Our Approach to Learning Differences

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Children with ADHD may show signs of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity.

• Inattention manifests as wandering off task, lacking persistence, having difficulty sustaining focus, and being disorganized and is not due to defiance or lack of comprehension.
• Hyperactivity refers to excessive motor activity when it is not appropriate, or excessive fidgeting, tapping, or talkativeness.
• Impulsivity refers to hasty actions that occur in the moment without forethought and that have high potential for harm to the individual.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety.

Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain. The "disorder" part of auditory processing disorder means that something is adversely affecting the processing or interpretation of the information.

Dyscalculia refers to a wide range of learning difficulties involving math skills. There is no single form of dyscalculia - difficulties can vary from person to person and can change throughout a lifetime. 

Two major areas of weakness that are responsible for learning disabilities in math are

• Visual-spatial difficulties - which result in a person having trouble processing what the eye sees
• Language processing difficulty - which result in a person having trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears.

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Because writing requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills, saying a student has dysgraphia is not sufficient. A student with disorders in written expression will benefit from specific accommodations in the learning environment, as well as additional practice learning the skills required to be an accomplished writer.

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. 

Executive function skills help people complete tasks and interact with others. They include a range of skills, such as:

• planning and organization
• concentrating and controlling mental focus
• analyzing and processing information
• controlling emotions and behavior
• remembering details
• managing time
• multitasking
• problem-solving

An executive function disorder impairs some of these skills, which can affect a person’s ability to manage and organize themselves to achieve goals.

• The executive functions all serve a "command and control" function; they can be viewed as the "conductor" of all cognitive skills.
• Executive functions help you manage life tasks of all types. For example, executive functions let you organize a trip, a research project, or a paper for school.
• Often, when we think of problems with executive functioning, we think of disorganization. However, organization is only one of these important skills.

There are a variety of different language disorders that can affect adults and children alike in how well they are able to understand what others are saying, or how well they are able to express their own thoughts and feelings. With a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, the individual has difficulty with both of these tasks.

Any disruption to a child’s education can have a negative impact on achievement. These disruptions can be either societal or personal, but these events create a gap in learning that must be addressed. Examples include disruption from COVID-19 or prolong illness, but regardless of the cause, without interventions, students risk falling further behind.