Monday, February 22, 2010

When Your Child has a Reading Problem....and ADHD


Learning difficulties don't like to travel alone. They almost always have another issue accompanying them. Often times, this "companion" is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

A diagnosis of ADHD is based on behavioral symptoms of inattention. But evidence suggests that children with ADHD also often exhibit cognitive weaknesses in other areas essential to learning, including: 1) executive functioning 2) working memory and 3) processing speed.

These are important facts to consider when determining how to best address the specific needs of your child. Just as you need to consider these facts, we consider them in determining how Langsford can best meet the learning needs of your child.

That's why when your child comes to Langsford their work will be:

One-to-One
We provide specific instruction developed and tuned weekly, (sometimes day-to-day) for each child by their assigned Learning Coordinator. Your child's instructors will be working with him or her on a one-to-one basis so that they can adapt their teaching techniques to best serve your child alone.

If needed, they can accommodate your child's learning style by allowing more time to complete tasks or process information, or by providing as much repetition as your child requires to master a new task.

Highly Interactive
Our work is highly interactive--no work sheets or boring lectures. We keep your child engaged by using manipulatives, visual stimuli, and making tasks into games when appropriate. We ask lots of questions, model tasks when needed, and work at whatever pace is optimum for the student.

High Interest
We understand your child cannot sustain attention for long periods of time. Therefore, we move through a variety of tasks each session, spending no more than about 10 minutes on any given activity. We select reading material according to your child's interests and independent reading level. We keep the sessions moving and fun!

Rewarding
We offer lots of praise and encouragement. We are skilled at figuring out what motivates different children, and we work out an individualized reward system when needed. This might mean a goal sheet, earning points, or getting stickers or a trip to the treasure box for a job well done!

The learning difficulties and ADHD symptoms that your child experiences are unique to him or her. Understanding this and structuring intervention that is as individualized as your child is the key to your child being a successful learner.



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