica.org
Steven Korner Named Educator of the Year by Learning Disabilities Association of America
Pittsburgh, PA (March 8, 2018) – Steven Korner, PhD, was presented the Sam Kirk Educator of the Year Award during the 55th Annual Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) Conference, February 21-24, in Atlanta, Georgia. Korner, a licensed psychologist in private practice, is Coordinator of Special Education at the Harrington Park School District in Harrington Park, NJ.
Korner has been working to build a Response to the Right Intervention (RTRI) program based upon neuropsychological principles and a neurocognitive model. He is a leader of a legislative initiative supported by four of the largest professional associations in New Jersey to add the federal “third option” to the special education code. He offers workshops and trainings throughout the state with the goal of providing support to all children and teachers.
The Educator of the Year Award is given in memory of Dr. Samuel A. Kirk, pioneer in the field of special education. In 1963, Kirk proposed the term “learning disability” to describe children who have disorders in language, speech, reading, and associated communication skills. LDA annually presents its award to an educator at local, state, or national levels who has made outstanding contributions to the education of persons with learning disabilities.
According to Korner, getting to the bottom of a student’s learning problems requires a kind of detective work, and he finds the neuropsychological evaluation an invaluable investigative tool. “This kind of assessment not only identifies a student’s patterns of strengths and weaknesses but links these to accommodations and instructional practices–offering teachers, parents, and tutors the most effective ways to address learning and performance problems.”
Beginning his career as an elementary school teacher when special education did not exist and a neurocognitive understanding of learning was in its infancy, Korner used his creativity and avocation as a musician to catch and sustain the attention of struggling students. He earned a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and has been in private practice as a licensed psychologist for 40 years, specializing in child, family, and marital psychotherapy and psycho-educational and neuropsychological evaluations.
Appointments have included Director of the Child and Family Unit, Benjamin Rush Center in Philadelphia; Director of Psychology and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York Medical College-Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York City; and Associate Professor (tenured), Doctoral Program in Child-Clinical Psychology and Director, School Psychology Program, Seton Hall University.
LDA’s annual conference on learning disabilities is a comprehensive resource for parents, educators, adults with LD, and professionals. Experts from across the country are featured speakers in more than 200 sessions looking at learning disabilities as they impact the individual across the lifespan. Topics include assessment and evaluation, effective instruction, use of technology, parent and family issues, transition to post-secondary education, advocacy and public policy, early childhood, cultural diversity, professional development, mental health, and much more. LDA’s 56th Annual International Conference will take place February 18-21, 2019 in Ft. Worth, Texas.
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About the Learning Disabilities Association of America:
The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit organization of parents, educators, adults with learning disabilities, and professionals providing support, information, and advocacy on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities. For further information, go to www.ldaamerica.org.
