Educational Therapy
Educational therapy is an intensive educational intervention beyond what tutoring can provide. Educational therapy provides educational and therapeutic approaches to helping students through the learning process. Not only will an educational therapist assist a struggling student with specific subject material, they will also take an active role in the evaluation, assessment and remediation process. Our educational therapists also provide case management and collaboration among parents, teachers and medical professionals. They may also act as an advocate on behalf of the student and participate in IEP's and 504 plans.
- The Learning Center provides educational therapy to students diagnosed with developmental, neurological, and learning disabilities. These may include, but are not limited to, Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger's Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and specific processing disorders. There are a number of ways to identify whether a student needs educational therapy. A student may be identified with a learning disability by a teacher, psychologist, speech and language specialist or school personnel. Otherwise, parents and teachers should watch for students who have:
- - Difficulty with maintaining concentration,
- - Problems remembering facts,
- - Delays in learning language,
- - Problems paying attention,
- - Taking an extreme amount of time and parent support to get homework tasks done,
- - Low self esteem
- - Difficulty with handwriting and grasping writing utensils,
- - Difficulty with auditory processing,
- - Difficulty staying on task,
- - Lacking awareness of physical surroundings,
- - Problems with impulse control,
- - Resistance in going to school,
- - Trouble interacting with peers or participating in normal childhood activities, or
- - Feelings of anxiety, tension and/or depression.
In order to assist students with learning challenges, or disabilities, The Learning Center looks to identify processing skills required for learning that may be underdeveloped. Our educational therapists then build the student's awareness of his or her specific learning style and teach important learning skills to assist the student in becoming a more independent learner. In this way, the student can use his or her strengths to best overcome areas of weakness. As areas of processing develop and the student is trained to understand their own specific learning styles, we are able to teach academics including reading, writing, math, and study skills. With the thinking processes to support them in place students are then able to retain these skills and learn subject matter more effectively.
The Learning Center's educational therapists provide individualized intensive interventions involving both educational and therapeutic approaches. An educational therapist is different than a tutor in their level of experience in working through educational interventions and in their knowledge of disabilities.
Educational therapists can also provide case management including communication with teachers, school counselors, learning specialists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, and/or psychiatrists who often may work with the student in order to coordinate services and facilitate a better understanding of the student's learning needs and development. An educational therapist often assists in developing more effective IEP's and 504 plans.
If a student does not already have the results of an evaluation from a professional, the student may need a Psychological-Educational Evaluation to determine levels of academic achievement, learning style, and areas of strength and weaknesses that we use to develop a treatment plan.
- All educational therapy sessions are a one-on-one, student-therapist setting, and may be held at the following locations:
- - With an educational therapist who comes to your home in Los Angeles, California;
- - With our educational therapists at The Learning Center's Campus in Encino, California;
- - At the student's school, during the school day with coordination of the teacher's and student's schedule; or
- - Over the Internet through Skype from anywhere in the world.
The length of therapy depends on the number of issues and severity of the problem at hand. Intense and consistent sessions will result in maximum gains in a shorter period of time.
Contact The Learning Center to Get More Information About Signing Up For Educational Therapy
If a student simply needs help in a specific subject and does not present any of the above signs, educational therapy may not be necessary. The student may require tutoring.