What Type of Learning Disabilities Do We Tutor?
Tutoring Methods That Work for ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a condition faced by approximately two million students across the United States, has been a hot-button topic in the educational arena for years. Many of the same students affected by ADHD – up to 20 or 30 percent – also have a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or an auditory and visual processing disorder. So what can you do to help your struggling ADHD student overcome their unique set of challenges and reach their educational potential? First, realize that academic access is still a very real possibility. Second, make sure your child has the individualized help they need.
Why Tutoring Can Help Your Child
Students with ADHD have significant difficulties in getting the unique instruction they need in a traditional classroom setting. Working in the home, tutors can eliminate distractions and focus a child’s attention on acquiring specific personalized strategies, boosting self-confidence and increasing academic success.
As many parents of ADHD children know, frustration and attention span can be huge obstacles. By meeting with you and your child on your own turf and at times of your own choosing, we increase children’s responsiveness and maximize their ability to concentrate and learn.
Teacher Tutors provides tutoring for ADHD and other learning disabilities. Our supportive staff minimizes stress for families facing their child's educational challenges.
What Type of Learning Disabilities Do We Tutor?
Autism
There are many ways to support kids diagnosed with autism. Teacher Tutors offers a wide range of one-on-one help for each child’s specific needs.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate and interact with others and the world around them. It’s lifelong — and can affect learning. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today.
Signs of autism usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier and can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. For many kids, trouble with language development is a first sign of autism. Other common signs include:
How autism presents from person to person varies widely. Because Autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct level of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. There’s also a wide range in intellectual and self-care abilities. An autism diagnosis reflects this by using Support Levels of 1, 2, or 3. These levels show how much support a person needs, with 3 as the highest level.
Research shows that early intervention leads to positive outcomes later in life for people with autism. If you’re concerned, talk with a health care provider. Share your concerns and what you’re seeing. Parents can request a screening at any time from their pediatrician or the State Early Intervention Program. After screening, your doctor can refer you to a specialist for a diagnostic evaluation.
If your child's screening for autism identifies developmental delays or learning challenges, he or she is entitled to intervention services. You can start these services before your child receives an autism diagnosis. If your child is under the age of 3, you can get services through your state’s Early Intervention program. For children ages 3 to 21, you can get services through your school district’s Special Education office.
ADHD
Tutoring Methods That Work for ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a condition faced by approximately two million students across the United States, has been a hot-button topic in the educational arena for years. Many of the same students affected by ADHD – up to 20 or 30 percent – also have a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or an auditory and visual processing disorder. So what can you do to help your struggling ADHD student overcome their unique set of challenges and reach their educational potential? First, realize that academic access is still a very real possibility. Second, make sure your child has the individualized help they need.
Why Tutoring Can Help Your Child
Students with ADHD have significant difficulties in getting the unique instruction they need in a traditional classroom setting. Working in the home, tutors can eliminate distractions and focus a child’s attention on acquiring specific personalized strategies, boosting self-confidence and increasing academic success.
As many parents of ADHD children know, frustration and attention span can be huge obstacles. By meeting with you and your child on your own turf and at times of your own choosing, we increase children’s responsiveness and maximize their ability to concentrate and learn.
Teacher Tutors offers one-on-one programs that are specialized for each student’s specific needs. Tutoring can assist students with ADHD to build confidence, stay focused, and remain on track.
IEP/504 Plans
Teacher Tutors is proud to represent tutors who are well versed and competent with students with disabilities of all kinds covered by an IEP or 504 Plan.
What is an IEP?
IEP is an acronym that stands for Individualized Education Program (or Plan). An IEP is a written legal document (or “plan”) that is developed by a group of people (including school staff (classroom teacher, evaluator) and parents for a child that has been determined eligible for Special Education services. Each IEP serves as a map that lays out the program of special education instruction, supports, and services kids need to make progress and succeed in school.
Who gets IEPs
IEPs are a part of public education. They’re given to eligible kids, ages 3 and up, who attend public schools (including charter schools).
Eligibility for an IEP varies by school district. Generally, a student must:
Private schools don’t offer IEPs. But students in private school may be able to get special education through what’s known as a service plan (also called an Individual Services Plan). Some private schools can work with the local district office to send out an evaluator. This varies by district and available funding
There are no IEPs in college. But eligible students often can still get accommodations through college disability services.
Why get an IEP?
After determining a student’s strengths and challenges, families and schools use the IEP to create a program of services and supports tailored to meet the student's needs. Having an IEP gives students, families and schools legal protections, too. It lets families be involved in decisions that impact their child’s education.
IEPs are ongoing. Each child’s IEP must be reviewed annually (or sooner, if necessary) to determine whether the goals are being achieved and must be revised as needed.
How to get an IEP
The first step to acquiring an IEP for a student is to determine that they are eligible for special education services by requesting an evaluation either at school (for free) or from a private company. If the student is determined to be eligible for an IEP, a meeting will take place that will involve the parent, and any involved school professionals like the teacher, a speech and language pathologist, or an occupational therapist. Once a student is determined eligible, the IEP and the services and/or accommodations outlined should begin within 30 days.
IEP vs. 504 Plan
Both plans offer help for students who may need specialized help or accommodations in school. IEPs relate to children who require Special Education Services, while 504 plans are for children who may need certain accommodations or services within the General Education environment. 504 Plans cover a much wider range of disabilities than the 13 covered in the IDEA act relating to IEPs.
Dyslexia
Teacher Tutors offers one-on-one tutoring sessions to help get your child the help they need to find success at school despite the challenges that a dyslexia diagnosis can impart.
Dyslexia is sometimes believed to be a problem with vision. People may think of it as reversing letters or writing backwards. This is not the case. Dyslexia is a very common learning disability which affects skills involved in reading, spelling, writing and comprehension. Dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language. It has a strong genetic component and studies have found that people with dyslexia show differences in the brain’s structure and function. People diagnosed with this condition will have normal intelligence and normal vision. People with dyslexia are just as smart as their peers.
Dyslexia impacts people in different ways so symptoms might not look the same from one person to another.
A key sign of dyslexia is trouble with the ability to match letters to sounds (decoding). A struggle with the basic skill of recognizing the sounds in words (phonemic awareness) is also common. In some people, dyslexia isn’t picked up until later on, when they have trouble with more complex skills like grammar, reading comprehension, reading fluency, and sentence structure.
Some of the signs of dyslexia are more subtle and have to do with emotions and behavior. People with dyslexia might avoid reading, or will get anxious or frustrated when asked to read. Other signs to watch for can include withdrawal from peers, depression, self-esteem issues, or loss of interest in school.
The only way to know for sure if someone has dyslexia is through a full evaluation, done either at school or privately . The professionals who can assess for dyslexia include school psychologists, clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists. An evaluator will give a series of tests to see exactly where any weaknesses and strengths lie. Having a diagnosis can lead to supports and services at school with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Private reading instruction from a tutor from Teacher Tutors can provide big benefits for kids with dyslexia.
Study Skills
Increase your student’s grades, confidence, and motivation with the skills they need to succeed. Our tutors work with students to gain an understanding of their study skills and identify why they need improvement in their subject.
Poor study skills are often the culprit behind poor grades.
Our Study Skills Program
Tutor Tutors offers effective study skill sessions to target different learning styles and habits of high school students. Our test prep program offers a diagnostic assessment to customize the areas in need of attention to offer targeting study skill sessions.