Educational Therapists and Academic Coaches
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Educational Therapists and Academic Coaches
August 2008
I am an adult with Attention Deficit Disorder. I have a demanding job and am not
forced to face my disorganiztion, missed deadlines and loss of focus.
Does anyone know an ADD coach for adults?
Ready to Make Changes
The best of the best is right here-- Linda Lawton. I am a PhD with
a similar job to what you describe, and I needed to get my act
together desperately. Linda worked with me from an entirely
non-judgemental place (essential for my success) and I made real
change. Her office is in Albany, and she is the most flexible and
understanding coach I could hope for. Linda's email is
easy4you@sbcglobal.net.
Much Happier Now
I always encourage my clients to check out my credentials. I advise
the person looking for a ADD coach to do the same. Check out therapy
licenses, certifications etc. before starting with a new coach.
Anon
April 2008
What do educational therapists do? I have a teenager who
struggles academically and socially. Not a behavioral
problem but a kid who takes things pretty literally and
often misses the nuances of interactions, then will turn
around and surprise you with fairly profound observations.
I know about Orion and Arrowsmith, etc but our kid hasn't
wanted to explore any of those options. We want to make
sure we help our child make it through to college and
beyond. So...exactly what does an educational therapist do?
mom
Hi - this comes directly from the Association of
Educational Therapists website: http://www.aetonline.org/:
''Educational Therapy offers children and adults with
learning disabilities and other learning challenges a wide
range of intensive, individualized interventions designed
to remediate learning problems.
Educational therapy demystifies learning problems and
stimulates clients’ awareness of their strengths so they
can use those strengths to best advantage to overcome or
compensate for areas of weakness.
Educational therapists create and implement a treatment
plan that utilizes information from a variety of sources
including the client’s social, emotional,
psychoeducational, and neuropsychological context.''
If you decide that seeing an educational therapist might
be helpful for your child, you can get referrals through
the AET website or through the ET graduate program at Holy
Names University. It sounds like your child might also
benefit from a social skills or pragmatic language group
which could provide practice directly aimed at
understanding nuances and non-literal language.
Jan
At best, help your child improve academically. At worst,
take your money. Anyone can be an educational therapist, and
since there is no license for this profession, you need to
choose carefully. The best educational therapists are
special education teachers who are retired or teaching part
time. In additon to having a special education education
credential and/or masters in special education, they either
have a certificate in educational therapy or additional
coursework at a school approved by the Association of
Educational Therapists (aetonline.org). If an educational
therapist is not a member of the association or has never
heard of it, you should probably not work with that person.
Educational therapists are expensive, some charging up to
one hundred dollars a session four times a week, or more.
They help students overcome dyslexia and other learning
disabilities. Some educational therapists are so good they
can help students improve their reading and math skills by
multiple grade levels in a year's time. Others are so inept,
they are basically glorified tutors.
I would be suspicious of educational therapists who just a
year ago left jobs in corporate America to make a career
change. A few quarters of courses at UC Berkeley Extension
will not train a person to become an educational therapist,
if there isn't substantial special education teaching
background. I would also avoid psychotherapists who got
tired of working with adults and thought educational therapy
would be more fun as they may lack the special education
background so crucial for success in this profession.
Finally, be careful of educational therapists who claim they
can test your child. While an educational therapist can give
assessments, only a licensed educational psychologist can do
bona fide testing. Often, educational psychologists will
work in tandem with educational therapists. The ed psych
does the testing and the ed therapist does the long term
one-on-one work.
Finally, there has to be a fit. Pairing a teen with an
educational therapist who only works with elementary school
kids probably won't work, and vice versa. Both your child
and the educational therapist have to be comfortable with
each other, if it is going to work. Remember, educational
therapy is a long term investment, not tutoring.
Anon
An educational therapist works with a student to expose a
subject's deep structure, to provide proper pacing, to
assist in memory development, and to shore up expressive
and receptive language. She deliberately integrates the
whole picture with the parts and introduces ''meta''
awareness to help the student build skill, ego-strength,
and self-trust. Through formal and/or informal on-going
assessment and diagnostic teaching, the educational
therapist helps the student and his parents look at unique
intellectual, attentional, and motivational needs in
relationship to increasingly complex school demands.
The one-on-one relationship is central to this academic
therapy. In an atmosphere of growing trust, the student
gains self confidence, improves her ability to stay
focused (including impulse control), learns to delay
gratification in order to achieve academic goals and
ultimately to enjoy learning and mastery for its own
sake.
C.
An educational therapist worked with my son for two years, and I can give
you my observations about what they did. They met for two one-hour
sessions each week and worked on homework, but they didn't simply do the
homework. She worked with him on how to do homework, how to organize
it, prioritize assignments, understand what the teacher wants, estimate
the
amount of work required, manage long-term projects, etc. As he worked
on assignments, she observed the process and identified areas where he
needed
new strategies or remediation, which she provided. She got him involved
with
the process of coming up with strategies. She also worked on boosting his
confidence, sparking his interest, and trying to make things fun. She
interfaced with our outside neuropsychologist's office and the personnel
from
the public middle school he attended, suggesting strategies and
accommodations. When teachers gave her advance information about major
assignments, she could help teach my son to organize the work. This
worked
well, and we saw my son became more capable working independently in
class and on the days he didn't work with the ed therapist.
You didn't ask about this, but you mentioned Orion and Arrowsmith, and we
have first-hand experience with both. Arrowsmith closed down almost two
years ago. Orion has a very specific program intended for a specific and
narrow population, students with diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome and NLD.
Our child who attended Orion did not exactly fit into either of those
categories and has learning disabilities that set him apart from Orion's
other
students. Orion is most definitely not a school for a general learning
disabilities population. They did not understand my son's learning
disabilities and instead came to deny them. Rather than accommodate his
needs, they punished him for what they claimed were behavior issues in
refusing to do work. It was a most damaging experience! Happily, we've
since found a situation that worked for him, his learning disabilities
have
been addressed, and he's doing well. I looked intensively on my own, and
when I finally found a school that resonated with me, I had the confidence
to
convince my son to take a look and let him decide.
another mom
Your teen sounds a lot like mine. He struggled with school
and has terrible social skills. We also looked at Orion and
Springstone (when he was younger) but decided on a
mainstream school. He was getting Bs and Cs and although
that may be fine for some but not for him - he tested in the
very gifted range. A friend recommended Nancy Chin
at Step
By Step. She was able to get him organized, have him do his
homework AND turn it in. Once this happened consistently,
his grades shot up to As. He is now enjoying school, getting
along with his teachers, and a much happier person. I highly
recommend Nancy her website is www.stepbystep4success.com .
Anonymous
I highly recommend that you contact Nancy Chin at Step By
Step. She works with students who are struggling in school
both academically and socially. Many of her students have a learning
difference/disability. They’re very bright yet struggle and
get mediocre grades. Nancy teaches organization skills,
time management and study skills. She made amazing
personal connection and progress with my son in a very
short time, however, her assistance has been so essential
that our son wants to continue with her indefinitely! You
are absolutely right to be concerned about making sure
that your son will be personally motivated to carry on his
higher education and be successful at it. Let Nancy help
you; she really can do it. Her website is
www.stepbystep4success.com.
Good luck with your teenager. Sharon.
Feb 2008
Hi: My 13 year daughter is a very bright but unmotivated
and disorganized student. Over the years, her grades have
steadily dropped from A's to B's and now, I fear, C's.
She's not there yet but I see it coming. She has a mild
case of ADD. It has not affected her grades in her earlier
years but seems to be taking its course now.
She's had tutors which is OK during the time they are
together. The rest of the time she procrasatinates and the
work just doesn't get done. She is resistant to any help
from my husband and me.
A friend recommended Nancy Chin at Step By Step in
Oakland. Has anyone heard of her? She is an academic
coach who helps students get organized and stay focused.
THANKS Katrina
I also have a 13 year-old girl with organization and focus
problems. I estimate I have spent almost $10,000 in the
last three years on tutoring, an educational therapist,
study skills, and testing. She is a well-behaved, well-
intentioned kid who enjoys pleasing people. And it has
never made sense that she would have such a poor attitude
about school, lie about having tests, etc.
A few months ago, her tutor and I realized that if I didn't
explore ADHD medication I might always wonder. I read up.
I downloaded the standard ADHD assessment tools. The
tutor, my child and I all took the assessments and my child
ended up amazed at how many ADHD symptoms she has! I have
had this suggested to me by others over the years but the
situtation has seemed so mild....
Long story short, my kid has been on ADHD meds for about 6
weeks now. She aced her final exams on the medications,
her grades popped up, and she feels very good about herself.
I think the medications are real different for a 13 year-
old because she can be part of the solution. She is in
charge of telling me whether the meds work, at what
dosage. She remembers to take her pill each day. She will
be the one that decides when it will be time to quit
(Kaiser has suggested she will find this useful for 2-3
years).
I know meds seem drastic. I never thought I'd do it. But
I can't believe the difference it has made for her at
school, and for our relationship!
n in oakland
Hi,
My son has been seeing Ms. Linda Lawton on San Pablo Ave.
in Albany for some time. She does great work with my son,
who is also 15. She is especially well-equipped to handle
kids/adults with ADD/ADHD. I have also seen a number of
recommendations for her on BPN. Her email address is:
easy4you at sbcglobal.net. Good Luck,
Peggy
Nancy Chin of Step By Step is absolutely the
answer to your prayers. My third-grader has tested as
gifted but also has some serious problems with
organization, efficiency, time-management, effectiveness,
and it goes on and on. He doesn't let me help him at all
with his homework (''It's none of your business, Mommy'').
And, let's just say that he has inherited his ''issues''
from his father from whom he does accept help. He had
never finished a homework assignment on his own, ever,
until he began with Nancy just five weeks ago. Nancy knew
immediately how to motivate him; connected with him on a
personal level; moved slowly; and has already achieved
amazing results. By the third session (once a week for an
hour), he was completing his homework assignments on his
own, and they were almost perfect when his father checked
them over for correctness and completeness. She also has
a beautiful office above Market Hall in Rockridge; only
charges $70 an hour (a total bargain for what she has
achieved in such a short time) and calls my son during the
middle of every week to check in with him. She is the
sweetest, nicest, and MOST EFFECTIVE academic coach for
the issues your 13-year-old is having. I am sure you
won’t be anything but 100% happy with the results she can
achieve with your daughter.
Sharon
Sept 2007
I wanted a referral for an Educational Therapist for a Middle School student, located in
the Orinda/Walnut Creek/ Lafayette/Moraga area. I wanted someone with a background with
Dyslexia and multisensory reading programs. Thank you!
Lisa
I highly recommned Bill Baldyga. He's worked with my son, and the
kids of a number of friends, and everyone has been thrilled with the results (including the kids).
His number is 415 216-8493, and his website is halcyonlearning.com. He comes to our home in the East
Bay. Good luck!
a parent of a now reading/spelling child
Sept 2007
My 21 year old Berkeley High graduate daughter has ADHD
and other learning issues, and has made several false
starts at community dollege. To break this cycle I would
like to find a coach for her who can give her feedback and
point the way for her to be successful. If you know of
such a person please let me know.
anon
I'm not sure what you're looking for in saying "coach" but
if you want someone who is experienced working with kids
with ADHD and with people with learning differences you
might want to have your daughter see Phyllis Koppelman who
is a educational therapist and has loads of experience
with learning differences. She can help your daughter get
organized, learn how to get started on assignments, how to
schedule her work, and can help with writing skills. She
is very kind and accessible. I know both boys and girls
who have worked with her, with many different things they
wanted to develop. She isn't cheap but even a few
sessions can make a difference. You can check out her
website at www.strategiesforlearning.com. Her office is
on Grand Ave. in Oakland. She has a pretty full schedule.
another mom of teens
Feb 2006
I'm looking for a patient, creative educational therapist
to work with my 12 year old on core issues such as math
concepts, organization, etc. Recommendations please!
mother of math hater
My 12-year-old daughter has worked with Alan Perlberg for
three years. He has helped her immensely to get over her
fear of math and her feeling that she just can't get it.
Alan also works with her on organization, and serves as a
general academic coach. He has initiated meetings with her
teachers and the school's learning specialist. He is a kind
and caring man, and my daughter really vaules her time with
him. You can reach Alan at aperl[at]juno.com
anon
I have sent my son to Educational Services Associates for 3 years for fine
motor challenges in writing, organization and writing skills. He is a gifted
child who needed help accessing his abilities and learning new skills to work
around the challenges. ESA works with children of all ages and challenges. All
of the kids love it there. They are treated with respect and have fun there. The
kids may come in grumpy with their parent(s), but they leave after their
sessions happy and empowered. Ann Gordon is the director and her staff are
all wonderful. I highly recommend them. ESA is located at 230 Grand Avenue
in Oakland, next to Lake Merritt and St. Paul's. The phone number is 510
-873-0801. You may contact me if you wish to talk more about further. Good
luck.
tola
I recommend Linda Lawton. You can find her listing on the UC Parents
website (Oct. 8 2005), and also several parent recommendations of her
services. I am an early childhood teacher, and have known Linda as
professional collegue since 1980. She is caring, conscientious, and
knowledgeable.
Paula
June 2005
I'm looking for a literacy tutor who can help a child with
dyslexia and APD learn to read. I'd like someone who can give
me guidance on how to work with my daughter as well as meet
with her.
I think it's admirable that you want to work with you child. That
didn't work for us because our son got very emotional and was
easily frustrated when we did much beyond homework with him.
Also, we realized that when you hire an academic therapist, you
have someone who can help you navigate the LD maze at school and
at home. Finally, I think it's helpful to work with someone close
by so they can attend parent/teacher conferences and/or IEP
meetings at your son's school.
Here are three resources I can recommend to find someone in your
area who can work with your son:
(1) There is a wonderful section on how to locate, screen, and
work with Academic Therapists on this website:
http://www.dyslexia-ncbida.org/resources.html
(2) One of the first Educational Therapists I consulted with had
great things to say about the Reading Revolution program. I found
them to be a bit cheaper than going with a private ed therapist
but they didn't have any clinics near our home. Their main clinic
is in Walnut Creek. They also have a center in Oakland.
http://www.readingrevolution.com/CENTERS/locations.php
(3) Pam Scribner is the Director of the New Learning Clinic at UC
Extension. Her phone number is 643-8727. We called her, gave her
our zip code, and she gave me phone numbers for 3 educational
therapists in our area. Be prepared to pay $60-80/hour for
someone who has a Master's in Special Ed and a good amount of
experience.
Best of luck with your journey!
July 2003
I am seeking a coach or tutor for an eight yearold girl with mild attaention difficulties. Am looking for someone that has worked with kids with attention problems and know how to help them with academics but also knows toold to asist with attention problems.
Recommendations received:
Linda Lawton
you could also contact the ability resource center, which works
with children (& their families) w/ learning & attentional
differences. ask for glenn gelfenbein @ 510-528-6095 or
glenn AT abilityresourcecenter.com
good luck!
lisa
May 2003
I have a bright but poorly focused son who is going into
9th grade at Berkeley HS. Although he's been shown
on evaluations to have attentional problems, he did not
respond well to medication and we'd like to provide him
with a personal coach instead to help him transition to
the world of HS.
We're having a hard time even figuring out what sort of
professional we need since we're looking for
somebody who understands learning styles and can
help him develop organizational skills (i.e., an
educational therapist) but also can deal with all the
emotional issues that relate to motivation, behavior and
self-esteem (more of a psychologist) and knows how
to negotiate the high school world (add school
counselor to the mix).
On top of that, as a bright 14-yr-old, our son is pretty
resistant to working with anybody who seems to be
babying him or underestimating his abilities. The
metaphor of a COACH (he's very into sports) fits what
we need --- somebody ''cool,'' with high expectations
and lots of knowledge who can help him in a fun,
respectful, no-nonsense and suportive way. How's that
for a tall order?
Any suggestions?
frustrated Berkeley mom
Recommendations received:
Linda Lawton
Earlier Recommendations
May 2001
We had had Pam Brandau as our educational consultant in 1999 (for a very
difficult child). We found out this year she was no longer doing the same
kind of educational consultating. However, she recommended Susan Skelton, in
San Jose (phone 408-296-5757). The two know each other well and work very
similarly. We used Susan's services recently and were very pleased. While
San Jose is a long way to go, we only needed to meet with her once and
everything else was done by phone, mail or email.
Debbie (May 2001)
Pam Brandeau, 547-1334, is an educational consultant used successfully by
our extended family to help a bright child who did well until BHS and then
promptly went down all the wrong roads. Pam helped find an appropriate
school and the "child" has now graduated, won early admission to the college
of her choice, and is a freshman there.
I want to second the recommendation for Pam Brandau as a college
counselor/educational consultant. My son and I have only seen her once, but
I felt she was the right person for him, has a lot of experience with kids
who don't fit in the usual "box" and are taking a different route. She
seemed to bring out the best in him and he liked her, too. The only problem
is that she is very busy and it is hard to reach her. Miriam
I have worked with Pam Brandau, Educational Consultant, and was very
pleased with her services. Her fees seem reasonable by comparison to other
consultants and I had heard good things about her from other parents. I
was consulting her for advice on boarding schools for teens.
Linnea
Pam Brandau Educational Resources (510) 834-4924
Can't say enough good things about Pam Brandau. She treats kids very
respectfully, seems genuinely interested in them as people,
determines their strong points, and keeps herself current on what's
available. What a relief it was to find someone who thinks
creatively and advocates for the best possible solution for your
child's educational and emotional needs.
Celia
From ML
With my daughter, we went to Nancy Colbert in Oakland and liked her.
Her phone number is 531-8789.
Re: Troubled daughter has stopped going to school (Jan. 2002)
to the person asking for information on wilderness programs etc. let me
suggest you go to this web site and then get in touch with michael connor,
he helped our family. http://www.education-options.com
good luck
joann
Susan Skelton
We had had Pam Brandau as our educational consultant in 1999 (for a very
difficult child). We found out this year she was no longer doing the same
kind of educational consultating. However, she recommended Susan Skelton, in
San Jose (phone 408-296-5757). The two know each other well and work very
similarly. We used Susan's services recently and were very pleased. While
San Jose is a long way to go, we only needed to meet with her once and
everything else was done by phone, mail or email.
Debbie (May 2001)
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