Interventions for Difficulties in Learning

Consultation with or referral to medical doctors, occupational therapists, reading clinicians, speech and language clinicians, audiologists, optometrists, and tutors.

Here, a psychologist or counsellor works to help a client to understand their strengths as well as their challenges, and how to make best possible use of strengths to compensate for challenges.

Individual or group-based psychotherapy may be needed for mental health issues. For example, psychological treatment may be indicated to help with anxiety or depression that is interfering with learning in school, and it is common for people to develop anxiety or depression in response to stress from the effects of untreated ADHD, an autism spectrum condition, or a Dyslexia. (See Benefits of Psychological Therapy)

Applied Behaviour Analysis can be helpful for a range of concerns in children and teens. ABA therapy is a flexible treatment that uses a range of techniques to increase behaviours that are helpful, and to decrease behaviours that are harmful or interfere with learning. Common goals of ABA therapy include establishing bedtime routines and healthy sleep, helping a child to learn self-management skills, or to improve social skills.

Children, teens, and their parents often find group-based counselling helpful: examples of issues addressed through group counselling include coping with anxiety, managing ADHD, improving self esteem, managing anger, building organizational skills, stress management.

In Family Therapy and Marital Therapy, people learn better ways of interacting with one another, work to resolve conflicts, and manage specific challenges more effectively. Family therapy may include all family members or just those most able to participate.

In parent consultation styles of family therapy, the focus may be on empowering parents and guardians to advocate effectively and positively for their children and teens, or on fine-tuning their approach to supporting their children at home.

It may be helpful or us to consult with schools or workplaces about a learner’s specific needs.

Academic and Test Accommodations may be required for students in elementary through high school, and for college and university students with learning challenges.

A personʼs learning style may require accommodations for standardized examinations required for admission to graduate education and professional programs (e.g. GRE, LSAT, MCAT).

A person with a learning disability may also require accommodations in workplace tests and training