Karen J. Rooney

Karen J. Rooney is director of Educational Enterprises, Inc. in Richmond, Virginia. She has taught in both private and public sectors and was the educational specialist in a multidisciplinary clinic before becoming director of The Learning Resource Center and founder of The Attention Disorders Clinic. She is a past member of the national board of the International Dyslexia Association and is the 2007 recipient of the Rebecca Brock Richardson award.

Rooney was selected to present a white paper on the importance of clinical judgment at the Learning Disabilities Summit in 2001, was a representative on the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, served as the Children’s Action Network representative for the Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and participated in the Expert Work Group to develop CEC’s position regarding Response to Intervention. She currently is a past-president of the Division for Learning Disabilities of CEC and serves on the Steering Committee of the National Adolescent Literacy Coalition.

Rooney provides direct services to children, adolescents, and adults who need to improve their performance. She conducts assessments, provides educational consultation, and teaches the program entitled Independent Strategies for Efficient Study. She also provides professional development on topics related to literacy skill development, learning disabilities, attention disorders, strategy training, and Response to Intervention. She has also published teaching materials such as Wordstorming: A Tutorial Program for Parents, Teachers and Tutors, Reverse Diagramming, and Independent Strategies for Efficient Study – Upper Elementary/Middle School Level and is currently developing a booklet to facilitate communication between parents and their young children.

She earned her PhD in special education at the University of Virginia (major areas: special education, psychology, research) and holds licenses in English, Grades 7–12, in New York state and English, Grades 7–12, as well as Learning Disabilities, Grades K–12 in Virginia.