ABOUT
Traverse Dyslexia's purpose is to guide families through the process of identifying and supporting dyslexic children, teens, and adults.
Our talented tutors work with students both in person at our beautiful Salem and Silverton clinics, as well as remotely via Zoom. Each student has three staff on their team: their tutor, our Assistant Director, and our Director. We only work with students 1:1 to be able to create the most effective program, and guide students through as quickly as possible. Each session is tailored for each student.
Our Salem clinic is conveniently located at 125 23rd St. NE, near State Street. Our main floor has three learning spaces, a kitchen, bathroom, and comfortable reception area. A spiral staircase leads to a giant loft learning area.
Our Silverton clinic is located in the historic Wolford House, at 435 N. Water Street, Silverton. We often work outdoors in our back garden, by the creek, or on the front porch. Look for our Little Free Library out front! On-street parking, and just one block from the heart of downtown Silverton.
All of our spaces were designed with kids and teens in mind. Students can often be found laying on the floor while they work, writing dictation words on windows, or practicing writing in a tray with shaving cream. Orton-Gillingham methodology requires a multisensory approach, and we weave that through all our activities.
Our foyer - relax here while we work with your student, or walk a few doors down to excellent coffee and baked goods.
Our peaceful back garden, and the creek beyond. Kids love working outdoors and watching the acrobatic squirrels.
About our Director
Dawn Tacker's experience with dyslexia began when her youngest son was flagged by his preschool/Kindergarten teacher. He was reading at a Grade 1-2 level, but there was "something" about the way he read - memorizing words by shape, and making wild guesses by looking at the pictures - that raised the red flag with his teacher.
When Dawn started researching dyslexia to better understand the teacher's concerns, she had a light bulb moment. Since second grade, and despite being bright, her oldest son struggled with writing, spelling, and memorizing math facts. Evaluation after evaluation failed to provide a specific reason. The list of warning signs for dyslexia read like a description of her oldest son's experience since toddlerhood.
Once she made the connection between her son's academic experience and the pattern of dyslexia, Dawn started her training to become a dyslexia specialist. She has 48 hours of intense graduate work with Susan Barton on Dyslexia Screening, and an additional 250+ hours in study, webinars, workshops, and seminars with top researchers and experts in dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Dawn's educational background includes a Bachelor's degree from American University and a Master's degree from Georgetown University. She has studied six languages, and has a deep, lifelong love for reading and writing. Dawn also worked as a licensed substitute teacher for Willamette Educational Services District, and was the founder and coordinator of Decoding Dyslexia Oregon's Salem branch.
Despite her academic and professional achievements, Dawn often gets lost, even in familiar settings; has to re-read technical books to understand fully; is terrible with remembering names and faces; has a gift for seeing the big picture; makes connections that are creative; and enjoys creating art through photography - all very common manifestations of dyslexia.