Jackie Kirk-Martinez, Ed.D- Owner / Educational Consultant
I am a professional consultant and educator in the field of special education. I provide leadership and support for all needs, using my facilitation skills. My objective is to ensure professionals are professionally trained in areas of special education to implement various programs and services for people with special needs. I support the child’s best interest and the child is kept at the forefront of each conversation. Learning never ends and collaboration is critical for districts, parents, and agencies. It can be accomplished through the building of trust and education.
I choose not to place “DIS”, in my ability. ~ Robert M. Hensel
I choose not to place “DIS”, in my ability. ~ Robert M. Hensel
Jackie Kirk-Martinez is a Special Education Consultant serving children with special needs, their parents, and the school where the child attends – evaluating children, consulting with families and schools, and serving as an expert witness in legal proceedings. Dr. Kirk-Martinez has served as an expert witness in mediation, court trials and many due process hearings. She serves to educate and proactively support the school districts. It has been said by public organizations, “I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the table with Jackie, as she knows special education well and will hold us accountable for the needs of the child yet collaborate too!” Also stated, “Jackie educates us along the way while supporting the needs of the child, in a very positive and proactive manner.”
Dr. Kirk-Martinez’ doctorate degree is in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Special Education. She has been certified as a general education teacher, special education teacher and an administrator.
Jackie is the great niece of the “Godfather of Learning Disabilities”, Dr. Samuel A Kirk. He is the author of several books, including many editions of Educating Exceptional Children. Dr. Kirk was also the founder of Head Start for early intervention preschools. Rare as it may seem, this passion and skill runs through her veins.
Jackie is a consultant for all children and aims to ensure children are served well yet strives to educate districts and parents in a positive collaborative manner. Through her many years as a teacher and administrator, she knows what children need to strive and learn in all areas of their educational career. She also knows what districts need to be successful, efficient, and effective. Although some areas need improvements, Jackie can move districts and parents to a better place through professional learning for all. BE SURE TO VISIT JACKIE’S LINKEDIN PAGE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HER, AND HER ABILITIES.
ADDITIONAL STAFF WITHIN THE AGENCY –
(We are updating our website to better inform you.)
Speech and Language Pathologist – What is a Speech and Language Pathologist? Speech-language pathologists (SLP), sometimes called speech therapists, assess, diagnose, treat, and help with disorders related to speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, swallowing and fluency. Speech-language pathologists work with people who cannot produce speech sounds or cannot produce them clearly; those with speech rhythm and fluency problems, such as stuttering; people with voice disorders, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice; those with problems understanding and producing language; and those with cognitive communication impairments, such as attention, memory, and problem-solving disorders. Our Speech Pathologist, Deborah Vandenberg, has worked with many populations and can assess children in various settings. Ms. Vandenberg is also Certified in Assistive Technology (AT). AT is a critical component in many children’s lives for them to access their school, home environment and community. Ms. Vandenberg is one of our two staff members with this rare yet valuable certification.
Educational Specialist – An Educational Specialist wears many hats. They are certified/credentialed educators who can assess children, target goals, design curriculum, implement programs, and provide professional development to parents, teachers, other instructional staff, and agencies. Our team of Educational Specialists are highly qualified having taught in the classroom for many years successfully and now provide support to instructional teams. Their best asset is that they care for each child they meet, and they can change the lives of the child and others around them through instruction to the child and ongoing education to the adults.
Behavior Specialists – A Behavioral Specialist is primarily responsible for assisting with the devising and implementation of behavioral plans for children with undesirable behaviors. Behavioral plans are a large part of the behavioral specialist’s job. This includes assessing each child through observation, collecting data, writing the plan in conjunction with teachers, agency, parents and/or the psychologist, and evaluating the effectiveness of the plan. As behavioral specialists, they are also responsible for designing and implementing behavioral strategies for children as an intervention. Our team is highly qualified and trained using Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). The focus is to target the behavior(s) and teach appropriate replacement behaviors using ongoing behavioral analysis.
Contact us to learn more about the services we can provide.