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    Academic Coaching Program

    According to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), approximately 622,300 of the adult population (2.3%) reported a learning disability (Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2014). The most prevalent underlying learning conditions reported included ADHD and other developmental disorders of academic skills. Click here to read the report in depth.

    What do the above statistics further imply?

    1. As a result, more than 85% of children with EF impairments don't have access to an intervention, such as a coaching service that provides the necessary skills and tools to deal with these learning challenges.

    2. More children in Canada have a learning disability than all other types of disabilities combined.

    3. In addition, those with one or more learning disabilities are more likely to drop out of high school or not pursue post-secondary education altogether.

    Elevate EF coaching sessions are designed for your child with learning disabilities to help them:

    1. Identify their strengths and weaknesses

    2. Develop brain-related behavioural skills to be more successful in school and life

    3. Get organized and plan ahead for exams

    4. Address challenges from a growth mindset

    Citation: Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2014, December 3). Learning disabilities among Canadians aged 15 years and older, 2012. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2014003-eng.htm

Benefits of Academic Coaching Program

Aligning Academic and Personal Goals: For students with executive function challenges, and learning disabilities, academic coaching can help align personal and educational goals for the school year. Academic coaching also helps develop a healthier outlook on life. Students get the one-on-one attention they need to succeed over time, along with regular weekly check-ins for accountability.

Teaching Customized Strategies: It is essential to understand that the strategies I share are NOT a "one size fits all" approach. My approach to academic coaching ensures teaching strategies tailored to each student's specific needs and taught in an explicit, structured, and systematic way, explaining how each strategy will benefit the students. There will be many opportunities for corrective feedback and repeated strategy practice.

Personalized Action Plan: One of the critical challenges of executive functioning impairment is getting started on a task or sustaining efforts to complete a task. Coaching sessions will address the above challenge by creating a personalized action plan, putting your child on the fastest track to success.

Identifying Triggers and Strengths: During the coaching sessions, we will together address the student's academic struggles and identify the triggers within their environment that are causing procrastination or school-related anxiety. Then, we address the triggers by co-creating what works best for a student based on their strengths to adapt the strategies accordingly.

Coaching activates EF skills: Our coaching dynamic as a client and academic coach may include conversations, strategies, and techniques for reducing test anxiety, social anxiety, identifying behaviors around perfectionism, avoidance, procrastination, self-regulation, motivation blockers, promoting wellness, self-blaming, and acknowledging limitations, embracing strengths, growth mindset, etc. These evidence-based strategies when practised diligently will improve your child’s EF skills over time.

Academic Scaffolding and Strategy Instruction: In addition to academic coaching, I offer academic scaffolding to students with explicit instruction on using strategies for — planning for an upcoming assignment or test, providing step-by-step writing strategies, Metacognitive strategies, organizing weekly schedules, note-taking skills, usage of assistive technology, test-prep strategies, reading comprehension strategies, etc. There will be many opportunities for corrective feedback and repeated strategy practice.