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Hayley is our specialist who works with pre-school, elementary and middle school students who are traditional learners or who earn differently. Her background in Special Education gives Hayley the knowledge and tools to help parents navigate the nuanced school placement process while supporting their children. Hayley is also an Orton-Gillingham trained Reading Tutor and Learning Specialist. 

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For PreK screenings, Hayley is a certified Gesell practitioner. The Gesell may be given at our office in Old Town Alexandria or at the child’s school. Parents will receive a comprehensive report and feedback session as well.

 

The Gesell Developmental Observation-Revised (GDO-R) is a developmental screening tool for children ages 2 ½ to 6 that assesses development across cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive domains. 

 

Through a series of structured tasks, it provides a snapshot of a child’s developmental age and cognitive skill level, helping educators and parents better understand progress in relation to age-appropriate milestones.  

 

The Gesell uses direct observation to screen: 

• Developmental Skills (fine/gross motor, copying, blocks, etc.)

• Letters/numbers

• Language Comprehension

• Visual/Spatial

• Social-Emotional/Adaptive

The Gesell is not an intelligence or achievement test, but rather a tool to better understand the child’s learning style, readiness for school, along with cognitive and developmental areas of strength or need.

 

Hayley holds an undergraduate degree from Middlesex University in England in Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education from American University. Hayley began her teaching career in England as a fifth-grade teacher and then moved to the US in 2014 to further her education. After completing her Masters, Hayley began teaching in the Lower School at The McLean School, Potomac, MD. Hayley lives in Rockville, MD with her husband Ethan, their children Max and Phoebe, and Border Collie, Brody.