Children need a great start in life, especially when it comes to learning! Junior

Discovery is an enrichment program that uses the SEARCH and TEACH curriculum for children from kindergarten through grade two.

This program is two-fold: it helps identify potential learning difficulties and then sets up an enrichment program to address those issues.

Through Junior Discovery, children gain confidence and experience learning success, opening the door to a bright future!

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NILD Educational Therapy stimulates areas of weakness through individualized and intensive intervention.

It addresses areas of weakness in processing, memory, attention, oral and written language, reading, spelling and math. It helps develop efficient, accurate thinking, teaching ‘how to learn’ rather than ‘what to learn’.

As competence and confidence improve students are able to succeed in their classroom and in life as independent learners.

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We know that the brain is malleable and elastic and can physically change in response to stimulus and grow new neuronal connections.

This means that the brains of students with learning disabilities can become more efficient by strengthening neurological pathways.

Intensive and individualized NILD educational therapy works by stimulating and thereby strengthening neurological pathways and improving the brain’s learning capacity.

“Should it be more data, units, or tests?  Let me remind you that many of the things you teach today will soon be obsolete!  Only brains that can adapt and change themselves will ensure the continuation of our culture.” Dr. Feuerstein (from Endangered Minds, Jane Healy, 1999)

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A statistical study completed by Dr. Kathy Keafer revealed that students enrolled in this program “made and maintained significant gains in measures of cognitive functioning as well as academic achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics, and written expression.”

EFFECTS OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING DEVELOPMENT EDUCATIONAL THERAPY FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES,  by Dr. Kathy Keafer (2004)

STUDENTS

“It helps me memorize what I need to know on my tests. It helps me remember to put capitals at the beginning of sentences. It helps my hand writing. It helps me get my grades up. It makes me feel like I can do well in my regular class. It makes me feel good about myself.”

Henry

PARENTS

“Our 9 year old son, Jared, has been diagnosed with mild Asperger syndrome, a learning disability and Central Auditory Processing Disorder. He has been doing the NILD therapy for the last 8 months and his improvement has been amazing. Recently I took him back to the audiologist and he tested within the normal limits! The audiologist said he does not usually see results like this until maybe grade 7 or 8 and he is only in grade 4. He has had a great 1st year at his new school, is making friends which is huge for children with Aspergers and his self-esteem and confidence have improved greatly. I cannot thank his therapist and the NILD therapy program enough for all that it has done for Jared and other children with learning disabilities. This program gave him the confidence and the tools he needed to get done, what so many other people take for granted.”

Curt & Sandra

PROFESSIONALS

“Since its founding over twenty-five years ago, NILD’s methods and philosophy have mirrored solid findings about brain development and the complex process we call learning. While others have jumped aboard the various trendy bandwagons that afflict education from time to time, NILD has held to and expanded on their effective, and research-based approach. The many therapists they have trained and the many, many children with whom these therapists have worked are witness to their ongoing success.”

Dr. Jane Healy, Ph.D, Author, Endangered Minds

“While I was the Head of Schools at Niagara Christian Collegiate, we were pleased to be able to offer the Discovery program to those students who would benefit from it. Thanks to the excellent work of NILD Educational Therapist and NCC faculty member Martha Giles, we were able to realize some significant results with students. NILD Canada provided training and support for the program we established and we were very appreciative of this!”

Dr. Steve Sider, Ph.D, Redeemer University College

“I do not think that I know an organization more committed to releasing the potential of all children with learning disabilities than NILD. In the short time that I have gotten to know the members of NILD, I have been very impressed by their knowledge and their desire for keeping abreast of evolving research, particularly in reading intervention. Perhaps more poignantly, however, I have been uplifted by the depth of their dedication to the children. They are a wonderful group.”

Maryanne Wolf, Ed.D

Weaknesses in perception and/or cognition impact the learning process and create uneven academic performance.

The learning process is represented as a wall with various components. Perceptual and cognitive skills form the foundation of the wall. If any of these areas, such as visual or auditory memory or abstract/logical thinking are weak or vulnerable, academic skills are affected. After cognitive and perceptual weaknesses are strengthened, the learning process functions efficiently. Students become able to learn independently. More like physical therapy or speech therapy, NILD Educational Therapy boosts weak, vulnerable systems.

IMAGE OF BLOCK WALL and Description

Building Competence and Confidence - Cognition, Academics, Perception, Emotion

NILD’s logo, the figure eight, represents four key components developed through NILD educational therapy-cognition, perception, emotion, and academics. The figure eight is incorporated in an activity called Rhythmic Writing that helps to strengthen attention, processing skills, and handwriting. Rhythmic Writing is one of over twenty educational therapy techniques that NILD-trained educational therapists employ to enhance their students’ ability to learn.

Cognition
In order to make sense of the world around us, to give meaning to our experiences and to develop the ability to learn new information, we are dependent upon our cognition. Cognition refers to thinking processes such as reasoning, reflecting, attaching meaning, remembering and evaluating. Thinking about how we think allows us to adjust our responses, adapt our learning behaviours, develop new strategies and problem solve. All of these are essential for developing independent, successful learners and productive members of society.

Perception
Perception refers to how we receive and process information either through sight, sound, touch, movement, smell or taste. We need to perceive information correctly in order for the brain to process the world around us. If the way a student perceives information is not correct the product or outcome that he is expected to produce in school/work will be impacted negatively.

Emotion
The way we feel about the world around us, our relationships with others and our approach to life is largely impacted by our emotions. Self-confidence plays a key role in successful acquisition of new information, forming relationships and communicating our needs.

Academics
In order for students to successfully learn the required content and respond well to standards-driven instruction students must be taught “how to learn”. Teaching a student how to learn creates independent learning skills that build competencies in cognition and processing so that the acquisition of academics becomes more efficient and effective

NILD Canada offers courses for educators to become Educational Therapists.

A Bachelor’s degree in education or equivalency is a prerequisite. Graduate credit is available to qualifying participants. Training courses are offered throughout the school year or during the summer in various locations as well as through combination on-line courses. Our Educational Therapy courses have been offered at: Redeemer University College, Wilfred Laurier University, University of Waterloo, Fellowship Christian School, and Tyndale University.

1. EDUCATIONAL THERAPY – Instructional Methods for Students with Learning Needs

A lecture and laboratory course designed to train teachers, parents and interested professionals to give educational therapy to students with learning difficulties. Three broad topics are addressed in this introductory course:

• Philosophy – The definition of learning difficulties, program distinctives and methods of intervention in accordance with the model developed by the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD)
• Assessment – Pupil evaluation by means of informal teacher assessment and formal psychological and educational assessment
• Intervention – Individualized implementation of techniques for stimulation of processing and cognitive weaknesses.

Level I is an introduction to the general field of learning disabilities and provides foundational training in the philosophy and techniques of NILD Educational Therapy®. Pre-requisite: Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field or equivalency.

Level II provides a review of introductory NILD Educational Therapy® techniques and introduces a series of techniques for advanced students to include mediated learning and questioning skills. Pre-requisites: Successful completion of Level I, minimum one year experience with one student, proof of attendance at NILD Canada conference.

Level III develops mastery skills and provides an in-depth study of mediation, cognitive functions and information processing within NILD Educational Therapy® techniques. Pre-requisites: Minimum of 200 student contact hours, successful completion of Levels I and II, proof of attendance at NILDCanada conference.

2. SEARCH AND TEACH

Recent and current research indicates the value of a “preventative” approach to deal with potential learning problems in the future. NILD Canada has taken the challenge to provide help for young students (K – Grade 2) . NILD Canada offers a two-day training course in SEARCH AND TEACH, an early identification and intervention program developed to meet the needs of young learners before they experience the frustration of learning failure.

SEARCH AND TEACH was developed by Archie A. Silver, M.D. (child psychiatrist) and Rosa A. Hagin, Ph.D. (psychologist) and the staff of the Learning Disorders Unit at New York University School of Medicine. It is based on extensive interdisciplinary research on the diagnosis and treatment of learning disorders and is now being implemented in diverse school settings throughout the U.S.

• SEARCH is a 20-minute individual test designed to identify 5 and 6-year-olds vulnerable to learning difficulty, and provides profiles of individual strengths and weaknesses in the foundational systems necessary for reading success.

• TEACH is a program of 55 learning tasks,  carefully developed and tested during a four-year investigation of pre-reading skills to address the needs revealed by SEARCH. It is an individualized program, but does allow for some small group work of review activities with children of similar needs.

• No Pre-requisites: This course is available to parents, teachers and interested persons.

3.GROUP EDUCATIONAL THERAPY (G.E.T) offers educational therapy in a small group setting.

4. EDUCATIONAL THERAPY 2 (ET2) is an abbreviated version of Educational Therapy for students with mild learning disabilities.

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