Page 9 - Jupiter Spotlight - August '23

Jupiter Spotlight, Page 9
LMC’s Director Of Research Wins

Sea Turtle Week’s 2023 ‘Scientist Of The Year’ Contest

Dr. Justin Perrault, Before votes became open to the public, Perrault was
the director of research selected as one of four finalists by Sea Turtle Week’s
at Loggerhead international panel of judges made up of sea turtle
Marinelife Center conservationists and scientists. The judges evaluated Perrault’s
(LMC), was selected overall impact of his research on sea turtle conservation and
as Sea Turtle Week’s management, his collaboratation with peers and organizations,
2023 Audience and the inclusion of diversity in his research.
Choice winner for Perrault’s leadership at the center’s research department
“Scientist of the Year.” has contributed to one of the most comprehensive sea
Celebrated annually, turtle data sets, enabling evidence-based conservation that
Sea Turtle Week contributes to the recovery of local and global sea turtle
highlights individuals populations. His research aims to understand the effects of
working on important, humans on the health, reproduction, and survival of sea turtles.
groundbreaking, and Justin Perrault “As scientists, we put in the hard work because we love our
novel projects that jobs and the species we work to protect. Sea turtles become a Justin Perrault holding a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
advance our understanding of sea turtles and their conservation. part of our identities,” said Perrault. “I am honored to have been
chosen for this award and will continue to further conservation
efforts of our sea turtles on our local beaches.”
For his selection as the Audience Choice Winner, Perrault
received a $500 prize that will be allocated toward his sea turtle
rehabilitation and conservation projects at LMC.
For more information, visit seaturtleweek.com.
About Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC)
Loggerhead Marinelife Center, located in Loggerhead
Park, Juno Beach, Fla., is a sea turtle research, rehabilitation,
education, and conservation center. The center also manages
the Juno Beach Pier across the street from the park.
Established in 1983, LMC seeks to promote conservation
of ocean ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and
endangered sea turtles. Its facilities include a sea turtle
hospital, a research laboratory, and exhibit areas, including
live sea turtles and other coastal creatures.
Photos courtesy of Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Identify Dyslexia

Early

By Jim Forgan, Ph.D.,
School Psychologist
Dyslexia can be
identified in a child who
is at least halfway through
kindergarten and age 5½
or older. There are always
early warning signs like
those in Chris that point to
reading difficulty.
Chris’ mom explained
it this way. In Pre-K Chris
had difficulty identifying letters and the sounds they made
as well as rhyming. In kindergarten she still had trouble
rhyming. She had trouble sounding out words when
reading. Her reading was labored, not quick or fluent.
She guessed words by their first letter. She mixed up letter
sound sequences in a word or forgot the same word she
just read on the previous page again and again. She seemed
to learn best memorizing flash cards. She can somewhat
read but it has taken way more amounts of flash cards and
assistance than should be required. I think she has dyslexia.
Our thorough testing confirmed this mom’s intuition
and provided her with the paperwork needed to obtain
school help through an Individualized Education Plan
(IEP) as well as apply for and receive the Florida Family
Empowerment Scholarship. The scholarship money
helped mom pay for one-to-one private tutoring using
the gold standard Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading
instruction. This approach has decades of research backing
its effectiveness in helping people with dyslexia become
strong and proficient readers.
Once your child is officially diagnosed with dyslexia
there are five ingredients for helping your child overcome
dyslexia. You must have the right curriculum, use it at
least twice a week one-to-one, keep at it for over a year,
work with a trained reading specialist, and keep your child
engaged and incentivized. We’ve seen this recipe work for
children time and time again.
I co-authored the book Parent’s Quick Start Guide to
Dyslexia which provides a quick, but deep dive into what
to immediately do when your child is diagnosed with
dyslexia. When it comes to helping your young child, time
is too precious to squander.
Call to discuss your child as we test for autism,
dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
Visit JimForgan.com or call (561) 625-4125.