Dyslexia Center of Austin Team
Instructional Team
Kelly O’Mullan, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Kelly O’Mullan received her dyslexia therapist training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2011. She is also the mother of two wonderful children with dyslexia, both Take Flight graduates. Upon completion of her training, Kelly started KO Dyslexia Therapy, PLLC to provide dyslexia therapy to students in both public and private schools throughout Austin. Kelly graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a lifetime Texas teaching certification, and a Master’s degree in Secondary Language Arts Education. She is a Qualified Instructor and member of ALTA and IDA.
Katy Vassar, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI, ED DIAG
QI Team
Katy Vassar received her dyslexia therapist training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin. She became a Certified Academic Language Therapist in 2013 and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2016. Katy worked in the classroom and as a Dyslexia Therapist for over 17 years in Austin ISD. She currently contracts with Dyslexia Center of Austin to train teachers as dyslexia therapists, to train educators to better work with students with dyslexia in the classroom, and to provide project management support to various DCA initiatives. Katy earned a Master’s in Special Education, Specializing in Dyslexia and Educational Diagnostician Certification from MSU Texas. Katy completed her training as a Qualified Instructor in May 2018 and is a member of ALTA, IDA, and TEDA.
Karen Blais, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI
QI Team
Karen Blais received her dyslexia therapist training with the Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2016. Before receiving her dyslexia credentials, Karen served as a classroom teacher, special educator, instructional coach, and special education administrator in public and private schools in Austin, Texas. Karen now works as a dyslexia therapist, providing services to students in private schools. Karen earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in Communication Disorders and a Master's in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of ALTA and IDA, and completed her QI training in 2024.
Deborah Kent, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI, ED DIAG
QI Team
Deborah Kent received her dyslexia therapist training at the Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2018. Before becoming a CALT, she worked in the classroom as an elementary ESL, GT, and SpEd certified instructor for six years. As a dyslexia interventionist on her elementary campus, she is responsible for delivering effective academic intervention, campus-wide dyslexia screenings, collecting and analyzing student data and collaborating with classroom teachers. Deborah has a Masters in Elementary Education from Texas State University and is a member of ALTA, IDA, and TEDA.
Kari Steward, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI, ED DIAG
QI Team
Kari Steward received her dyslexia therapist training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2011. Kari established Click! Dyslexia Therapy in 2011 and provides dyslexia therapy in the Marble Falls area to both private and public school students. In addition, Kari teaches Take Flight classes at Faith Academy of Marble Falls. Kari earned a BS in education with a math education minor from ACU and received her Master’s degree from Texas Tech University in Special Education and with an Educational Diagnostician Certification. Kari completed her training as a Qualified Instructor in June 2019 and is a member of ALTA, IDA, and TEDA.
Jessica Kane-Cabello, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI, ED DIAG
QI Team
Jessica Kane-Cabello received her dyslexia therapist training with the Dyslexia Center of Austin. She became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2016. Jessica served public school students and families for 20 years as a classroom teacher, dyslexia specialist, and district dyslexia coordinator. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso where she studied English and American Literature and received her teaching certification. At MSU Texas, she received her Master’s degree in Special Education, specializing in dyslexia, and Educational Diagnostic certification. Jessica is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Qualified Instructor and is a member of IDA, ALTA, TEDA, and Council for Exceptional Children.
Julie Montgomery, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, ED DIAG
Qualified Instructor in Training
Julie Montgomery received her dyslexia therapist training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin. She became a Certified Academic Language Therapist in 2009 and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2010. Julie worked in the elementary classroom as a Dyslexia Therapist for 13 years and then as a District Assessor for three years in Killeen ISD. In 2021, she earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialty in reading and an Educational Diagnostician certification. She currently works for Temple ISD as the Dyslexia Coordinator. Julie is a member of ALTA and IDA.
Diane Tilley, M.Ed., LDT, CALT
Qualified Instructor in Training
Diane Tilley became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2014 after completing training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin. She was an elementary classroom teacher before becoming a public-school dyslexia specialist. Diane graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Education and obtained her Master‘s degree in advanced literacy from Concordia University Texas. She is training with the Dyslexia Center of Austin to become a Qualified Instructor and is a member of ALTA and IDA.
Educational Diagnostician Team
Katy Vassar, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI, ED DIAG
Evaluation Program Coordinator
Katy Vassar received her dyslexia therapist training at the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin. She became a Certified Academic Language Therapist in 2013 and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2016. Katy worked in the classroom and as a Dyslexia Therapist for over 17 years in Austin ISD. She currently contracts with Dyslexia Center of Austin to train teachers as dyslexia therapists, to train educators to better work with students with dyslexia in the classroom, and to provide project management support to various DCA initiatives. Katy earned a Master’s in Special Education, Specializing in Dyslexia and Educational Diagnostician Certification from MSU Texas. Katy completed her training as a Qualified Instructor in May 2018 and is a member of ALTA, IDA and TEDA.
Mickie Plaisance, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, ED DIAG
ED DIAG Team
Mickie Plaisance’s journey of teaching began as an elementary teacher over 25 years ago. Mickie continued her teaching passion by earning a Master’s in Special Education, Specializing in Dyslexia, and Educational Diagnostician Certification through MSU Texas. In addition, she obtained her Dyslexia Therapist License and Academic Language Therapist Certification after completing a Dyslexia Specialist program through the Dyslexia Center of Austin. As a Dyslexia Therapist, Mickie works with students in the public and private educational settings. Mickie is a member of the ALTA and TEDA.
Sarah Sprague, M.Ed., CALT, ED DIAG
ED DIAG Team
Sarah Sprague received her dyslexia therapist training at the Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) in 2023. Before becoming a CALT, she worked in the classroom as an elementary GT, ESL, and SpEd certified instructor for eleven years. She earned her Master’s in Education in 2013 and her Educational Diagnostician Certification from MSU Texas in 2024. Sarah is passionate about working with students with learning differences to remove barriers and ensure student success.
Tammy Grovatt, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, ED DIAG
ED DIAG Team
Tammy Grovatt began her career in education after receiving a dual degree from UT Austin in Special Education/Regular Education with a Spanish language specialization. She has extensive training and experience working with students of all ability levels. Personally faced with the challenges of dyslexia/dysgraphia with her son, Tammy trained with the Dyslexia Center of Austin to become a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist. She received a Master’s in Special Education, Specializing in Dyslexia, and Educational Diagnostician Certification through MSU Texas. Tammy is a member of ALTA and TEDA.
Katie McEuen, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, ED DIAG
ED DIAG Team
Katie McEuen received her dyslexia therapist training at the Dyslexia Center of Austin and became a Certified Academic Language Therapist and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in 2018. Before becoming a CALT, she worked in the classroom for seven years as a middle school Language Arts teacher and interventionist. As a teacher, she was responsible for campus-wide dyslexia screenings and reevaluations. Her passion for serving students with dyslexia led her to pursue a career as an Educational Diagnostician. Katie has a Master's in Special Education, Specializing in Dyslexia, and Educational Diagnostician Certification through MSU Texas. She is a member of ALTA, IDA, and TEDA.
Marta Maupin-Garcia, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, ED DIAG
ED DIAG Team
For 27 years, Marta Maupin-Garcia has been teaching Dual Language and English as a Second Language students and has extensive experience in this field. In 2019, Marta completed her dyslexia therapist training at the Dyslexia Center of Austin to become a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She earned a Master’s degree in education specializing in dyslexia with an Educational Diagnostician certification from MSU Texas in 2021 and is now a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist. Currently, Marta mentors novice teachers and works with students in both public and private settings. She particularly enjoys working with bilingual students enrolled in Dual Language classrooms. Additionally, she is an active member of ALTA and TEDA.