Natasha Gray, the Director of Spark Learning, is an educational psychologist who specializes in diagnosing specific learning disabilities. Her 14-yearold company operates in Barbados and Jamaica.
The former student of Ellerslie Secondary School and the Barbados Community College is a graduate of Shortwood Teacher’s College, Florida International University, Concordia University, a member of the British Psychological Society, and a Certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner.
Gray started her business out of a desire to ensure children are properly identified and assessed for learning disabilities.
“All children learn differently and should be screened and identified early, before it’s too late.
This was the catalyst that led to the start of Spark Learning,” she explained.
Spark Learning provides psycho-educational assessment services to determine if a child or an adult has a Specific Learning Disability (SpLD) such as dyslexia (reading, spelling, comprehension), dysgraphia (writing), Dyscalculia (mathematics) and ADHD.
The company also provides screening for autism. Gray said the real push to start her business came from a few of her friends who asked her to observe a child or give tips on how to support their child who was struggling in school.
“I worked for the School Board of Broward Country in Florida and when I travelled home for holiday, a few friends [would ask for guidance].
After conducting my research, I realised that there was a significant deficit in how children and adults are screened, identified, and supported for learning disabilities,” she said.
Spark Learning also offers tutoring services, regionally and internationally, either in face-to-face or Zoom sessions.
She noted that in recent years there has been an increase in the awareness of Dyslexia especially as persons like herself continue to advocate and provide information for parents, schools, and teachers.
“Since the onset of COVID-19 [more parents] have concerns about their child due to the decline of their academic achievement,” she said.
Gray added that one of the highlights of her business was providing psycho-social and educational assessment services to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda through her consultancy firm Inclusive Education Consultancy.
She noted that while she has had some challenges with the way some educators teach, she has been seeking to curb that by offering free workshops for parents and teachers at various schools across the island.
“Some educators may not want to change their current teaching practices or methods that do not align with the science of reading. They would need to transition and build on their previous experiences whilst adding best practices and techniques that would help them understand learning disabilities.
“We have started to host free workshops for parents and teachers at schools, parent/ teacher meetings and professional development events.
“We have also partnered with businesses and individuals who are willing to facilitate parents and children who cannot afford an assessment.
At present, we have a partnership with a Canadian entity,” she said.
Gray is also a consultant on regional and developmental projects on education and has been a member of the British Psychological Society for over ten years. She invites persons who are interested in finding out more information about her company to follow her on Instagram @spark_learning. (Write Right PR Services)
