Serving Our Community Since 2014

About Us

Our History

The non-profit Alabama Game Changers (AGC) was created in 2014 by pediatrician, Dr. Stephanie Denton, and certified pediatric nurse, Karen Belcher, to help merge the medical and educational communities together with respect to helping dyslexic children in Alabama. The initial focus was on assessment with early accurate diagnoses paired with evidenced-based effective interventions for children with learning struggles in reading, math, or written expression.

In 2020, Alabama Game Changers expanded its scope of services to include treatment options. The current center combines the expertise of a medical team with proven neurorehabilitation interventions designed to address the needs of children with dyslexia.

As a state-of-the-art interventional treatment center, the focus of therapy is guided by medical research.  Our therapeutic services are geared towards those needing assistance to combat their learning struggles while at the same time addressing the many medical and mental health conditions associated with them. AGC uses a team-based diagnostic and treatment model where professionals coordinate closely to achieve the best outcomes for each child.

White logo with a stylized human figure with arms raised, encircled by fifteen dots, and the letters 'AGC' beneath.

Our mission is to promote literacy, prevent academic failure, and eliminate the social and emotional challenges for students with specific learning difficulties.

“We came to Alabama Game Changers when we noticed our 5-year-old son was struggling to hold on to his letters and the sounds they make. He did not understand the difference between a B and a D and even though he has one of each in his name he would routinely mix them up. Homework was a nightmare; we would spend hours trying to get through work that should have only taken 20-30mins. He was becoming discouraged in school because he noticed his classmates were progressing along faster than him. He even said in the car one day that he was stupid. That was the moment we knew we had to do something to help him. We started looking for resources and found Alabama Game Changers. He started at Alabama Game Changers in June of 2021 and by the end of December 2021, he was reading a full grade level ahead.

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He has continued to make advancements in his reading and now wants to read a book just about every night before bed. This was a child that would beg and plead to not have to read before going through the program at Alabama Game Changers. The improvement we have seen is nothing short of miraculous. The school district he is in tests all children in Kindergarten and he scored in the 73% nationally when compared to his peers. This program is worth the investment of time and resources. This program has opened so many doors for him in the future that we did not even think would be possible.”

— James & Tasha M., Birmingham, AL

Our caring and experienced team includes:

A Pediatrician, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Medical Assistants, Psychometrists, Speech & Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, a Recreational Therapist, and Neurorehabilitation Intervention Instructors.

The Executive Team

  • Dr. Stephanie Denton

    Co-Founder

  • A woman with long dark hair, glasses, and a black shirt smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Shannon Weaver

    Executive Director

  • A woman with dark curly hair and brown skin wearing a green shirt, standing indoors in front of wooden windows with glass panes, smiling and looking slightly upwards.

    Christina Nelson

    Director of Intake & Family Services

  • A smiling woman with short gray hair, glasses, wearing a red top with lace sleeves, standing in front of a wooden structure and a window with trees outside.

    Angela Fletcher

    Executive Assistant

The Medical Team

  • Smiling female healthcare professional outdoors with a stethoscope around her neck, wearing a white coat and a navy blue scrubs, with green trees in the background.

    Dr. Stephanie Denton

    M.D., FAAP

  • A smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a green medical uniform outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Ashley Wear

    PNP

  • A woman with shoulder-length curly black hair and makeup, wearing a dark blue sleeveless blouse, standing indoors near a wooden window with a blurred outdoor background.

    Tamika McCall

    Clinic Supervisor

  • Alana Wallace

    MA

  • A smiling woman with red dreadlocks, wearing glasses, hoop earrings, and a navy blue shirt, standing in front of a wooden window frame.

    Maria Edmonds

    MA

Occupational Therapy (OT) Team

  • Becca Wood

    Department Leader

  • A woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and light skin, looking at the camera with a slight smile, wearing a black top, standing outdoors in front of blurred greenery and a building.

    Rebecca Cupps

  • Danelle Barron

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, pale skin, and green eyes, smiling and wearing a navy blue top, standing in front of a wooden background with glass windows showing greenery outside.

    Kendall Frame

  • Alexandria Hyde

The Psychological Assessment Team

  • Allison Bruce

  • Janice Johnson

Speech & Language (SLP) Team

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, glasses, and a black top, smiling and standing in front of a decorative wooden door with arched glass panels.

    Jenni Butts

  • A smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a black top and a necklace, standing outdoors with greenery and a blurred background.

    Megan Griffin

Recreational Therapist

  • A woman with shoulder-length dreadlocks wearing a green shirt, smiling, standing in front of a wooden door with glass panes.

    Yama Houston

Intervention Instructors

  • A woman with glasses and shoulder-length brown hair wearing blue scrubs standing in front of a wooden window with glass panels.

    Dina Hagler

  • A smiling elderly woman with long blonde hair wearing a black top and a gold cross necklace, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Gail Curtis

  • A young man with curly hair, glasses, and a beard, smiling while wearing a black medical scrub top outdoors.

    Andrew Denton

  • A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a green sweatshirt, standing outdoors with green bushes and a gray background.

    Kelly Marsh

  • A young woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing glasses and a white sweatshirt, smiling and looking over her shoulder, standing in front of a wooden structure with a blurred outdoor background.

    Wasema Ore

  • A young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes smiling, wearing a navy blue shirt, standing indoors near a wooden window frame with green scenery outside.

    Sam Kleman

  • A young man with light brown hair, beard, and blue eyes wearing an orange collared shirt, smiling softly, standing in front of a blurred outdoor background.

    Dalton Warren

  • A woman with long brown hair wearing a black top, gold hoop earrings, and a delicate gold necklace. She is smiling and standing in front of a wooden archway with glass panes, with a blurred outdoor background.

    Amanda Goldberg

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    Danielle DeLuca

  • "There are no words to fully appreciate what Alabama Game Changers has meant to me and my child. I knew early on that something was different. She was not learning at a pace consistent with her intelligence. Despite the best efforts of the school, she just continued to fall further and further behind. We found AGC and what a difference it has made! I had no idea that combining occupational therapy with her reading intervention would be such a powerful combination. This has resulted in a confident young lady, who is ready to be more independent. Her processing speed, motor skills, as well as her reading skills, have increased exponentially. She finally feels like she has the potential to be like every other “normal” (in her words) kid. The staff at AGC have loved her so well. They have accepted her without question and poured positivity into her. There is no better place for a struggling child to get the help that is needed. I wish every child had access to this amazing place with these amazing people."

    Kristina B., Hoover, AL