Dr. Sharon Ray has over 25 years experience working with students with learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia, as well as other struggling learners from kindergarten through college level across content areas. She has worked as a classroom teacher and special educator at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels.  Additionally, Sharon has worked as a community college administrator supporting struggling learners with coordination of learning support services. Currently, outside of private practice, she works at the university level preparing future special educators.

Sharon has a bachelor's degree in psychology, and a master's degree in special education.  Additionally, her doctoral degree is in special education with an emphasis in literacy. Her educational background also contains extensive coursework involving supporting English language learners.

Dr. Ray has had extensive preparation in multisensory reading instruction, and she has engaged in multiple trainings involving systematic, phonics-based reading programs.  She has also co-written a textbook focused on preparing educators to work effectively with struggling readers called Reading Fundamentals for Students with Learning Difficulties:  Instruction for Diverse K-12 Classrooms, available at Routledge Press.

Sharon has supported writing instruction from beginning writers learning to spell their first one-syllable decodable words through graduate level researchers looking to synthesize research findings in complex written articles and reports. She has expertise in connecting learners’ reading and writing strengths to the development of their overall literacy skills. Her goal is to develop competent written communicators, who clearly convey their thoughts and ideas through their written expression.

Dr. Ray began her work in supporting students with ADHD and executive functioning difficulties through grant-funded research during her master’s degree.  She continued her work in these areas through her time overseeing a learning laboratory at the community college level offering an array of reading and study supports, as well as time management, planning, attention, memory, and organizational skills instruction. Throughout her career, Sharon has continued to work with students with difficulties in these areas through her private practice.  

Dr. Ray has spent many years working with students at the post-secondary level in being successful in both college studies overall, as well as specifically in becoming educators. Through this experience, she understands the combination of foundational college level reading, writing, and study skills, as well as the overall executive functioning abilities which can be developed through post-secondary skills support and executive function coaching for all students to achieve desired graduation outcomes that lead to achievable career goals.

Dr. Ray’s collaboration with Mindwell Psychology dates back to 2009. She highly recommends their educational assessment and therapy services.