Processing Speed

Several years ago, my wonderful friend and mentor, Dr. Joan Smith and I were standing around “solving the world’s problems” with learning challenges.  As we talked about what could be done and what techniques to use, I said, “But what about kids with Autism?” Joan said, “Jill, we’re teaching kids.”    Her message was, it’s not…

Weak underlying mental tools cause smart students to struggle in school My husband is fond of saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”  But the bottom line is that even though a hammer may be an excellent tool, it isn’t the right tool to do all jobs.…

Raquel was a third grader reading at a first grade level when she was diagnosed with ADHD.  Her parents were not sold on the diagnosis or the suggested “solution” of medication so they kept searching for answers. When we tested Raquel, we found that she actually had dyslexia.  Her weak ability to process the sounds…