Our Story Begins Here
Fiona Higgins
Dyslexia Specialist & Dyslexia Assessor (AMBDA, APC)
Orton Gillingham Practitioner (A/OGA)
Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI)
Fiona is an experienced and certified Dyslexia Specialist and Dyslexia Assessor with the British Dyslexia Association, as well as an Associate Member of the Orton Gillingham Academy. She is also a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist with the Centre for Effective Reading, International Dyslexia Association.
Originally from Ireland, Fiona has spent the past 20 years working in public and international schools across Ireland, England, Italy, and Spain.
With extensive training and experience in assessing, supporting, and managing dyslexia in both monolingual and multilingual children, she has guided hundreds of international families in Barcelona and beyond.
Fiona has contributed to the development of early literacy programmes, provided individual support to students, and offered whole-class modelling to teachers. She also regularly delivers training workshops for teachers in international and local schools, as well as through Education Support Centres in Ireland.
Passionate about supporting multilingual learners, Fiona is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Meritxell Alquezar
Child Neuropsychologist
Meritxell Alquezar, originally from Catalunya, is the Founder and Director of CUIDA.
She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Barcelona and completed postgraduate studies in Functional Neuroanatomy at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned the Concurrent Enrolment Distinction. She also completed a postgraduate degree in Child Development before going on to earn a Master’s in Psychobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a Master’s in Child Neuropsychology from Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Seville.
After returning from the United States, Meritxell worked for several years at the renowned paediatric Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, as well as in many other clinical centres and international schools across Spain.
For more than seven years, she has combined her private practice with teaching as an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Barcelona.
Her professional passion lies in bringing together the latest advances in neuroscience, child development, psychology, and education to support cognitive growth, learning, and well-being throughout the lifespan.
Andreah Evans
Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT)
Andreah is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) living in Spain and working with families all over the world through virtual dyslexia therapy.
As a CALT, Andreah has completed rigorous, specialised training that equips her to deliver effective intervention and long-term support for children with dyslexia.
Andreah works with children ages 5–18 using a structured, multi-sensory approach based on the Orton Gillingham method. This proven, research-based approach helps children with dyslexia build confidence, strengthen reading skills, and develop lasting fluency.
Andreah also support parents with the tools and confidence they need to guide their child’s journey.
We support students, families, and educators by offering comprehensive psycho-educational assessments and evidence-based intervention sessions. Our work is especially focused on international families living in Barcelona and the surrounding areas, helping them navigate the challenges of supporting learners with diverse needs.
Alongside assessments and interventions, we provide tailored workshops and training designed to empower those working with learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). Each session is customized to the needs of the group and can be delivered in person at your school or workplace, or virtually, making them accessible to both educators and parents.
Our aim is simple: to ensure every participant leaves feeling confident, informed, and equipped with practical strategies they can put into practice straight away.
Contact us to explore how we can work together to support the learners in your community.
Our Community
We understand that international family life comes with unique trials and tribulations, from adjusting to new cultures and languages, to navigating unfamiliar education systems. It can be overwhelming to find the right support for your child, especially when you're far from home.
That’s why we regularly collaborate with professionals across education and child development to provide expert guidance tailored to the needs of globally mobile families.