Services
Educational Assessment and Therapy, Tutoring, Executive Function Coaching, Parent Coaching, Classroom Visits, School Constructions, and IEP Meetings
While every student is different, every student needs an adaptive, individualized program that caters to their specific needs. Our method always follows the same basic model. Look at the child as a whole, then begin at the roots and build from the ground up.
Before learning can even begin, a number of prerequisites to learning must be met. Children cannot learn amid chaos or under a deadline. And they cannot learn if they are somehow sabotaging their own learning. Consequently, a major goal of educational therapy is to teach children about their brain’s needs as well as its endless capacities. These needs can be academic – for example, you cannot expect your brain to do Algebra if you are still struggling with your times table – or they can be psycho-emotional – for example, you cannot expect your brain to focus on studying if you are feeling anxious. Since the aim here is to familiarize children with their biggest ally in life, their ability to learn, demistifying the learning process and understanding the link between emotions and learning is a big part of our work.
HOW IT WORKS
Every student, whether they work with me or another therapist, does their intake with me. After our initial phone call, where we determine if we are the right fit for a you, we take 2 sessions to complete the intake. The first session involves both the student and parent(s). This “screening” session includes testing, content-based clinical interviews, and some questionnaires. Any materials such as previous test results, neuropsychological evaluations, Individualized Education Programs, report cards, etc., help me with this evaluative step. The more information you can provide me, the better. If a student has had no formal educational testing, I may recommend both formal and informal tests as part of the intake.
I follow the screening session (which usually takes about an hour) with a “consultation” session. During the consultation session I offer my plan of action which includes explicit goals for the student, as well as a curriculum designed specifically for reaching those goals. At this point, you make the decision about how you would like to proceed.
Educational Therapy
It is important to understand what educational therapy is, how it differs from tutoring, and whether it truly is what your child needs. For more information about these distinctions, you can visit the website for the Association of Educational Therapists at www.aetonline.org.
I offer my clients a full educational therapy suite. What this means is that in addition to working with students themselves, I help parents and other family members work with their child’s differences, I work with teachers and schools, I advocate for students, attend IEP and other meetings, write letters, work with other therapists, doctors, and other allied professionals, pretty much everything a child needs to succeed. Therefore, I take on only a limited number of students because every student takes up a significant amount of my time and cognitive capacities.
While a big part of educational therapy is figuring out modifications and strategies that help students, I am a big believer in remediation. Neuroscience research has shown us that the brain is plastic, which means we can rewire it.
I pride myself on using the most cutting-edge programs based on the most current educational research to help my students become better learners, but it is important to realize that these programs are a part of therapy. They are not stand-alone fixes. Some of these programs are listed here. I may use any of these or other programs as part of the individualized program I design for each student. Every student is assessed on an ongoing basis by me, even if they are working with a different therapist, so as students evolve, so do their goals and program recommendations. I work closely with everyone who works with me and ultimately consider every client my own.
Methods
✔ Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
✔ The FastForward Programs
✔ Read Naturally
✔ The PACE Program
✔ Master The Code
✔ Writing Adventures
✔ Orton-Gillingham Reading Approach
✔ BrainBuilder
✔ Math-U-See Program
✔ Developmental Mathematics Program
“Before educational therapy, I could not read. I was in the lowest level in my class. But right when I started, I went up 4 levels in one month! That’s how educational therapy helped me.”
Adam S. (4th Grade)
Educational therapy changes based on what students need. Some students might require intense processing training. Others may need executive function coaching or check-ins. Yet others may require content support. All this can fall under educational therapy which is focused on teaching with the developmental and diagnostic needs of the child in mind.
Ready to start?
Educational Consulting
In addition to actual client hours, I also offer educational consulting for families who are not necessarily working with me. These services include reviewing records to recommend testing or educational services, helping you navigate the IEP/504 process at public schools, services at private schools, referrals for educational testing or school placement, writing letters, attending meetings, and other advocacy work on behalf of students. These services are charged on an hourly basis or on a retainer basis depending on each family’s needs. Educational consulting does not require an intake although sometimes the intake process is exactly what parents’ need to get them on the right path.
