Welcome
I would like to personally welcome you to the Morgan Center. You are looking at this website because you have a question or worry and are not certain where to turn. I am proud and honored to have served the Northern Virginia community for over twenty years helping individuals and families successfully navigate through life's difficult challenges.
As a Developmental Psychologist, my vision for the Morgan Center has always been driven by three core principals.
1. Understand the child from where he comes from and not the behavior that describes him.
2. Develop the underlying area of weakness from where the child functions, not the behavior he presents.
3. Collaborate and educate parents as part of the treatment team.
I received a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from George Washington University where I lectured for several years before developing the Morgan Center. Research and program development for children with special needs has always been my passion and I have coauthored articles in Developmental Psychology and conducted research on children and adolescents with learning disabilities. I have also presented at the Post-secondary Learning Disability Conference, CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactive Disorders). For the past twenty years I have been the Director of The Morgan Center, incorporating a Developmental approach for the treatment of children with special needs and have developed several specialized programs to build parents knowledge base regarding evidence based assessment and treatment of children with special needs. I believe that Parents are most effective when they feel optimistic, comfortable, empowered and involved in their child's treatment program.
Please give me a call if you have any questions, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you.
Respectfully yours,
Felicia Goldberg, Ph.D., Executive Director
WHAT'S NEW AT THE MORGAN CENTER?
WHY DO I NEED AN ADVOCATE?
WHY DO I NEED AN ADVOCATE?
1. Your child is struggling in school, but the school’s local screening committee has not approved special-education testing.
2. Your child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), but still struggles in areas not covered in his or her IEP.
3. The level of services your child is receiving from the IEP do not seem to be relevant to his or her need, and you are not sure what services the county can provide
4. You have a child who is eligible under autism services but the goals on his or her IEP are mostly behavioral goals.
Not every parent needs an advocate to go to the school but every parent should talk to an advocate not associated with the school system, to gain important knowledge regarding county policies and current applications of state statutes. Workshops are cost-efficient ways to gain important information regarding special education in the school system whether it is private or public.
Parents attending these workshops will learn how to:
1. Read a psychological and educational evaluation to learn how scores relate to your child in the real world and in their classroom. Understanding this provides parents with the information to discuss their child’s area of need in a meaningful way.
2. Identify their child’s area of need and learn to write a present level of performance (PLOP) for their child’s IEP. This is important because all annual goals evolve from the child’s area of need.
3. Write an annual goal that is aligned with the current Virginia standards of learning. A Standards-Based IEP provides parents with an ongoing measuring stick to see how their child is progressing.
4. Determine the level of services and hours of special-education support their child needs.
Where: The Morgan Center, 462 Herndon Parkway Suite 202
When: Saturdays 2-4
Advocate: Felicia Goldberg, Ph.D.
Cost: $100.00
Contact: Colleen Mosley [email protected]
2. Your child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), but still struggles in areas not covered in his or her IEP.
3. The level of services your child is receiving from the IEP do not seem to be relevant to his or her need, and you are not sure what services the county can provide
4. You have a child who is eligible under autism services but the goals on his or her IEP are mostly behavioral goals.
Not every parent needs an advocate to go to the school but every parent should talk to an advocate not associated with the school system, to gain important knowledge regarding county policies and current applications of state statutes. Workshops are cost-efficient ways to gain important information regarding special education in the school system whether it is private or public.
Parents attending these workshops will learn how to:
1. Read a psychological and educational evaluation to learn how scores relate to your child in the real world and in their classroom. Understanding this provides parents with the information to discuss their child’s area of need in a meaningful way.
2. Identify their child’s area of need and learn to write a present level of performance (PLOP) for their child’s IEP. This is important because all annual goals evolve from the child’s area of need.
3. Write an annual goal that is aligned with the current Virginia standards of learning. A Standards-Based IEP provides parents with an ongoing measuring stick to see how their child is progressing.
4. Determine the level of services and hours of special-education support their child needs.
Where: The Morgan Center, 462 Herndon Parkway Suite 202
When: Saturdays 2-4
Advocate: Felicia Goldberg, Ph.D.
Cost: $100.00
Contact: Colleen Mosley [email protected]
