Jonathan Mooney
| National Speaking Engagements | Testimonies |
Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12 years old. He is a graduate of Brown University and a holds an honors degree in English Literature. Jonathan is cofounder of Project Eye-To-Eye, a widely duplicated mentoring program for disabled students. He is also a winner of the prestigious Truman Scholarship for graduate studies in creative writing and education and was a national finalist for the Rhodes scholarship. With the publication of Learning Outside the Lines when he was 23, now in its eighth printing, a book that is part memoir and part alternative study skills, Jonathan has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in LD/ADHD, disabilities, and alternative education. In the fall of 2004, Jonathan’s second book, The Short Bus Story, a work of creative non-fiction, part travel literature, part memoir, part oral history, consisting of true tales of physical and cognitive deviance from a cross-country journey through disabled culture, will be published by Henry Holt.
Jonathan has lectured at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Brown University, the University of Wisconsin School of Education, New York University Medical School’s Grand Rounds, and Beaumont Pediatric Hospital’s Grand Rounds. But to this date, his favorite gig was at an elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the kids gave him hope.
Jonathan
has been featured and quoted in The New
York Times, The Providence Journal, The Boston Globe, USA Today, and numerous other local and
regional papers in the cities, states, and countries where Jonathan has
traveled. His most memorable experience, however, was being interviewed for the
Brazilian cable company El Globo, where his voice was dubbed into Portuguese.
The company reported that they haven’t received that much mail since their
feature on David Hasselhoff. (back to the top)
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WABC-TV in New York. "Reading: The
ABC's to Success." Hosted by Kelly Ripa September, 2002
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CBS Radio News, nationally syndicated
over 800 outlets, Feb 25 2002
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USA Radio Network, Nationally syndicated
to 250 stations, Feb 21 2002
_ NBC News, Los Angeles affiliate, feature story January 2001
_ The Boston Globe, Sunday Magazine feature interview, November 2000
_ The Providence Journal, feature story, October 2000
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National Public Radio, Talk of the Nation, September 2000
_ KFI-AM, Los Angeles, interview, September 2000
_ NPR, Talk America, September 2000
_ Bloomberg, National, September 2000
_ WEIM-AM, Boston, September 2000
_ Tom Pope Show, National, September 2000
_ USA Radio Network, National, September 2000
_ USA Today, front page of the Life section, feature stories and excerpts from Learning Outside the Lines, August 2000
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The New York Times, April 1999, expert quotation
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USA Today, feature story, October, 1999
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The Providence Journal, 1/19/99 expert quotation. (back
to the top)
Professional Conferences
_
Kings College 10th Annual Conference on Learning Differences,
PA (April, 02): keynote and breakout session on subverting the
medical model concerning LD/ADHD
_
Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Annual Conference on
Learning and Behavior (November, 01): Featured presenter and panelist on the sociology of
disability.
_
Learning Disability Association (LDA), National Conference(February, 02): Keynote banquet speaker on alternative learning
and cognitive diversity.
_
PEAK, Inclusion and Alternative Learning National Conference (January,
02):
Keynote address on inclusion and individualized educational paradigms.
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LDA-California, State Conference (November 01):
Keynote speaker on balancing remediation and empowerment in clinical models of
intervention for students who think differently.
_
California Schools, State Board Conference (December, 01) : Break out session for superintendents on understanding the
emotional experience of students with disabilities.
_
LDA-Iowa State Conference (October, 01):
Keynote address and full day workshop on strategies for learning outside the
lines.
_
LDA-Wisconsin State Conference (October, 01):
Keynote address on four principles for personal success for disabled
individuals.
_
The Learning and Behavior Trust, New Zealand, National Tour (June-July,
01): Six
weeks of full day seminars on LD/ADHD and alternative learning in every major
city in New Zealand.
_
International Dyslexia Association (IDA), New York Conference (March,
01) : Featured
speaker and recipient of the Book of the Year Award for contribution to the
field of learning disabilities.
_ LDA-IDA, Pacific Rim Regional Conference, Hawaii (February, 01): Delivered keynote address on the emotional experiences of disabled students.
_
LDA, National Conference (LDA), New York (February, 01):
Book signing and break out lecture at national conference with over 15,000 in
attendance.
_
LDA-CA
State Conference Keynote Address (November,
00):
Featured speaker at the LDA of California’s annual conference in Long Beach,
CA.
University Presentations and Grand
Rounds
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the top)
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The State University of New York At Oswego, NY (April, 02):
Open community lecture on Learning Outside
the Lines and the role of cognitive deviance in creativity.
_
Deanza college, San Francisco, CA (March, 02):
A lecture on the socialization of disability to the academic community.
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Bradley Hospital, Providence RI (September, 01) :
Pediatric grand rounds opened to the community.
_
New York University School of Medicine Grand Rounds (September, 01): A
presentation entitled “Learning
Outside the Lines: a case study in cognitive diversity” delivered to doctoral
students in the field of psychology
and psychiatry.
_
Scranton University, Scranton PA, (September, 01):
Keynote address for national rehabilitation
week focusing on strategies for inclusion of disabled students
in schools and
the work place.
_
Kings College Pennsylvania (September, 01):
Delivered lecture for national rehab week on the biology of dyslexia and ADHD.
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Auckland University, Auckland New Zealand (June, 01):
Delivered lecture to faculty on alternative learning and higher education.
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Towson University, Baltimore Maryland (April, 01):
Delivered lecture to student body and community on alternative learning.
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University of Wisconsin, Green Bay WI (January, 01): Delivered
lecture to student body, educational faculty, and community on individualized
education and meta-cognitive skills in university settings.
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Beaumont Hospital, Detroit MI, Pediatric Grand Rounds (November, 00):
Delivered keynote address to over 200 medical students.
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Shriner’s Children’s Hospital Keynote Address (September, 00):
Delivered an address to 300 teachers, parents, and educational professionals on
understanding alternative learning in LD/ADHD kids.
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Brown University, Providence RI (September, 00): One day workshop for students with alternative learning
styles on academic success and the power of mentoring for LD/ADHD university
students.
_
Keane State University, NJ Keynote Address (March, 00):
As an undergraduate, delivered an address to over 1,000 students and faculty on cognitive diversity at annual presidential
symposium on diversity.
Teacher In-services and School Based
Presentations
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the top)
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Teacher in service, Bryn Mawr Middle School, (April, 02):
Half day workshop on empowerment in the classroom.
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Key Note Presentation, Breakfast for head at St. James Academy, (April,
02):
Presentation to all the heads and representatives of greater Baltimore country
private schools on embracing cognitive diversity in independent schools.
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Teacher and Student In service, Old Files Boarding school, Baltimore, MD
(April, 02): Lecture delivered to factually and students on learning outside the
lines.
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Teacher and Student in-service, St. Paul’s Middle and High School,
Baltimore, MD (April, 02): Lecture
on learning and teaching outside the lines
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Teacher in-service Summit High School Summit, New Jersey (April, 02):
Workshop on cognitive diversity for summit’s annual conference on creating
culturally diverse schools.
_
Teacher in-service, Kennebunk High School (March, 02):
Half day workshop for mainstream teachers on inclusion strategies for students
with disabilities.
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Teacher in-service Summit High School Summit, New Jersey (February, 02):
Workshop for special ed teachers and school psychologists on subverting the
medical model in educational practices.
_
Teacher in-service Gold Trails Elementary and Middle School, CA
(November, 01): Full day workshop on understanding the emotional experience of
alternative learners, accommodating these students in the classroom and
developing meta-cognitive skills for success.
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Flex-Teacher Grant Valley Schools,
Philadelphia, PA (September, 01): Half
day workshop on the emotional experience of disabled students and strategies for
success.
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Teacher in-service, The Lower Hutt Valley and Grater Wellington Schools
(June, 01):
An evening presentation on the biology of dyslexia and identifying
learning disabilities before students fail.
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The Genese school, Baltimore MA (April, 01):
Presentation to students and teachers about the gifts of LD/ADHD.
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The Grand Rapids School District, MI (April, 01):
Full day presentations to students and teachers on learning outside the lines.
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District Wide teacher in-service, the Mercer Country Public School, NJ
(March, 01): Half day workshop for over
1000 teachers on cognitive diversity followed by
two break out sessions on inclusion strategies.
_
Des Moines City Schools Teacher In-service (March, 01): Featured
presenter at teacher in-service for over 10,000 teachers.
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Teacher In-service, The Pennington School, NJ (October, 00):
Presentation on understanding the emotional needs of LD/ADHD
students at one of New England’s most respected preps schools.
(back to the top)
In addition to these speaking engagements,
Jonathan organized a grass-roots book tour independently of his publisher,
consisting of local media appearances, presentations at elementary schools, high
schools, universities, parent groups, lectures open to the public, and book
signings with an average attendance of 500 in the following cities:
New York, NY
Providence, RI
Tampa and Orlando, FL
Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento, CA
Detroit, MI
St. Louis, MO
Green Bay, WI
Louisville, KY
Columbus, OH
Chicago, IL
Denver and
Colorado Springs, CO
Baltimore, MD
Portland and Freeport, MA
Boston, Dover-Sherborn, Worcester, MA
Princeton and Mahwah, NJ
Louisburg and Raleigh-Durham, NC
Philadelphia and St. David’s, PA
Orchard Ridge, MI
Washington, DC (back to the top)
Jonathan
Mooney is an inspirational speaker. His presentation to our Middle and Lower
School Faculties this year was both challenging and comforting.
By sharing colorful and poignant anecdotes about his own educational
journey, Jonathan made the whole topic of learning differences really come alive
for the teachers. Woven into his remarks were countless creative, effective
strategies about how to reach and empower all kinds of students who learn in
non-traditional ways. Yet his insights apply to all learners. It was clear from
watching the enthusiastic nods from the teachers and listening to the probing
questions they asked that they were energized and moved by Jonathan’s story
and his suggestions. This was one of those rare talks that combine a provocative
philosophical and psychological overview with concrete techniques which teachers
can immediately implement in their classrooms. They left the meeting filled with
broadened perspectives about their “conundrum kids,”
loaded with new ideas, recommitted to being better educators, and begging
for more opportunities to work with him!
--Rena G. Diana
Middle School Director
Bryn Mawr School, Baltimore, Maryland
Jonathan
Mooney is a rare speaker - passionate, informed and interesting.
His perspective on learning differences helps parents, educators and
clinicians gain a new understanding of what a child or teenager experiences. His
suggestions, strategies and view point can help schools to become more useful
and friendly for students with learning differences.
Jonathan Mooney is a great friend to kids with learning differences.
--Harold
S. Koplewicz, M.D.
Director, New York Universities Child Study Center
Jonathan Mooney's presentation is powerful. His personal stories hit the
heart of educators and parents alike. It is a passionate reminder about
the impact we have on children when we are in those roles. The message he
gives is a much needed one in these days of high stakes testing--do not
lose sight of the individual child. His presentation is highly
recommended!
--Daphne A. Pereles
Cherry Creek School District
Jonathan Mooney's recollections of schooling as a (very bright) kid who
"learned differently" were candid, thought-provoking and often,
heart-breaking. His insights about his own painful experiences offered
affirmation for others who have and still suffer in elementary and secondary
schools as well as colleges. Jon's indomitable spirit moves others to
acknowledge the shortcomings of schools. He left us with hope that we can
create change-- and the will to begin
that change."
--Bobbi Schnorr, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
SUNY Oswego
Jonathan’s
talk was great! It is not often
that I can sit and listen to someone talk for almost three hours and not tire of
the sound of his voice! He did a
terrific job of tailoring his talk to the audience
He is a gifted public speaker, and although I praise his skills, I am
most impressed with his passion about and sensitivity to the socially proscribed
nature of disability. His message
is that all students have gifts, and that disability labels are worth so much
less than they think. Truly inspiring!
--Cate
Weir,
Institute
on Disability
University
of New Hampshire
Jonathan is one of the most inspirational speakers I
have ever heard!
--Pat Carter
Network of Inclusive Catholic Educators
Institute for Pastoral Initiatives
University of Dayton
Jonathan Mooney is the contemporary face of
dyslexia...dynamic, engaging, and brutally honest. He captivates his audience
with the story of his journey through an inadequate educational system that
failed to extinguish his desire to learn and achieve his potential. Despite my
knowledge and expertise in the field, I am limited in my ability to imagine the
world of dyslexia. Jonathan lives in that world. His message has an impact that
continues to reverberate long after his talk has ended.
---Joan M. Coffin, PhD
Director of Neuroscience
King's College
Pennsylvania
Jonathan is
with out question the most enlightening and entertaining speaker that our
organization, and that I personally, have ever worked with.
His presentations is filled with humor, expert knowledge of education and
psychology, and most importantly hope. Every one should hear him speak!
--Mary Hammer
South Bay Center For Counseling
Early Child
Hood Development and School Readiness Conference Coordinator
We loved having Johnathan Mooney - he's an outstanding speaker! Johnathan's
enthusiasm and passion are incredible! He is very engaging and really makes
a personal connection with the audience.
He is well organized, realistic yet humorous and he offers practical advice and
concrete solutions.
--Bonnie Braga
Community programming director
Miriam Hospital
Providence, RI
This
young man is one of the brightest and most energetic speakers we have secured to
this date!…I look forward to working with him again and I would recommend him
without reservations.
--Teron
Carter, Project Manager
Neighborhood Partnership Center of United Way of Central Ohio (back to the top)