Deborah Chesnie Cooper is the author of dEcode® and has been developing this amazing learning system for over 20 years. To learn more about Deborah, please read her C.V. below.

Curriculum Vitae

Name:	Deborah Lynn Chesnie Cooper
Place of Birth:	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship:	Canadian

Education

B.A. (Hons) 1968 York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thesis Title: Conditional Discrimination Learning in Children

M.A. 1970. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thesis Title: Effects of Instructions and the Correction Procedure on Conditional Discrimination Learning in Preschool Children

Ph.D. completed June, 1976. Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dissertation Fact/Inference Distinction: A Method for Training Alternative
Title: Conclusions in Grade 4 and Grade 6 Children

Registered Psychologist, Province of Ontario

Employment Experience

Present position: Registered Psychologist in private practice, June 1976 – present. Specializing in special education, psychotherapy as well as remedial intervention for learning disabilities, particularly in dyslexia, auditory processing deficits and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in children, adolescents and adults.Director of the Chesnie Cooper Educational Centre: a division of the Chesnie Cooper Clinic Inc., featuring educational remediation. President of dEcode® Learning Systems Inc. Research: with Dr. Sidney J. Segalowitz, Professor at Brock University, utilizing dEcode® methodology to attain adult literacy.

1999 – 2003 Involved in the development of protocols for Early Admission Entrance to Upper Canada College, as well as administration of screening procedures.

1982 – 1995 Co-Director of Canadian Heritage School, a school for children with learning disabilities.

1985 – 1989 Psychological Consultant to the Neonatal Follow-up Clinic: Mount Sinai Hospital. Developed protocol for psychoeducational assessment for follow-up program for high risk infants.

1973 - 1992 Consultant to Auditory Training Centre for the Deaf.Position involved the co-ordination of remedial services for each individual child involving psychoeducational counselling, specific language remediation and liaison between the school and the child.Continued research and examination of the Verbo-Tonal Method as a method for teaching speech and language to the deaf.

1976 – 1980 Educational Workshop on Communication and Perception, sponsored by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

1978 – 1979 Workshop on Communication and Perception for Nursing and administrative Staff at Mount Sinai Hospital.

1975 – 1977 Educational Therapy in association with Learning Skills Development Centre – supervised by Dr. Peter Gamlin.Part time counselling experience under the supervision of Dr. Clifford M.Christensen, Chairman of the Department of Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

1968 – 1971 Research Assistant in the School Liaison Office of Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

1978 Summer internship at Surrey Place Centre (formerly the Mental Retardation Centre).

1967 – 1968 Research Assistant in the Department of Psychology, York University.

Professional Associations

Academy of Medicine Library, American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association, College of Psychologists of Ontario, Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, International Dyslexia Association (formerly Orton), Ontario Psychological Association, Society for Research in Child Development

Publications

Doan, H., & Cooper, D.: "Conditional Discrimination Learning in Children: Two Relevant Factors". Child Development, 42, 209-220. 1971.

Cooper, C. & Doan, H.: "Effects of Instructions and the Correction: Procedure on Conditional Discrimination Learning in Preschool Children".

Cooper, C. & Hyde, M.: "The significance of Behavioural Aspects of Conductive Hearing Loss in the Infant: A Case Report." Submitted for Publication

Weber, Al, Segalowitz, S., Levine, M., & Cooper, D.: "Attentional Capacity in Children with Learning Disabilities". Assessment in Rehabilitation and Exceptionality. Volume 1 #3, pages 235-249. 1994.

Siegel Linda S. & Cooper, Deborah: et al; "The Use of the Mental Development Index of the Bayley Scale to Diagnose Language Delay in 2-Year-Old-Infants". Infant Behaviour and Development. Volume 18, pages 483-486. 1995.

Work in Preparation

Research of reading methodology affecting children and adult literacy.

Development of an extensive language program for learning-handicapped children with specific emphasis on work usage using combined semantic and syntactic approach.

Development of dEcode®

• ABC dEcode®, a reading program for use with individuals with reading related problems.
• 123 dEcode®, a math program for individuals with learning difficulties.

Research Interests

Factors affecting children with reading difficulties (Dyslexia), comprehension problems and attentional deficit disorder.

Community Involvement

2001–present - Member of the Board of Governors, Mount Sinai Hospital
1983-1990 - Chairperson of Nursery School Committee, Holy Blossom Temple
1982-1990 - Member of Religious Education Committee, Holy Blossom Temple
1984 - Member of Day School Task Force, Holy Blossom Temple
1988-1990 - Member of the Board of Directors, Holy Blossom Temple

Presentations

Guest Speaker: Testing your Child: Presented to the Foundation for Attentional Disorders, Oshawa, Ontario,October, 1985.

Guest Speaker: Hyperactive Children: Assessment and Management: Presented at the Niagara Child Development Centre, Welland, Ontario, February, 1986.

Guest Speaker: Brainstorm Auditory Evoked Responses: A Window on the Developing Brain. Presented at the International Neuropsychology Society, New Orleans, January, 1988.

Guest Speaker: A Psychologist's Perspective on ADD: Presented at the Learning Disabilities Association of Mississauga, January 27, 1994.

Poster Presentation

Cooper, D., Fitzhardinge, P. & Siegel, L. The Bayley Mental Developmental Index: An accurate screening tool for language delay at 2 years of age. Presented to the International Neuropsychological Society, Vancouver, February, 1989.

Cooper, D., Ash, A., Fitzhardinge, P., & Siegel, L. The Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) as an indicator of language delay in 2 year old high risk children. American Pediatric Society and Society for Pediatric Research. Washington D.C., May 1989.

Research Grants

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. "Early identification measures for infants at risk for development problems" with Siegel, L., & Fitzhardinge, P. – May 1986 – April 1987.

The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation. "Early identification measures for infants at risk for development problems" with Siegel, L., & Fitzhardinge, P. – 1987 – 89.

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. "Early identification of children at risk for subsequent learning disabilities". Efficacy of a conversational model of language intervention with specifically language delayed and developmentally delayed children. Ontario Mental Health Foundation, with Siegel, L., & Fitzhardinge, P. – 1987 – 1989.

Atkinson Charitable Foundation. "Predictors of Specific Learning Disabilities: A Prospective Study of "At-Risk" Children from Birth to School Age" with Siegel, L., & Fitzhardinge P. – 1987 – 1989.

Ontario Mental Health Foundation. "Early Identification of Learning disabilities Using Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses, Perinatal, and Demographic Factors" with Siegel, L., & Fitzhardinge, P. – 1990 – 1992.