For the Neurodivergent Learner who may have Executive Function Challenges, Dyslexia and/or Auditory or Visual Processing Issues, An Assessment for Disabilities and an Assessment for Success Are Often Both Needed

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In our first article on” Getting it Right for Your Child”, we discussed several key points:

Reading fluency and reading comprehension gaps are often significant — especially for the right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner, who learns best when they see and experience information. Note, understanding math and anxiety are often issues for these students, too.

These gaps often widen over time. A student who is 2 years below grade level in reading comprehension in 4th grade may be 3 or 4 years below grade level by the time they enter high school.

The upside potential is often far greater than parents realize. We have seen students we help improve their reading fluency dramatically and improve their reading comprehension by 2, 3 or even 4 grade levels within months.

Anxiety and frustration are bigger problems than at any point. In this post pandemic period, more kids are anxious and frustrated, as they missed the foundation skills needed for success. When a child is anxious, they cannot learn; they are constantly doubting what they can do.

In recent discussions with teachers and other professionals and based on our own experience, 4th and 5th graders are especially at great risk, because they missed the key foundational skills needed for success due to school disruptions during COVID, during these critical early years of schooling.

Parents play a vital role in this equation. The right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner often has a unique set of strengths and challenges that will require a tailored approach for the child to reach his or her full potential.

In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of both assessing for a disability and assessing for success. Many parents call us after they have had a psychoeducational assessment done by an outside professional. This is an excellent time to leverage your investment by finding the right intervention to help your child succeed.

We offer a no cost consult you can access by calling us at 561-361-7495

Parents Play a Critical Role in Getting the Right Assessments and Interventions, Especially for the Right Brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivergent Child

Getting a diagnosis for a “disability” is often critical for several reasons:

Public and charter schools require a student to have an identified disability before a student can qualify for special education services. This is sometimes hard for parents to hear. They fear their child will be labeled- when in reality, they learn differently- are smart- but the system is not set up to help kids like this, especially when there is often more than one issue that needs to be addressed.

As a Mom and an Educator, the emotional turmoil my kids experienced was the deciding factor that WE, AS PARENTS, needed to do something different! We needed to take the lead in finding what our kids were good at as well as find the professionals that understood and connected with them. Just getting a person that had specific training in a specific kind of program did not work. WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME FROM PARENTS. It is vital to understand the whole child and work together as a team.

Voucher programs, like the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities, require a student to have a specific qualifying disability before a private or homeschool child can qualify for this program that can be worth $10000 or more for a student per year.

All schools require a qualifying disability to get accommodations. We can help you understand the process and how to best maneuver through it to get the help your child needs. It is important to remember that schools cannot always handle multiple issues: especially processing issues.

Too often schools delay the evaluation process. They frequently say they must complete the Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process before they will evaluate a child. Here is a link to a blog post that discusses how RTI cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation and a sample letter to expedite the process.

Our single biggest mistake with our own kids was not recognizing that they were both right brain, kinesthetic and neurodivergent learners who learned best when they saw and experienced information. Too often assessments do not recognize these strengths. The good news is that more and more private psychoeducational evaluations are identifying these strengths.

The three reasons it is important to identify if your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner are that these students::

Often struggle for years, because their strengths are not leveraged
Can often make far greater gains, when their strengths are leveraged
It may make you a far more effective coach and advocate for your child

To help you understand if your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner, download our screening tool. We recommend you complete this with your child — some of their answers may surprise you.

Discovering your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner is often the critical first step to unlock your child’s potential. If you find your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent child who learns differently and you want to discuss a strength-based approach to help your child succeed in months, give us a call at 561-361-7495

Common Challenges for Right Brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivgent Learners

The neurodivergent learner often has challenges with executive function issues, dyslexia, auditory/visual processing difficulties and/or anxiety.

The right assessment can identify specific strengths and cognitive weaknesses
allowing for tailored interventions and support.

For individuals with executive function challenges, an assessment may include tasks that evaluate working memory, processing speed, planning and attention. This can help educators and support professionals understand the specific areas where the individual may need assistance. We use the Mindprint Assessment ® developed by the University of Pennsylvania that identifies executive function strengths and challenges.

For 25 years, we have used the Interactive Metronome ® to assess and address attention issues. This assessment often allows both parents to see the attention challenge in action. The Interactive Metronome is an excellent tool to improve attention and it also reduces impulsivity and hyperactivity and improves handwriting, sports performance and math and reading fluency.

At 3D Learner, we use the Core Assessment from the UFLI ® program to assess for dyslexia and identify specific strengths and challenges. This program was developed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute and was based on the Orton Gillingham model. This assessment allows us to tailor a treatment to the specific issues a child has.

In the case of auditory or visual processing issues, assessments may focus on tasks that assess how well an individual processes and interprets auditory or visual information. Understanding these challenges can guide the development of strategies and accommodations to support learning. We use a Visagraph ® that shows how the student’s eyes track when reading. Here is a link to a video that shows how a student’s eyes tracked before and after the intervention.

The 3D Learner Assessment Results in a Tailored Solution

At 3D Learner, our goal is to help a student to achieve significant gains in months. All the tools we use have proven to be valuable in tailoring a solution to meet a student’s needs. After we do an assessment, we then review the results and if appropriate agree on specific goals and a plan to help your child to make significant gains in months. This works

especially well for the right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent child who learns differently, Note, we can also tailor a program for students with executive function, attention, visual processing and/or math challenges.