Dr. Dawson is the founder and principal of Dawson Neurobehavioral Group, a vision that grew from her joint experiences professionally as well as personally.  She has worked with families from Chicago to Abu Dhabi and everywhere in between.  She is a recognized expert in dyslexia and language based learning differences.  She also has extensive expertise in evaluation and evidence based treatment for ADHD, specific learning disabilities, executive function disorders, nonverbal learning disability, autism spectrum disorders, giftedness and twice exceptional learners, and unique issues specific to adoption/international adoption.  She has extensive experience with a variety of pediatric medical populations, including pediatric oncology, epilepsy, tumors, genetic disorders, concussion, traumatic brain injury, and spina bifida.  Dr. Dawson is a highly sought after speaker and legal consultant.  She has trained and worked in some of the most prestigious academic medical centers in the country, including Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s Hospital), University of Chicago Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.  


What her schooling and professional work never prepared her for, however, are the challenges of raising and advocating for children with learning differences.  Dr. Dawson is the mother of two children who were adopted via international and domestic foster care adoptions.  Both of her children happen to have learning differences within a sea of strengths and outstanding abilities.  It is through her experience advocating for her own children that she wanted to develop a unique practice that focused on not just evaluating and diagnosing children, but also educating and equipping parents with the knowledge and resources to allow them to support and foster their children’s unique learning styles.  Because of her years of working with amazing, uniquely abled children, Dr. Dawson has become a passionate advocate within the educational system for children, adolescents and young adults.  She and her team work with parents to help in the development of evidence based IEP and 504 plans. 

She has developed an extensive network of highly reputable professional experts in numerous areas of specialty in order to collaborate as a team on behalf of the children and families with whom she works and is known for the passion she brings to her work.  It truly does take a village, and she is honored and humbled to be chosen as a member of so many “villages” over the years!