Connie

ADD/ADHD

ADD/ADHD is one of my specialties as an Educational Therapist. During my 25+ years of working with students ages 5 to adults, students with Learning Disabilities also had a mild, moderate or severe degree of ADD or ADHD. My knowledge from psychology as a MFCC, having completed my doctorate in ADD/ADHD, helps me to contain some of their concerns. I suggest self-designed quiet movements, and other accommodations for them to become their own advocate in a classroom. I also work with parents separately when requested. My focus is on academics, which helps to encourage them to use me as a role model and transfer these new techniques to the school setting.

Aspergers

I have worked with many students from ages 6 to 18 who have been diagnosed as having mild, moderate or severe attributes of Asperger's Syndrome. My Master's Degree is in Special Education from UCLA and I completed a post graduate fellowship in child psychology at Cedars-Sinai. I also was trained at a Counseling Center seeing older students. I follow the specific objectives of an I.E.P. and the CA. Standards by grade level. I have the patience to find students' strengths and weaknesses and then design a plan that fits his/her needs best. I know how to move between concerns or worries, that is, when to ignore some of them, and when to talk in more depth as needed. I provide a sturdy structure and allow for free expression. These students require the expertise of an Educational Therapist, in my professional opinion, rather than a regular tutor. I present a quiet demeanor yet require non-verbal interactions prior to verbalizations to enhance rapport and empathy skills. I have been told that I am a 'natural' at working with the Asperger population. I respect a student's ability wherever they are along the spectrum.

autism

I have 10 years experience working with children who are at the higher end of the Autism Spectrum, that is, they need to have speech and language ability, sometimes called "Aspergers Syndrome". I was trained at Cedars-Sinai as a part of my post-doctoral fellowship for my license as a M.F.C.C., which was completed in 1998. Most students I worked with had an I.E.P., an O.T, or Speech Pathologist, and psychologist, so we worked as a team. My part, as the educator, was to design a plan for academic success, given the input from the professionals. The parents were included in every aspect of the plan when appropriate. When that was not conducive to the student's progress, the parent's were able to watch through a mirror and ask questions later. My M.A. is in Special Education from UCLA. My Ph.D. is in Family and Child Therapy at California Graduate School in Westwood.

CBEST

COOP/HSPT

dyslexia

elementary (k-6th)

English

grammar

ISEE

phonics

psychology

reading

special needs

spelling

SSAT

study skills

vocabulary

handwriting

Common Core

ADHD

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)