1. How is Applied Learning Processes different from other tutoring services such as Sylvan?
We offer “treatment” rather than tutoring.
- Tutoring is a support service that assists the student in specific areas or “subjects” in a curriculum. Tutoring involves helping a student meet the requirements of the classroom, so it is usually focused on re-teaching the material from school and helping the student complete homework assignments.
- Treatment is an intensive approach focused on the thinking skills of a particular student. Treatment at Applied Learning Processes addresses the underlying processing problems that are preventing the student from being independent in the classroom. It may include use of the student’s curriculum materials when those materials provide appropriate application of the thinking processes we are developing.
2. What is your success rate? Is there a guarantee?
Because of the variety of needs our students present, it is difficult to calculate an exact success rate. But we take several steps to insure that the treatment we offer matches the student’s needs. We are able to determine through testing, interview, and observation the likelihood that the services we offer will make learning easier for the student.
While we cannot give an iron-clad guarantee, we understand your need for assurances. We have a list of references if you are interested in speaking with some of our former clients. Our experience has taught us to expect noticeable changes in a student’s performance in a given amount of time. We update our parents regularly and will let you know if we have any concerns.
3. Why do you usually recommend daily treatment?
The work that we do with a student involves changing the way his/her brain processes sensory information relevant to literacy and language development. Because the work we do is stimulating a change in the way the brain is thinking as opposed to increasing the student’s body of knowledge, daily stimulation is critical to maximizing success.
4. How do you determine the treatment plan?
All our students receive an individual diagnostic evaluation that measures
- vocabulary
- ability to comprehend oral language
- visual memory
- visual-motor processing
- phonological processing, including phonemic awareness
- reading and spelling
- reading comprehension
- number sense and arithmetic skills
In an hour long meeting, we then explain our interpretation of the student’s performance on these measures, our recommended plan for treatment and how long we think it will take to effect permanent changes in the student’s learning profile.
5. How do you know if the plan is working?
We have years of experience in evaluating day-to-day progress, and we keep our clients apprised of progress frequently. Our clinicians are trained to record evaluative data for every session. When we think a student’s sensory-cognitive processing is nearing stabilization, a post-treatment evaluation is administered. This provides an objective measure of progress and helps us plan for appropriate follow-up.
6. How long does treatment usually take?
It depends on the severity of his/her processing struggles. We try to provide you an estimate of the minimum amount of time you should plan for. These estimates generally range from 60 to 150 hours which may be received over a period of 4 weeks to several months. Many people are surprised by the relatively short time needed in most cases. We believe we obtain dramatic results relatively quickly for several reasons:
- We are using multi-sensory techniques to correct the underlying causes of the problem rather than trying to provide traditional instruction which focuses on reviewing information.
- We work intensively, retraining the brain to notice sensory information it has not previously been able to notice.
- We work systematically, responding to our students in a way that leads them to discover sensory information that enables them to think about the skills they are trying to develop,
- We supervise our clinicians and work collaboratively and prescriptively as a diagnostic team.
- Our instructional techniques are direct, systematic, and cumulative .
7. What are your fees?
Our fee for testing is $449. This includes a three-to-four-hour testing session, a one-to-two hour follow-up meeting, and a written report.
When we meet to discuss the testing results, we provide an estimate of the minimum number of hours we think will be required to make lasting changes in processing. This can range from 60 to 150 hours, with a few students needing more than 150. All our sessions are one-to-one and have a supervisor monitoring the case. The treatment session fee is $58 per hour.
We welcome a phone call about your specific situation. From that conversation, we might be able to give you some idea of whether our services are likely to help and an unofficial estimate of the number of hours that will be needed.
8. How are parents involved?
We encourage parents to observe our sessions frequently. As the processing we are stimulating begins to stabilize, we share ideas for support you may implement at home. Upon completion of the treatment period, we share post-testing results with you, discuss plans for what should come next, and provide specific activities you can use for follow-up support.
9. How are your clinicians trained?
Potential staff are carefully screened to ensure that their academic skills are strong. Then they participate in several weeks of training and mentoring under the tutelage of our supervisory staff. Training is an on-going practice at Applied Learning Processes.