“Some
children end up paying an exorbitant price for having the
kind of mind they were born with. Through no fault of their
own, they are the owners of brains that somehow don’t
mesh with the demands they come up against…There
is much that parents and teachers can do to redeem such kids, all of whom possess
remarkable strengths waiting to be tapped.”
- Dr. Mel
Levine, MD, A Mind at a Time
One Parent's Story
Anyone that has a child who struggles
in school or has a learning disability knows that it not
only affects the child academically, but socially and emotionally
as well. It was apparent to us at an early age that our son
was struggling with learning. Year after year his frustration
grew bigger and his confidence grew smaller. As this began
to impact the whole family we realized we needed to get him
help. We decided to bring our son to the Center for School
Success (CSS) in West Lebanon, NH for an assessment.
What attracted us to CSS was the comfortable
and positive feeling we felt as we walked through the doors,
and the fact that our son was not only going to be assessed
by one person, but a diverse team of professionals. The team
consisted of a developmental pediatrician, a clinical psychologist,
and a learning specialist. We knew that our son’s learning
difficulties were complex and that having insight from this
wide range of professionals would be very beneficial.
The information we gained from his assessment
was very valuable. Before the CSS assessment, the only information
we had to give to our son’s school was a name called “ADD”.
That label may have gotten him eligibility for special education
services, but no real understanding of the strengths of his
unique mind and where the break downs in his learning were
occurring. The assessment provided us with a learning profile
which informed us of his strengths, weaknesses and affinities
(areas of interest). It also gave us a learning plan filled
with strategies and techniques that would help our son achieve
the school success he deserved.
One of the hardest things to accept as
a parent is knowing that the road ahead for your child will
be a struggle. Understanding the ways that he learns best,
and knowing how to advocate for his needs have made it a
smoother journey for our whole family.
Anna Dulac
Lebanon, NH
