Jessica Ghassemi

Clinician

Jessica holds a Master of Arts in Learning Disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor’s degree in History, as well as Secondary Education from Hofstra University. While at Teachers College, Jessica enrolled in an Orton-Gillingham curriculum and completed 220 hours of postgraduate instruction which led to her ALTA Certification as an Academic Language Therapist. She is a special education teacher who has spent nearly two decades teaching students from Pre-K to adulthood, helping them become successful and independent learners.

Jessica spent the first half of her teaching career working in a private school in Manhattan that specifically catered to students who learn differently and have unique learning profiles. There, Jessica taught some of the most talented and charming students, helping them to develop their best abilities and paths in life. Over ten years, Jessica taught content area subjects such as Literature & Writing, History, and a variety of Science classes. Jessica also worked with students who were diagnosed with ADHD, Executive Function challenges, Autism, and Dyslexia in one-on-one focus sessions to develop unique learning plans and specific skill sets. In this role, Jesica also helped parents navigate the CSE process.

Jessica eventually left the classroom to move on to the university level and worked at Columbia University’s Office of Disabilities Services. While there, Jessica has trained extensively on the foundations of Special Education Law and rights accommodations at the college level. While advocating for students on the University level was eye-opening, Jessica realized she was truly a teacher at heart and missed working directly with the students. Jessica went to work for a nonprofit to work with at-risk students, and using her extensive Orton-Gillingham training, she provided after-school therapy to students with dyslexia and reading comprehension difficulties. Jessica is a firm believer that students who rise above the hurdles in front of them develop into stronger, more passionate adults who make great changes in the world once they reach their potential. Jessica started her Private Practice working with students struggling to break into literacy. In 2020, Jessica began teaching virtually, enabling her to continue working with students locally and those who left the state during COVID-19. Since then, Jessica has continued to teach virtually as the students preferred the ease and convenience of meeting online. Jessica is currently continuing her work in an additional 250-hour Orton-Gillingham curriculum to become a Qualified Instructor for teachers who are learning the Orton-Gillingham method.

Areas of Focus: Primary to Post-Secondary Education, Differentiated Instruction for Neurodiverse Learners, Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy, Decoding and Encoding, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Handwriting, Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, Social Emotional Learning, Executive Functioning, Parent Education, Educational Advocacy