Provider Bio

Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D.

Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, is a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist, Certified Academic Language Therapist, Certified Dyslexia Therapist and Qualified Instructor. She is the President of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas which was established in 1993. She also works with Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is the author of Esperanza (HOPE), a Spanish language program designed to assist students who struggle with learning to read. Her research interests include the development of early reading assessments for Spanish-speaking students and the development of reading interventions for bilingual students. She was the co-principal investigator of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute for Education Sciences that examined the oracy and literacy development in English and Spanish of Spanish-speaking children. She is currently working with the American Institute for Research on a national project for Response to Intervention among English Learners, which is sponsored by the Office of Special Education. Elsa currently serves as Chairperson of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. She is a past Vice-Chairperson of IDA and served for 6 years as the Executive Editor in Chief for IDA publications. Elsa continues to participate on the IDA Global Partners Committee and the Conference Committee. Elsa is the former Chairperson for the Texas State Dyslexia Advisory Board and the State Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology. She also served as a board member for the Academic Language Therapy Association. She has authored curricular programs, book chapters, and journal articles related to the oracy and literacy development for English language learners. Elsa is the recipient of the Luke Waites Service Award by the Academic Language Therapy Association and the Champion of Dyslexia Award by the Texas Education Agency. Elsa is dedicated to improving evidence-based reading instruction for ALL students who struggle with literacy and this includes English learners.

Provider Details

• Accepting New Clients
• Online Tutorial Service Offered
• Other Professional Certifications Held: Ed.D.