ArchdioceseLA_2017-02-06-screen-version

Educational Therapy to
Support Student Learning
Presented by Carolyn Patterson,
MA, Educational Therapist &
Learning Specialist at
St. Francis High School
MEETING ALL
STUDENT NEEDS:

Purpose of This Talk
Attendees will know:
1. The types of common learning differences
1. The basics about educational therapy
• Background of learning specialist
1. The St. Francis High School model of a support class
• Curriculum
2/6/17
Archdiocese of Los Angeles, High School Curriculum & Leadership
Development 2

Background on Mrs. P.
• I used to work with humans and
computers at Caltech, where I met
my husband and subsequently had
a baby.
• Taught special education in public
schools for 5 years.
• I worked in private practice as an
educational therapist for 5 years.
• It all came together at SFHS,
where I am integrating my
background as a classroom
teacher with my experience
working with students individually.
• What about you?
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Development 3

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Development 4
What Are Executive Functions?
• Take a quick assessment.
• Put a + or a – for each of these 11 categories.

What about YOU?
• Please find someone – not from
your school – to partner with.
• 5 minute discussion:
What is your understanding
of a learning disability?
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Development 5

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Development 6
COMMON LEARNING
DIFFERENCES

Common Learning Differences
• Students attending Catholic high schools must pass entrance
exams.
• The majority of them have average to above-average intelligence.
• About 10 – 13% of all students have some form of a learning
difference, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
68% 16%16%
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Development 7

• It’s a misunderstanding that these students are “slow” or “not as
capable.”
• However, they often have strengths in particular areas, and
weaknesses in others.
68% 16%16%
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Development 8

• Psychologists generally look for 5 areas of intelligence:
1. Verbal Comprehension 4. Working Memory
2. Processing Speed 5. Fluid Reasoning
3. Visual-Spatial
A student can have a profile with strengths and weaknesses in separate
areas.
68% 16%16%
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Development 9

• What we typically see are
• ADHD – inattentive or
hyperactive type
• Autism Spectrum/Asperger’s
• Dyslexia
• Auditory processing disorder
• Anxiety
• Combinations of ADHD
and another learning disability
• Twice Exceptional (“2E”) – a gifted student with a learning difference
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Development 10

Here Come Some “Fashion Don’t” Slides
• They have too much information and are visually confusing.
• What I’d like you to notice are the SIMILARITIES across different
columns.
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Development 11

How Learning Differences Affect Classroom
Performance
ADHD
• Tend to be good visual learners
• Can be good test takers
• Tend to be good communicators – can
be very engaged or engaging
• Inattentive students tune
• Poor handwriting
• Poor writing
• Poor note taking
• Missed cues
• Missed assignments
• Thrive on chaos
Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum
• Can be good test takers
• Poor communication skills
• Anxious, which causes them to tune
out (inattention)
• Poor writing
• Missed cues / emphasis
• Missed assignments
• Thrive on structure
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Development 12

Performance
Dyslexia
• Tend to be good auditory learners
• Tend to be good communicators
• can be very engaged or engaging
• Inattentive students tune out
• Poor writing
• Poor spelling
Central Auditory Processing
Disorder
• Poor communication skills
• Anxious
• They become inattentive quickly
• Poor writing
• Poor spelling
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Development 13

Performance
Anxiety
• Tend to be bright
• Tend to be very sensitive
• When overwhelmed, can tune out
and/or underperform
• Can easily lose motivation
• Become stressed with timed tests
All Differences
• Low self-esteem
• Low threshhold for taking risks
• Poor writing
• Poor “products” – written
assignments, presentations or timed
tests do not represent the student’s
real potential
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Development 14

Performance
ALL Students
• All of these differences are along
a spectrum.
• ANY student can have a bad day, or
struggle in a particular subject, and
look like a student with diagnosed
learning disabilities!
• NO student wants to be in this “club.”
• They may still be in denial about it.
• Their parents may be ashamed – because often these differences are genetic.
• They really don’t understand how disruptive they can be in a group setting.
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Development 15

Environment
It’s Heroic to Teach

Time for a brain break!
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Development 16

Basics of Educational Therapy
• Educational therapy seeks to heal
the wounds caused by school
failure.
• Most students with learning
differences learn as early as
1st grade that they are different,
not as good, stupid,
disappointments and frustrating.
• Boys tend to act out; girls tend to
implode.
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Development 17

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Development 18
EDUCATIONAL
THERAPY AS A
SERVICE

Educational Therapy as a Service
• The ET teaches the students about his or her learning strengths and
weaknesses, demystifying them.
• The student transfers this knowledge into self-advocacy and
independent action.
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Development 19

• It provides individual treatment for students
• Usually in a one-on-one setting
• Similar to other types of therapies
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• It is NOT Psychotherapy, but there is an overlap with teaching and
psychology in training about human development and motivation
• It is NOT tutoring.
• We do use authentic classroom material, but we strive to teach the student how
to learn, how to use strategies, and how to recognize when he needs help.
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Development 20

• An Educational Therapist (ET)
creates an environment that is
safe to develop trust with the
student.
• The ET determines a student’s
current ability, then develops
educational activities that the
student can succeed with.
• “Nothing succeeds like success.”
• Students begin to take risks, and face
challenges, knowing there is a caring
adult who will help them if they need
it.
• The ET communicates frequently
with the parents and other
members of the student’s team.
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Development 21

Training for Educational Therapy
• First, you must earn a teaching credential or a similar level of post-
bachelor’s training
• Speech therapy
• Special education teacher
• Law
• Social work
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Development 22

Training for Educational Therapy
• Second, you take a series of classes to learn about common
disabilities, usually along the mild-to-moderate spectrum
• You must do supervised internships through a university program.
• You continue to be supervised through professional mentorship in the
field, working with students in a one-on-one environment.
• Third, you continue to improve your practice through attending
conferences and local study group meetings.
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Development 23

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Development 24
Educational Therapy and Schools
• Schools are the place where most
students develop their identity.
• Developmentally, in high school,
students care more about what
their peers think than what their
parents or other adults think.
• You often find a caring counselor
playing the role of Educational
Therapist.

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Development 25
MODEL OF AN
ET SUPPORT CLASS AT
SFHS

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Development 26
Model of an ET Support Class at SFHS
• We looked at other schools, such as Flintridge Sacred Heart
Academy and La Salle, where similar support classes are offered.
• We developed our version of a Directed Study class, based on our
all-boys’ culture.

• We offer an elective class for
freshmen, limited to 4 students.
• These small classes allow for
individual attention, and for the
teacher to develop in-depth
knowledge of a particular
student’s learning needs.
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Development 27

• Our “Directed Study” class has 2 functions:
1. Help the student understand his learning difference, particularly as it
impairs executive functions.
2. Give the student time to complete assignments from other classes, with
the supervision of a qualified teacher.
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Development 28

Curriculum of Directed Study Class at SFHS
• SMARTS, The Research Institute for Learning and Development,
https://www.researchild.org/smarts/
• Executive Functioning Success / Seeing My Time, Marydee Sklar,
https://executivefunctioningsuccess.com
• Mindprint Learning executive functioning assessment and
resources, https://mindprintlearning.com
• Mindfulness meditation, using a Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction (MBSR) approach,
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress-reduction/history-of-mbsr/
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Development 29

Let’s Try One!
• SMARTS, The Research Institute for Learning and Development,
https://www.researchild.org/smarts/
• Let’s learn the “Triple Note Tote” (TNT!) note-taking strategy.
Name: Date:
TRIPLE-NOTE-TOTE
Topic Details Mnemonic
Toquizyourself:Foldth
A B
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Development 30

To Qualify for Directed Study
• Student must already have a psycho-educational evaluation
[more about this next]
• Student and parents must meet with the Learning Specialist to
complete a report to designate what specific adjustments we can
offer, and they must agree to participate in the elective.
• Student delays taking foreign language for one year.
• They can still take 3 years of a foreign language to qualify for UC level
colleges.
• These students tend to have language-based difficulties … it gives them a
year to develop maturity before tackling a tough subject.
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Development 31

To Qualify for Directed Study
• Student must already have a psycho-educational evaluation
• This is performed by a psychologist or medical doctor
• It can be performed for free by a local school district
• There are private psychologists who perform the tests and provide a
written report, who charge anywhere between $950 – 6,000 (!!!)
• There are training programs to get low(er) cost professional assessments done,
such as through CSUN ($400)
• This report is necessary for any student who requests adjustments on the
SAT, ACT, or AP tests.
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Development 32

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Development 33
Other Duties of the Learning Specialist / ET
at SFHS
• Obviously, not all students need this level of intervention.
• About 10% of the student body has some kind of learning difference.
They receive adjustments in their regular classroom, such as:
• Extra time on tests and finals.
• Audiobooks of textbooks and novels.
• Preferential seating.
• Copies of notes
• Use of laptop / keyboard for writing
• Testing in a quiet area (such as the Learning Center) so he can read out
loud to himself

Other Duties of the Learning Specialist / ET
at SFHS
• Meet with parents to discuss options and outside referrals to other
professionals.
• Lots of emails between parents and teachers to make sure
adjustments are in place, and are working.
• Collaborate with teaching colleagues and administration to enhance
understanding and support for these students.
• Collaborate with admissions team to evaluate whether a candidate
could matriculate from our academic program.
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Development 34

Questions and More Information
• Thank you for your time and …attention!
• More information about educational
therapy:
• The Association of Educational Therapists,
http://aetonline.org
• Local study group for monthly meetings:
cpatterson1010@gmail.com
• Special education and educational
therapy training:
• California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
• California State University, Los Angeles
(CSULA)
• University of California, Riverside (UCR)
Extension – online program:
http://www.extension.ucr.edu/certificates/96
97502/educationandcredentials/servingstuden
tswithspecialneeds/educationaltherapy
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Development 35

To contact Mrs. Patterson at SFHS
• The best way is with an email: cpatterson2@sfhs.net
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Development 36

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