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Educational Therapy

The main goal and purpose of educational therapy is to optimize learning and school adjustment, with recognition that emotional, behavioral, and learning problems are intertwined. The Association of Educational Therapists has defined the role of the Educational Therapist as follows:

An Educational Therapist works in the educational domain with persons who exhibit learning disabilities and learning problems. An Educational Therapist is skilled in:

  • Formal and informal educational assessment;
  • Synthesis of information from other specialists, and from parents;
  • Development and implementation of appropriate remedial programs for school-related learning and behavior problems;
  • Strategies for addressing social and emotional aspects of learning problems;
  • Formation of supportive relationships with the individual and with those involved in his or her educational development;
  • Facilitation of communication between the individual, the family, the school, and involved professionals.

Does My Child Or Adolescent Need Educational Therapy?

The need for educational therapy may be identified in a number of ways.

If your child or adolescent has never been identified by specialists or school personnel, you may have observed some of the following indicators:

  • Early ear infections, delay in learning language, and difficulty maintaining concentration, remembering, and/or paying attention.
  • Loss of self-esteem regarding school performance.
  • Resistance going to school or participating in normal childhood activities.
  • Lack of progress at school and questions about ability to learn or to benefit from school.
  • Extreme amount of time and parent support to get homework tasks done.
  • Struggles with homework and school assignments that increase as schoolwork becomes harder.
  • Discouragement and withdrawal.

If your child or adolescent has been identified by a specialist or school personnel, you may still find that:

  • your child appears to require additional individualized interventions beyond those offered at school.
  • your child is receiving services from multiple specialists, and you need assistance in coordinating services.
  • you need assistance in interpreting reports and recommendations from various specialists who work with your child.

Educational Therapy For Adults


Significant indicators for adults who would benefit from educational therapy include the following:

  • The adult is experiencing difficulty with learning expected tasks in the workplace.
  • The adult notes a need for complicated compensatory strategies to camouflage difficulties with reading and writing in the workplace.
  • The adult never attained skill levels needed to function in a workplace that requires reading and writing.
  • The adult has difficulty organizing tasks and managing time efficiently.

When Selecting an Educational Therapist, ask about...

  • educational background, training, and experience.
  • areas of specialization.
  • short-term objectives and long-range goals for the client.
  • approaches and techniques for intervention.
  • fee structure and policies.
  • Associate ET, ET/Professional, or Board Certified membership in the Association of Educational Therapists.

*This information is from the Association of Educational Therapists, which has granted permission to display it on this site and link to their site.

For additional information on Educational Therapy go to:
The Association of Educational Therapists

Testimonials

Margie Curran

Michelle worked with our daughter for about a year and we saw such a big difference in her abilities. Michelle made learning fun for our daughter, she looked forward to all her sessions with Michelle and was sad when we no longer needed her services. I especially liked that Michelle was so positive and she really understood my child’s learning styles and how best to help her. Michelle always kept me informed of our daughter's progress and made recommendations to further assist our daughter.
"She was great to work with!"

Michael C.

Michelle has been a wonderful resource, helping our son push through his challenges and reach a much higher level of reading and writing than he would have otherwise. She is patient, caring and thoughtful with our son. Likewise, she has been a wonderful communicator with us, keeping us informed every step of the way. We feel fortunate to have found her.
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