I have been teaching children with autism for 16 years.  During that time I encountered children who were unable to learn to read or who had problems with math. It seemed that these children not only learned in a different way, they needed to be taught in a different way, challenging me to go farther afield to find new ways to teach. This involved several years of additional training in multisensory techniques for teaching children to read and to do math.

I have worked with children diagnosed with Down syndrome, dyslexia, Autism, Aspergers syndrome, attention deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I have also worked with children who did not have a learning difference, but had some gaps in learning. They were having trouble with spelling or, perhaps, fractions. In these cases we had to figure out where the gaps were and teach the areas that were needed to fill in the gaps they had in learning.

Many children have learning differences. The key is finding what those differences are and then deciding on a strategy that works for the child. Many times it's just a matter of finding the right method to teach a certain concept.  If the problem can be addressed in the early stages of learning, it prevents other problems, such as low self-esteem and behavior issues.

My philosophy is that a child's beliefs control his or her behavior. If a child believes he cannot learn, (he has already lost the battle) a different belief system must be put in place. I strive to create positive associations to learning, so the child can cultivate the confidence that he can learn. The student experiencing small successes accomplishes this and begins to link positive feelings to school instead of negative ones. He slowly develops the belief that when given the right tools he, too, can learn and enjoy success. Please click the links to the left of the page for a description of the methods I use in therapy, my background, etc. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.