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“Psychological Counseling & Academic Support: Key Factors in Supporting Learning

Different Children

Georgia-Gina Thanopoulou, Ed. M., M. A,. Harvard University Counseling Psychologist,

Director of the Counseling Center

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Questions regarding an LD child “Who is this Child?”

“Have you seen this child ?”

A child that is an intelligent child but fails in school? A child that goes to Primary school and writes 41 for

14, p for d or b? A child that is so easily distracted and can hear the

dog barking but can’t hear the teacher talking? A child that very easily forgets names of people,

places, things but does remember every detail of TV ads?

A child that loses his homework, misplaces books and personal belongings?

A child that says whatever pops into his head? A child that says I don’t care, I can’t do it, I won’t do

it, and who would rather be called “bad than stupid”?

If you know such a child, then you have or have worked with Children with Learning Differences (LD)

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The Psychological and Academic profile of the LD Students

Depression Isolation Indifference, withdrawal Sadness, loneliness, low self esteem Need to escape from reality Need to create “own world”

Aggressive, violent behavior Anger, negativity Juvenile delinquency

Low Academic Achievement & Antisocial Behavior

The MaskAn angry, aggressive

“impossible” child

External Characteristics (age & grade appropriate) Difficulty in the “traditional” way of learning Difficulty in perceiving, decoding, processing & storing info Difficulty in understanding & following instructions Difficulty in sustaining attention, hyperactivity & impulsivity (ADHD) Exhibits antisocial behavior, academic failure and lack of balance

SymptomsLD Students

Internal Characteristics (age & grade appropriate) Low self esteem, confused self image Rejection of self and lack of faith in abilities Stigma of being different and inferiority feelings Deep inner pain and disappointment Deep internal confusion and anger

The RealityA lonely, confused,

discouraged, disappointed, sad child

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The Vicious Cycle of an LD Student

Symptoms Different way of learning & understanding Different way of decoding & processing Different way of storing & reproducing info Difficulty in concentration & hyperactivity

EtiologyLearning Differences

(Difficulties, Disabilities)

Cognitive Academic Effects Low academic achievement Academic, personal differences

Psychological & Social Effects Stigma of being different Social rejection from self and others Inferiority feelings and low self esteem

Behaviors Antisocial behavior (depression or aggression) Need to follow alternative (-)ve solutions Need acceptance & recognition Juvenile delinquency

More social and psychological problems

More academic problems and gaps

DEAD END Repetition of the same

vicious circle

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The LD Child and Its Therapeutic Cycle

Child

Counselling Psychologist

Child

Special Educator

Child

Counselling Psychologist

Parent

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How the Special Educator can help LD children

Handle their weaknesses Work around these weaknesses See their academic differences, not as

disabilities or as blocks in their development, but as challenges

Teach them how to master weaknesses Turn their differences into abilities Appreciate their unique talents Help them develop into wonderful,

capable, successful human beings

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Therapeutic Triangle

Family / Parents

Child

School Counsellors Special Educators

Constant Moving Energy Within the 3 PolesCommunicationCollaboration

Constructive Exchange of Ideas, Actions, and Emotions

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The Role of Counselling Psychologists &Special Educators

Counselors and special educators, through effective counseling and teaching, can become the most important "catalysts" for the cognitive and emotional development of LD children, in order to support and inspire them, to move from a marginalized, stigmatized life into a life that can be full of abilities and wonderful possibilities for balance, happiness and development

Psychoeducational Assessment and Diagnosis

Lea Pateras, M.Ed.Educational PsychologistDiagnostic Assessment Specialist

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Referral Initiation

Referral instigated by:– Teachers / Parents

 Child’s age at referral– Variability

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Common reasons for referral

- Difficulty acquiring: reading (decoding, comprehension, speed), writing (spelling, handwriting, spatial presentation, structure, speed, effective use of language etc), math (word problems, calculations, understanding and application).– Difficulty sustaining concentration for extended

time periods.– Low achievement in spite of seemingly good

intellectual ability– Disorganization– Slow processing of information

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– Difficulty understanding and applying concepts– Difficulty expressing him/herself orally and/or in

writing – Difficulty copying information – Difficulty retaining taught information / need for

excessive repetitions– Poor formation of handwriting– Inconsistencies in learning– Resistance to HW

– LD Stereotypes

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Purpose of Psychoeducational Assessment

– Identify if LD exists, type of LD and severity level.

– Gain insight into the child’s learning profile

– Allow access to appropriate intervention and accommodations

– What if assessment shows there is no LD?

   

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Steps in the Assessment Process:

- Meeting with parents to obtain the

child’s developmental history and

background information.

- Information from other sources, such as teachers, tutors, or colleagues who have worked with the child. 14

Psychoeducational Testing

Assessment of Intellectual / Cognitive skills- Verbal and non verbal components.

– WISC-IV – Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

– WJ-III- Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability

Assessment of four primary Achievement areas: Oral Language, Writing, Reading, Math.

– WIAT-III- Wechsler Individual Achievement Tests

– WJ-III- Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement

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Possibly:– Testing for ADHD– Testing for emotional issues (self-esteem,

anxiety, motivation etc)– More specialized testing for particular

cognitive abilities (e.g VMI)

Ensuring favorable testing conditions. Time considerations

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After test administration

Scoring and analysis. Determine functional limitations. The

impact of the findings on the child’s learning, academic and/or social functioning, well-being and school achievement.

Written assessment report. Documentation and clear diagnosis. Classification systems.

Issue of use of standardized testing and language of testing

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Recommendations

Derive recommendations for school and home setting. Includes classroom accommodations for specific needs.

Examples of classroom accommodations:

Frontal seating in class Use of laptop Repetition / rewording instructions Extra time on tests

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Provision of scribe and / or reader. Allow breaks Cuing on task Modification of materials Breaking down tasks Multisensory teaching approach

– Learning Center placement or not-learning support intervention

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Informing teachers Applications to external organizations

for accommodations (e.g. IBO, collegeboard, ETS)

 Re-Assessment time frame

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The psychoeducational assessment as a stepping stone

An assessment is not about finding a label for the child.

An assessment is about understanding the child’s learning profile and responding to it in the most effective way.

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Academic Support In In The Learning Center

Faye Pattakou, M.A.Learning Center SpecialistLearning Center Coordinator

Who works with my child? What is the purpose of this service? What services is my child receiving

through the Learning Center (LC)? What are some other services the

learning specialists provide? What are some examples of a lesson in

the LC? Is homework completed in the LC?

Guiding Questions

Psychoeducational assessment Mainstream classroom accommodations IB accommodations Meetings with teachers Tests in the Center Individualized Educational Plans Weekly monitoring forms 1-1 or small group support MYP collaboration Behavior modification plans

What services does the LC offer?

Provide teachers with tips for effective group management.

Give parents tips for structuring students at home.

Teach students self-advocacy- self needs. Ex: I need to sit in the front, I need to take my test in the LC.

Teach social skills- friendships, appropriate classroom behavior.

Speak Listen to students and encourage counseling.

What are some other services offered?

The IBO states:

Teaching generic learning strategies separately from teaching academic content tends to result in students’ failure to apply these strategies when it really counts, which is in learning academic content as well as in daily living.

Is homework completed in the LC?

Students must be helped to create an inner voice that will allow them to create order. They must be taught strategies to help them build on their strengths and support and often circumvent areas of weakness. One way to eradicate learned helplessness is to teach students how to learn! Here are some learning tricks to trigger memory, aids to help students focus and ways to keep them on task.

Make it fun!

If you give a starving man fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach the man how to fish you feed him for a lifetime.

Likewise, if you teach a student with learning difficulties a fact, you teach them for the moment but if you teach students how to learn, you help them for a lifetime.

Lets think about this..

Structure, consistency, support! Where do I keep my books? How are my binders organized? When and where do I do my homework? When do I ask for help? How often do I take breaks? What do I need for the next day? When do I pack my bag? When do I get to rest?

Tips for parents

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Key Final Points

Not risk to lose important minds and souls As soon as possible appropriate help &

support Caring and specialized educators and

counsellors Appropriate specialized academic and

psychological support Honor the different learning style of each

individual Try to find unique solutions to accommodate

individual learning styles See the “whole child” - Holistic Education Promote communication & collaboration

between children, parents and school

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References

Davis, Ronald D. The Gift of Dyslexia. Why some of the Brightest People Can't Read and How They Can Learn. London: Souvenir Press, 1999.

Gardner, Howard, The Unschooled Mind, How Children Think & How Schools Teach, Basic Books, New York, 1991

Gardner Howard, Frames of Mind, Basic Books, New York, 1988 Goleman, Daniel, Emotional Intelligence, New York: Bantam

Books,1994 Mcloughlin, David, et al. Adult Dyslexia, Assessment,

Counseling and Training, London: Whurr Publishers, 1994. Reid Galvin, Dyslexia, A Practitioner's Handbook, New York:

John Wiley & Sons, 1999. Schmidt, John, Counseling in Schools, Allyn and Bacon, Boston,

1993 Smith, Sally, No Easy Answers, The Learning Disabled Child at

Home and at School, New York: Bantam Books, 1998. Video: Rick Lavoie, When The Chips Are Down, Last One Picked, First

One Picked On – The Social Implications of Learning Disabilities.