About Us
SPELD NSW is a not-for-profit organisation offering support, advice, learning opportunities, and resources to the families, teachers, tutors and schools of people with specific learning difficulties.
SPELD NSW operates a free referral and advice InfoLine for families of students with learning difficulties and adults with learning difficulties. SPELD NSW also provides workshops and resources for families and offers psychological assessment of specific learning disorders through our Clinic.
SPELD NSW provides professional learning and resources to teachers, tutors and other health and educational professionals and provides support and resources to schools.
Our vision is that individuals in New South Wales with specific learning difficulties will have every opportunity to achieve their full potential in life.
This will be achieved when individuals with specific learning difficulties receive:
SPELD NSW operates a free referral and advice InfoLine for families of students with learning difficulties and adults with learning difficulties. SPELD NSW also provides workshops and resources for families and offers psychological assessment of specific learning disorders through our Clinic.
SPELD NSW provides professional learning and resources to teachers, tutors and other health and educational professionals and provides support and resources to schools.
Our vision is that individuals in New South Wales with specific learning difficulties will have every opportunity to achieve their full potential in life.
This will be achieved when individuals with specific learning difficulties receive:
- identification of their specific learning difficulty and intervention using evidence-based teaching methods during the critical early years of education
- instruction with evidence-based methods in key literacy and numeracy skills
- specialist teaching and appropriate adjustments during their school years
How we work
SPELD NSW effects change for people with specific learning difficulties by providing support, advice learning opportunities, and resources to their families, teachers, tutors and schools. To this end we provide:
- information, support, referrals and assessments for children, adults and families through our InfoLine and Clinic
- professional learning and resources to support teachers, tutors, allied health professionals, and schools to provide evidence-based instruction and intervention
- resources from our bookshop to support schools, intervention practices and families with evidence-based literacy and numeracy instruction and intervention
- support for children and adults with specific learning difficulties through engagement with educational and government authorities
Our Story
In 1968 Yvonne Stewart, a mother and kindergarten teacher began helping children in Sydney with undiagnosed learning difficulties. SPELD NSW grew from her home in Sydney where Yvonne answered the call of 5,000 parents looking for support. It puzzled Yvonne that some children did not learn to read as easily as others. This ignited her passion to train teachers and equip children with the skills to break the reading code.
As 5-10% of students have a specific learning disorder and experience difficulties with literacy or numeracy, SPELD NSW works to provide ongoing parent support and professional learning for teachers and professionals. In 2018, SPELD NSW celebrated our 50th anniversary year. Since our inception we’ve grown into a statewide organisation with strong connections across Australia to deliver support, resources and professional learning.
Thanks to our dedicated team, each year thousands of parents and teachers have gained the knowledge and skills to help children with specific learning difficulties.
As 5-10% of students have a specific learning disorder and experience difficulties with literacy or numeracy, SPELD NSW works to provide ongoing parent support and professional learning for teachers and professionals. In 2018, SPELD NSW celebrated our 50th anniversary year. Since our inception we’ve grown into a statewide organisation with strong connections across Australia to deliver support, resources and professional learning.
Thanks to our dedicated team, each year thousands of parents and teachers have gained the knowledge and skills to help children with specific learning difficulties.
SPELD NSW Partners and Supporters
SPELD NSW is a not-for-profit oganisation and is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission as a charity and public benevolent institution.
Thanks to our members we’re proud to be part of a strong community of educators and educational organisations working to support students with specific learning difficulties and promote evidence based education practices.
We’re a member of the Australian Federation of SPELD Associations (AUSPELD).
SPELD NSW is grateful for pro bono legal support from Gilbert & Tobin and Clayton Utz and for support from the Australian Government Stronger Communities Programme.
Thanks to our members we’re proud to be part of a strong community of educators and educational organisations working to support students with specific learning difficulties and promote evidence based education practices.
We’re a member of the Australian Federation of SPELD Associations (AUSPELD).
SPELD NSW is grateful for pro bono legal support from Gilbert & Tobin and Clayton Utz and for support from the Australian Government Stronger Communities Programme.
