Educational Therapy

“Educational Therapy” is a highly individualized and comprehensive intervention which incorporates the entire learning experience.  Educational Therapists are highly trained professionals who combine educational and therapeutic approaches in order to provide individualized educational interventions for children and adults with learning disabilities or other learning challenges.  

Educational Therapists address the learning process as a whole. An Educational Therapy program includes identifying the client’s individual learning profile, developing an individualized intervention plan that focuses on enhancing the underlying cognitive abilities necessary for learning, increasing academic skills, teaching successful learning strategies, and helping the individual understand his/her own learning. Initial and ongoing formal and informal assessments are conducted and results are integrated in order to create an individual learning profile.  As a child’s individual learning profile is identified and the learning processes are developed, academic skills in reading, writing, math, or studying are targeted and improved using scientifically proven methods and strategies tailored to each individual student. 

In addition to focusing on “academic” learning areas, Educational Therapy also addresses other parts of the learning process which might include helping to foster independence and self-advocacy, facilitating communication with significant members of the client’s world (including parents, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals), acting as a liaison between home-and-school in order to develop productive support strategies, accommodations, and/or modifications for the child.

Educational Therapists are certified by the National Association of Educational Therapists (www.aetonline.org), a governing body that sets a high professional standard. Educational Therapists have to meet specific educational and experiential requirements in the areas of elementary or secondary education, child development, assessment, learning theory, learning disabilities, and specific principles of educational therapy in order to become certified. Professional and Board Certified members are required to hold a Masters Degree, or equivalent course work, show proficiency in all areas related to Educational Therapy, and complete supervised direct service hours.  In addition, continuing education is an on-going requirement.  

“Educational Therapy” differs greatly from “tutoring.”  For most children with learning disabilities or attention difficulties, remediation alone is not enough; the underlying learning skills must also be addressed for optimum long-term benefits. A customized plan or specialized program, developed and implemented by an experienced professional, designed to meet the specific needs of an individual client is considered “Educational Therapy.” 

Subject-specific remediation, traditionally called “tutoring,” focuses on a specific academic area and helps the student perform in that specific subject or topic. Tutors typically provide assistance with homework or support with classwork when students require additional instruction in specific subject matter. 

• Tutors are not required to have an education-related professional background, teaching experience, or a higher education degree.  In most cases, a tutor’s background does not usually include specialized training in individualized learning strategies or special education populations. 

• Tutoring is beneficial for students who are “a little bit behind” in a particular academic area or are having difficulty with a specific topic. 

“Educational Therapy” is a highly individualized and comprehensive intervention which incorporates the entire learning experience.  Educational Therapists are certified by the National Association of Educational Therapists (www.aetonline.org).  Educational therapists are often certified teachers who are specifically trained to work in one-to-one settings with individuals who are struggling with academics. 

• Educational Therapists are highly trained professionals who combine educational and therapeutic approaches in order to provide individualized educational interventions for children and adults with learning disabilities or other learning challenges.  

• Educational Therapy addresses the learning process as a whole. 

• An Educational Therapy program includes identifying the client’s individual learning profile, developing an individualized intervention plan that focuses on enhancing the underlying cognitive abilities necessary for learning, increasing academic skills, teaching successful learning strategies, and helping the individual understand his/her own learning. 

• Initial and ongoing formal and informal assessments are conducted and results are integrated in order to create an individual learning profile. 

• Scientifically proven methods and strategies tailored to each individual student are used to improve academic skills in reading, writing, math, or study skills

In addition to focusing on “academic” learning areas, Educational Therapy also addresses other parts of the learning process which might include helping to foster independence and self-advocacy, facilitating communication with significant members of the client’s world (including parents, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals), acting as a liaison between home-and-school in order to develop productive support strategies, accommodations, and/or modifications for the child. 

Educational Therapy services address the entire learning process.  Educational Therapy is a highly individualized intervention which incorporates the academic, organizational, and social/emotional aspects of the learning process. After identifying the client’s individual learning profile, a program focusing on underlying cognitive abilities, academic skills, learning and memory strategies is developed for each client. 

Specific areas of focus are determined individually for each client and typically focus on a combination of cognitive skill training, reading skills, writing skills, math skills, an organization and study skills. Methods and programs used are both commercially made and created by LearningWise Strategies, LLC and typically focus on:

Cognitive skills related to learning and thinking 

• visual memory

• auditory memory

• visual processing skills

• auditory processing skills

• higher order thinking skills

Reading and writing skills

• phonological processing

• phonics

• decoding/word attack

• vocabulary development

• reading comprehension

• listening comprehension

• writing mechanics

• written expression

Mathematical skills

• number sense

• computation and calculation

• problem solving

• the language of math

Executive Functioning, organization and study skills, including: 

• notebook and materials organization

• study strategies and test taking techniques

• note-taking techniques

• goal setting, planning/prioritizing, and time management

• task initiation/completion strategies

• problem solving and critical thinking skills

LearningWise Strategies, LLC believes first and foremost that each person is an individual, and has an individual learning profile. Programs for each client are individualized based on that learning profile, which is determined, in part, by a thorough evaluation.  A variety of multi-sensory programs and methods are used depending on the specific learning profile of the client. Lessons are designed for each unique learner incorporating engaging and motivating interactive activities and games.

Some of the many methods used include:

* Brain Frames

* Fast Forword

* Fine Tuning 

* Frame Your Thoughts

* Language Circle 

* Lindamood-Bell LIPs, Visualizing and Verbalizing, and Seeing Stars

* Lively Letters Reading System 

* Logic of English

* MathWise for Life

* multi-sensory mathematics

* Orton-Gillingham based multi-sensory programs 

* Phono-Graphix 

* Project Read 

* Reading Simplified

* Seeing My Time

* Sight Words You Can See

* Sounds In Syllables

* Sound Reading Solutions 

* Stevenson Reading Program

* Strengthening of Skills 

* Structured Word Inquiry

* Systems of Intellect (SOI)

* Wilson Reading System 

* Words Their Way