LAKELAND, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2008) — Florida Southern College’s Roberts Center for Learning and Literacy presents its 2008-2009 Distinguished Lecture Series, with a fall lecture on Nov. 13 and a spring lecture on Feb. 4. Both lectures begin with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres in the Honeyman Pavilion; presentations will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the adjacent Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall, followed by a dessert book signing reception. Profiles of the guest speakers appear below. The lectures are free and open to the public.

On Nov. 13 Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide, authors of “The Mislabeled Child: How Understanding Your Child's Unique Learning Style Can Open the Door to Success,” and co-directors of The Eide Neurolearning Clinic in Edmonds, Wash., will discuss "How to Troubleshoot and Treat Children's Learning Challenges.” Brock earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. He is both a researcher and physician and has published widely on topics including medical ethics and learning disorders. Fernette is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard and received her medical degree from the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine. She completed post-graduate training in neurology and basic neuroscience research at the University of Pennsylvania and has served on the neurology faculties of University of Washington, University of California, and University of Chicago Schools of Medicine. She is published widely in basic neurobiology and learning disorders. They deal with dyslexia in their family and bring a unique perspective to the general discussion of learning differences.

The spring lecture on Feb. 4 brings Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, author of “Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorders,” and director of the STAR (Sensory Therapies and Research) Center in suburban Denver, Colo. She will speak on "Sensory Processing Disorder: Myth or Reality?" Miller is an occupational therapist and a research scientist who was awarded a National Institutes of Health career award to investigate sensory processing disorders (SPD) in children. She leads the SPD Scientific Work Group which is composed of researchers from Harvard, Yale, Duke and 12 other research institutions who together are studying the etiology, genetics, neuropathology, treatment effectiveness and developmental trajectory of SPD. She is a professor of pediatrics at Rocky Mountain University and an associate clinical professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado at Denver.

"Given the extremely busy speaking schedules of the Eides and Dr. Miller, the Roberts Center is indeed fortunate to be able to continue to attract national experts of this caliber," noted David Wood, Ph.D., The Hal and Marjorie Roberts Professor of Learning and Literacy and director of the Roberts Center for Learning and Literacy.

In-Service units and nursing Continuing Education units are available. For further information, contact Wood at 863- 680-3741 or dwood@flsouthern.edu.

About the Roberts Center for Learning and Literacy
The Roberts Center for Learning and Literacy, established in 2006 by Hal and Marjorie Hollis Roberts, provides resources for recognizing and assessing learning and literacy differences. The Center was established to enhance the College’s exceptional teacher education program by providing students with specialized instruction in diagnostics and intervention protocol related to learning and literacy challenges. Through coursework with highly credentialed faculty, and an annual lecture series, graduates will be even better prepared for the challenge of educating students with learning differences.