Our Simcoe Team provides psychoeducational assessments, IEP review/recommendations and social-emotional support services to families located North of Toronto and across Simcoe County, including the North Region (Barrie, Midland, Penetanguishene), the West Region (Collingwood, Wasaga), and East Region (Orillia). Many of our Simcoe Team members are former Special Education Teachers, Educational Consultants and School Administrators who have been advocating for children and their families in the Simcoe County Region for many years.
THÉRÈSE McNAMARA, B.A., M.Ed.
Thérèse McNamara is a psychoeducational consultant, working under the direction of Dr. Valentin and Dr. Blackstock. She is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, and has more than 33 years of experience in education, including special education. Thérèse has worked as a special education resource teacher, literacy consultant, curriculum consultant, education officer, and school administrator. For more than 10 years, she was a part-time instructor for Nipissing, York and Lakehead universities, teaching additional qualification courses to teachers. She has written and edited a number of instructional resources related to literacy instruction, for schools, the Ministry of Education, and educational publishers. She remains current with educational research in the area of special education, particularly as concerns learning disabilities and autism. Learn more about Thérèse
KATHLEEN CORRIGAN
Kathleen Corrigan is a psychoeducational consultant working under the direction of Dr. Edward Blackstock and Dr. Irina Valentin. She is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers who has been an educator since the early 1980s. Kathleen has taught students in regular and special education contexts. She has filled many consultant roles at the board level supporting teachers and students K-12. Her areas of expertise include special education, literacy, mathematics, and science. For more than 10 years she has been a part-time instructor for several Faculties of Education, teaching additional qualifications course to certified teachers. Kathleen has written and reviewed instructional resources for the Ministry of Education and numerous publishers in Canada and abroad. She has also published many books for children. Kathleen has presented at numerous conferences and workshops in Canada, the United States, and the Middle East. She remains current with educational research in the areas of special education, literacy, mathematics, and the early years.
MARGARET (PEG) WILLIAMSON
Margaret Williamson obtained her Master’s degree in Education at Nipissing University of North Bay, ON. Her additional Qualification Specialist Certificates include Special Education, with electives in Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Gifted. She worked as a teacher for Simcoe County District School Board from 1982 to 2015. She joined our team at Valentin and Blackstock Psychology Corp as a psychoeducational consultant in 2015. She works under supervision of Dr. Valentin and Dr. Blackstock.
CHRISTINE JENKINS, B.Sc., B.Ed., M.Ed.
Christine Jenkins is a psychoeducational consultant working under the direction of Dr. Edward Blackstock and Dr. Irina Valentin. She is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers who has been an educator since 1988. Christine has taught students in regular and special education contexts. She filled teacher leader roles at the board level supporting teachers and students K-12 and was a school administrator. Her areas of expertise include special education and literacy. She has been a part-time instructor for the Canadian Teachers Federation and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, leading workshops for certified teachers in Canada and abroad. She remains current with educational research in the areas of special education, literacy and the early years.