About Dr. Sheila Clonan

Sheila Clonan, Ph.D., is a New York State Licensed Psychologist and also a permanently certified School Psychologist. She received her Ph.D. from Syracuse University and was a school psychologist in the Syracuse City school district for nearly a decade before leaving to direct the Syracuse University Reading Research project. There she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Benita Blachman, renowned expert in early reading acquisition and dyslexia as well as Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz from the Yale Child Study Center, investigating the influence of intensive remediation in reading on the functional organization of the brain for second and third grade students with reading disabilities.
After the completion of the research project, Dr. Clonan joined the faculty at SU where she chaired the Master's program in Learning Disabilities, directed the Adult Psychoeducational Clinic and taught courses in learning disabilities and reading. She left SU for a position in the Educational Studies department at Colgate University, where she taught courses in inclusive and special education, neurodiversity, literacy instruction and intervention and educational psychology for ten years before establishing her private practice. She is also a trained Cogmed coach.
Sheila's professional interests are in the science of reading, dyslexia and other disabilities, attention deficit disorder, neurodiversity, executive function coaching and inclusive education. In 2010, Dr. Clonan developed the Oz Project, an inclusive workshop that promotes social development and belonging through drama and music for children of all abilities.
A long-time advocate of children with special needs and their families, Dr. Clonan founded the CAPAS advocacy and support group to assist and educate parents in advocating for their children with special needs. Under her leadership the group worked with the local school district and school board to effect positive change toward more inclusive schooling. She is a founding board member of The Reading League, former Vice Chair of The Reading League's National Board, and current board member. Dr. Clonan's current research and professional development interests focus largely on effective assessment and intervention for dyslexia and she is lead author on an upcoming book on evidence-based assessment for dyslexia.
Dr. Clonan and her husband live outside Syracuse, NY with their four children, who each exhibit unique profiles of learning, cognitive, and psychological gifts and challenges that keep her professional skills sharp.
After the completion of the research project, Dr. Clonan joined the faculty at SU where she chaired the Master's program in Learning Disabilities, directed the Adult Psychoeducational Clinic and taught courses in learning disabilities and reading. She left SU for a position in the Educational Studies department at Colgate University, where she taught courses in inclusive and special education, neurodiversity, literacy instruction and intervention and educational psychology for ten years before establishing her private practice. She is also a trained Cogmed coach.
Sheila's professional interests are in the science of reading, dyslexia and other disabilities, attention deficit disorder, neurodiversity, executive function coaching and inclusive education. In 2010, Dr. Clonan developed the Oz Project, an inclusive workshop that promotes social development and belonging through drama and music for children of all abilities.
A long-time advocate of children with special needs and their families, Dr. Clonan founded the CAPAS advocacy and support group to assist and educate parents in advocating for their children with special needs. Under her leadership the group worked with the local school district and school board to effect positive change toward more inclusive schooling. She is a founding board member of The Reading League, former Vice Chair of The Reading League's National Board, and current board member. Dr. Clonan's current research and professional development interests focus largely on effective assessment and intervention for dyslexia and she is lead author on an upcoming book on evidence-based assessment for dyslexia.
Dr. Clonan and her husband live outside Syracuse, NY with their four children, who each exhibit unique profiles of learning, cognitive, and psychological gifts and challenges that keep her professional skills sharp.