WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL THERAPY?
If you have not heard of educational therapy before, it is the practice of providing personalized remediation to students with learning challenges including but not limited to ADHD and dyslexia. It is different than traditional subject area tutoring in that the focus is less on a standard curriculum or assignment, but rather on strengthening the underlying skills that support student learning.
Educational therapists can specialize in a number of different areas, and I personally specialize in both executive functioning and literacy. Although these are two different skill sets, I use the educational therapy approach to teach them in a similar way. For example, instead of teaching literary terms and concepts, my focus is on HOW the learner reads. Similarly, I do not use a set executive functioning curriculum, but rather assess students current executive functioning skills using the Brown's Executive Functioning Scales so I know exactly where they need support.
As an educational therapist I have served students and families of all different ages and learning abilities, but I have noticed some universal needs. I am outlining them below to help you and your learner start the year off strong.
1. PRACTICE STUDENT LED MONITORING
I have the most to say about this one habit because it is so important, but students are rarely taught how to do it. Tt is the habit of "self monitoring." This means to pay attention to what is happening inside of us and also around us. It is also the habit of being objective in the way we pay attention. Some call this skill interoception.
If we jump straight to labeling what we see as "good" or "bad" we may either avoid seeing patterns of unwanted behavior, or we may become overly critical of ourselves. Both of these outcomes can prevent us from developing the habits we want to cultivate.
So what does "self monitoring" look like as school starts?
It can mean prompting students to pay attention to their internal cues especially thirst, hunger, tiredness, and excitement. We can model this for students by noticing and naming what is happening inside of us as adults, and asking if students to notice any needs themselves.
Why is this such an important habit to build early on? If we build this habit consistently during neutral times, it increases the likelihood that students can effectively self monitor during times of distress.
For example if every day students have been scanning themselves and naming physiological states and different emotions, they are more likely to be able to articulate something like "My stomach hurts. I may be feeling anxious about my test tomorrow."
Naming this type of physiological sensation and linking it to a trigger can help in a few ways. Simply being aware can help alleviate the physical symptom to a degree. Often physical cues are our bodies way of trying to get us to pay attention to things we have been ignoring.
Additionally- being conscious of physiological sensations and their link with academic tasks increases the likelihood of students asking for help rather than ignoring or even hiding difficult academic tasks.
I teach self monitoring in educational therapy sessions in a few different ways. In order to strengthen environmental awareness I often like to start with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique that prompts students to name items they see, feel, hear, smell, or taste around them.
When teaching internal self awareness I often use guided body scans or the R.A.I.N. technique. The R.A.I.N. technique involves recognizing bodily sensations and emotional states, allowing them to exist without ignoring or trying to change them, investigating any unmet needs our brains and bodies may be trying to communicate with us, and nurturing those needs as we are able to.
For younger students, often emotional and physiological vocabulary development is needed. I give students word banks to use when first starting out, and focus on bodily states and then emotions. I also model and guide this process.
All of this monitoring creates a foundation that supports monitoring academic tasks. This means monitoring academic portals like google classroom and electronic grade books. It also means monitoring the time and using a calendar system to schedule academic work.
Even more importantly, self monitoring allows for students to monitor questions they have regarding assignments, or areas of support they may need to be successful in school. If students can admit they need help they are more likely to ask questions to teachers and peers, and engage with classroom resources to learn more.
2. PRIORITIZE SLEEP
If there is one habit that will directly result in increased academic performance, it has to be sleep. When facing looming due dates, it can often feel like an urgent need to pull an all nighter in order to finish an assignment, but if we're not careful that can become the norm and not the exception.
Sleep deprivation can cause a host of problems including weakened memory and immune system challenges, impaired judgement, and increased anxiety.
The good news is that the beginning of the school year is one of the best times to develop a sleep routine. I recommend creating some "calm down" or pre-sleep rituals to make it easier for students to get ready for sleep. For me, it means changing into my pajamas, doing a short foot massage, and writing in my journal while watching one episode of something light hearted.
If sleep has been a chronic challenge in the past, proactively reaching out to your child's pediatrician at the beginning of the year may be helpful.
In addition to sleep, it is important for students to find healthy ways to cope with stress.
3. HEALTHY COPING SKILLS FOR STRESS
The school year can be an exciting time for many, but it is can also involve stressful transitions. Many students sleep schedule shifts dramatically in the summer, and the return to early morning classes can be physically jarring.
Many other factors also change including school assignments, peer groups, and even dietary intake. Transition and change can be difficult for everyone at times, and can be especially difficult for students who have additional learning challenges like ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and others unique needs.
That is why healthy coping skills are essential for students to be able to learn, grow, and feel good about themselves. All healthy coping mechanisms start with self awareness in order to choose the right strategy at the right time. Some specific examples include getting more sleep, eating whole meals, getting movement or physical activity in, journaling or talking with a peer, and meditation and breathing techniques.
It is important to also know when and who to ask for help when needed.
4. LEARN ABOUT AVAILABLE RESOURCES
All students are unique, but I notice that many students who struggle with executive functioning skills like attention, focus, emotional regulation, planning, and organization- often struggle in silence.
Many students may not recognize that they need help managing daily tasks, and some may be too embarrassed to ask for help.
Parents often contact me mid semester once students have either developed a habit of missing assignments or are experiencing a failing grade. Often we discover together an almost infinite amount of free resources that are either unknown or underused by the student.
These include posted power points, study guides, practice tests, and often regular study hall or tutoring sessions. A huge part of my executive functioning coaching involves getting to students to just access these resources.
If students learn about where to access these types of resources and how to use them from the beginning of the year, they will be easier to use when academic content gets more challenging.
For example- students may be too shy to ask questions in class surrounded by peers, but may feel more comfortable asking for help in a smaller tutoring group. As another example- many students struggle to focus in class and may not recognize their misconceptions until later. Most teachers post their lecture power points for later review, and many also post practice quizzes and tests so students can learn independently if they didn't get all the information they needed in class.
5. PRACTICE HONEST COMMUNICATION
The last and most important tip I have is to practice communication and honesty. When students struggle academically, often they don't want to admit it and can even go to great strides to avoid it being revealed.
Well meaning students may fib about turning in assignments, try to hide failing grades, and have a difficult time taking personal responsibility for things that are in their control.
This kind of avoidance can be for many reasons, and as a parent you can't necessarily control all the different factors that impact your child.
However, it is really powerful when we adults make it a consistent habit to ask questions and listen objectively to the learners in our lives.
If we are able to actively listen and empathize before saying something critical it sends an important message to students and can help them be vulnerable in the future.
Starting the new year can be quite a task, but it also is a time of unlimited possibilities. Remember it is a marathon and not a sprint. I hope these tips help you, and if you are interested in more support you can read about my educational therapy services or email me at: veronica@growtheducationtherapy.com
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