Getting started, and what to expect
When choosing an educational therapist for your child, you want to feel confident that their personality and professional background fit the needs and temperament of your child. I offer a free consultation so that we have the chance to get to know one another to see if we are a good fit.
Once a client and I start working together I establish communication with the students’ teachers and family members to create appropriate goals and prioritize content. I make a point of collaborating and maintaining transparency in order to lead to an increased sense of understanding for team members, and empowerment for the student.
Strategies for ADD and ADHD learners
I use proved strategies to enable and teach ADD and ADHD learners to:
- Get started
- Set and accomplish goals
- Learn how it feels to pay attention
- Execute work in a systematic manner
- Organize thoughts and information to improve writing skills
- Slow down to improve reading comprehension
- Learn to slow down and self monitor
- Manage materials
- Study effectively
- Internalize positive habits and workarounds that apply to classroom and real-world situations
- Return to the moment when feeling scattered
- Overcome the anxiety response
Reading, writing and literacy instruction
I meet my students at their level, using systematic, multisensory approaches that teach to the intellect. No single program perfectly fits every learner, and I have spent years learning a variety of approaches in order to most effectively customize the program to the clients needs.
Reading and writing are complicated endeavors, and there are a number of areas in which someone may need support. I assess each student to determine their areas of need, and target instruction appropriately.
Mathematics remediation and skill building
Strong comprehension and consistent performance in mathematics requires an understanding of the basic principles, and the ability to visualize the big picture.
I bring my students beyond rote memorization. By providing a structure and making connections to pictures, my students come to understand the flow and patterns of math facts and procedures.
Call or email for an free consultation and to find out more.
My daughter is finishing up her first, and very challenging, year in college. Even being in a special program to support her, about 40 selected students with potential but not the grades to get into college, she has had difficulty managing the academic responsibilities with the social distractions and her grades have suffered. What is helpful at this age (add coaching, academic coaching, etc?) and can you recommend someone in our area, San Jose?
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for your email.
Knowing very little about the nuances of your situation, it’s difficult to say how much educational therapy and coaching will help. It’s extremely helpful for executive functioning and ADD when the children are living at home and there is built in support. I’ve heard from many parents who’s college-aged children have ADD, and sometimes, the young adults are not ready for the degree of self-reliance and self-regulation required for academic collegiate success. There are so many factors here.
I recommend joining CHADD, perusing their information online. I also recommend finding a support group for parents, online or otherwise, and hearing about others’ experiences here. College is a tricky period for ADD youth, and it’s important to investigate all the options. Landmark College specializes in teaching students with learning differences, and some colleges are better fits for this population than others. It’s worth doing the research, as well as hiring a specialist who understands the issues.
Best,
Rebecca
I don’t know anyone in San Jose, but if you call the Association of Educational Therapy, they should be able to refer you. I’ve worked with many college students who have ADD, and they have all experienced the challenges you describe.