Saskia Kohnen

Dr. Saskia Kohnen is the Director of the Australian Literacy Clinic where her research focuses on both typical and atypical acquisition of reading and spelling, how to assess, and effectively treat these difficulties. Within this role, Saskia looks at both spoken and written language difficulties via teaching phonics, irregular word reading and spelling through literacy interventions. Saskia's current research interests include the assessment of the underlying causes of reading and spelling difficulties in children and adolescents; conducting intervention trials for children and adults with developmental and acquired reading and spelling difficulties; and the investigation of more typical reading and spelling acquisition. 

Professor Kohnen is a qualified Diplom Patholinguist from Potsdam University, which combines linguistics and clinical skills when working with people who have spoken and written language difficulties. She completed a PhD at Macquarie University in 2008, where she co-founded and directed the Macquarie University Reading Clinic. 

As of January 2024, Saskia has worked as the Director of the Australian Literacy Clinic leading a multidisciplinary team of teachers, psychologists, speech pathologists and cognitive scientists who assess and treat children, adolescents and adults with reading and spelling difficulties. The clinic conducts literacy assessments and interventions and provides input into ACU's teacher training programs and professional development. Saskia gets to translate her knowledge into practice at the literacy clinic and when working with teachers and clinicians in Australia and overseas. This, in turn, inspires her research.