From D’s and F’s to the Honor Roll!
Jake came to LearningRx in 8th grade. His mom was frustrated as she saw so much potential in Jake, but he was not performing well in school. He struggled to stay on top of his work and had many missed or late assignments. He was prone to procrastination and was not motivated. He struggled with executive function. These difficulties also negatively impacted his self-esteem. He was down on himself and lacked confidence.
Jake was also diagnosed with ADHD. He was prescribed ADHD medication, but he had stopped taking it because he didn’t like how the medication made him feel. His mom also did not see that the medication was helping Jake overcome his difficulties with organization and executive function.
The first step to helping Jake was a cognitive skills assessment to identify why he was struggling. The LearningRx assessment only took 90 minutes, but provided a wealth of information as to why Jake was having so much difficulty. His test results resonated with his mother as it showed that Jake had strong logic and reasoning – he was very bright – but Jake had weaknesses in processing speed and working memory which were undermining him and keeping him from achieving his potential.
For students who struggle with executive function, there can be many factors, but weak processing speed and working memory are common contributors.
When processing speed is weak, the difficulties often start to manifest in middle school because the environment is much faster than grade school. Students must transition from class-to-class and keep track of their materials and assignments. They are now expected to take notes which requires strong processing speed (and working memory) to be able to keep up and absorb the classroom information. Low processing speed also contributes to motivation and attention issues. Given the faster environment, the brain of a student struggling with processing speed must work much harder than those who do not. Many students are exhausted after school making them less motivated and prone to procrastinate.
Jake started his LearningRx training, and he started to improve. He really enjoyed his 1-on-1 training and the process was also building his confidence. Jake’s working memory and processing speed jumped significantly, and he was now on top of his homework. He was able to manage himself without his mom having to be on him to complete his work. His confidence jumped as he was feeling much better about himself. The change not only helped Jake academically, but it improved his relationship with his mother as their conversations were no longer all about Jake getting his work done.
His mom was thrilled to learn at his next teacher conference that Jake was getting A’s and B’s!
We have helped many students like Jake – they are bright kids, but it is not showing up academically. The key to unlocking their potential is to identify and address the root cause. The first step is to contact the Eagan location to schedule an initial assessment. Mention this article to receive $100 off the initial assessment price of $199.
Isn’t it time for your child to thrive!
