ADHD and the Importance of Accurate Diagnosis
Many people notice that their children are struggling with a lack of attention and quickly assume that they must have ADHD. Often, parents and teachers can feel so certain that a child has ADHD that their strong beliefs can influence important medical decisions.
Building Reading Fluency in Children
Once a child is able to decode and recognize words in print, it is crucial that they also gain an ability to read smoothly and at an efficient pace. Stumbling and hesitating over words undermines reading comprehension given that by the time the child gets to the end of a sentence he or she will have completely forgotten what was at the beginning of the sentence!
Dyslexia/ADHD Comorbidity
The diagnosis of dyslexia is often missed by child psychiatrists, who are frequently asked to validate a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generated from a psychological evaluation because ADHD is a fairly common disorder with a prevalence of 10% in the US, and because roughly 80% of children with ADHD respond to stimulant medication, the role of a child psychiatrist is often circumscribed to diagnosing and treating ADHD with medication. However, because the dyslexia and ADHD co-morbidity, i.e., “the parallel track diagnosis” of ADHD and dyslexia has been described to be in the range of 10% (Shaywitz, 1988), child psychiatrists often confuse the 20% population of children and adolescents who epidemiologically are not expected to respond to stimulant medications with children with disorders of dyslexia/ADHD comorbidity.
Mission Viejo Dyslexia Center Offering Reduced-Rate Assessments in October
October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month and a Mission Viejo Dyslexia Center is helping out the community by offering a reduced-rate reading assessment throughout the month of October.
PRIDE is nominated for the Red Tricycle 2016 Award!
We are so proud to have been nominated for the Red Tricycle’s 2016 Totally Awesome Awards, under the category of Los Angeles Area’s Bright Classes for Kids with Special Needs.
Why don’t they test dyslexia in all children?
Schools are supposed to act as required by law. There is no absolute requirement to test all children for dyslexia, so schools do not currently assess all students for dyslexia unless there is a particular reason to do so. When a parent, teacher or staff member believes that an assessment may be needed in an area of suspected disability, that belief provides a particular reason to ‘test’ or ‘assess’ whether a learning disability such as dyslexia is present.
Save Big with a Back to School Special!
Get a Back to School Special at PRIDE Learning Center. We are offering a $100 coupon!
How Long Does My Child Need Speech Therapy For?
The following list are some factors that I feel are important in determining the length of therapy, and should be kept in mind when thinking about how long your child may need therapy for. While I have tailored it towards speech therapy, it is applicable to other disciplines as well.
Helping Your Child Become a Better Writer
Writing, like reading is one of those tasks that will only improve through a lot of practice. Set up a designated writing area somewhere in your home and have writing material available to your child at all times. This includes markers, pencils, pens, and crayons, as well as coloring books, paper, and journals. Provide lots of writing opportunities for your child and above all – keep it fun!
How The PRIDE Reading Program Works?
To teach a struggling reader, we begin with recognition of the letters, the sounds of the letters, and the sounds of letter combinations (phonemes). Our structured program is structured, systematic and cumulative. This means that, like a pyramid, the base must first be strong enough to support the entire structure. After our students receive a strong foundation, they are able to recognize words using the skills we teach.
The final element of the PRIDE System is that we act to increase intrinsic motivation and resultant self-esteem with every second of interaction. This means that our students feel approval and accomplishment because they know we like them — and admire their efforts and their perseverance. Every student at PRIDE becomes a reader.
To Learn More and Get Started, Give PRIDE A Call: 1-866-774-3342
How To Get Help And What To Expect?
Step 1:
Contact PRIDE by phone: 1-866-774-3342
You can also contact us by email (info@pridelearningcenter.com). Our Director will be glad to talk with you and can answer any questions you may have about the program and staff.
Step 2:
Sign Up for the PRIDE Reading Program and request your preferred schedule with the PRIDE Director. The PRIDE Director will work with you to identify your child’s specific needs and choose a PRIDE Reading Specialist based on the information provided.
Step 3:
Your PRIDE Reading Specialists first visit to the home will identify your child’s placement in the PRIDE Reading Program. The PRIDE Reading Specialist will then order your PRIDE Reading Program materials to be delivered to your home. The PRIDE Director also receives the placement information. Depending on information received from the placement, the PRIDE Director may contact you to create a personalized learning plan best suited for your child.
Step 4:
Your PRIDE Reading Program materials arrive at your home. The PRIDE Reading Specialist will prepare the PRIDE Reading Program materials based on your child’s personal needs. Your child begins receiving instruction.
Step 5:
Parents receive progress updates at every instructional step of our program. Our dedicated PRIDE Reading Specialists and staff is committed to seeing every child succeed, and will support you at all times. Failure is never an option, and we are so committed to our families that younger siblings are frequently enrolled because they see the excitement of an older brother or sister and want to begin with us. We are proud of every referral we receive from a teacher, friend, neighbor and classmate of someone who succeeded at PRIDE Learning Center.
For more information and to get started call: 1-866-774-3342
“Pride Learning Center has made such a huge impact on my family, I feel forever indebted and incredibly blessed to have experienced it. My daughter exhibited all the signs of a learning difference, but her schoolteachers were clueless, labeling her as lazy and inattentive. Pride’s website helped to identify my daughter’s specific learning issues. Working with Pride’s team of gifted tutors allowed her to regain confidence in her ability to perform schoolwork. She enjoyed every minute at PRIDE and always looked forward to her lessons.”
– PRIDE Parent, Manhattan Beach, Ca
“Our daughter Brianna came to Pride when she was struggling with reading during 1st grade at our local public school in West Los Angles. At that point, she was near the bottom of her class and hated to read. After working with Pride’s excellent tutors and staff, Brianna is now ahead of her peers and, more importantly, enjoys reading. Brianna also looks forward to attending her Pride tutor sessions and is proud of her accomplishments. We are lucky to have found Pride when we did, and I would highly recommend its program.”
– PRIDE Parent, Los Angeles, Ca
“Excellent Program. I do Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Assessments. I have seen a lot of progress with the children that have gone through Pride’s program. It is a great resource that specifically addresses reading difficulties with a multi-sensory approach. It is also important that the people giving the services are well-trained. I highly recommend Pride.”
– Dr. Abbe Barron, DMD PhD, Los Angeles, Ca