Looking for tutor/coach in Executive Functioning for teen
I have a 16 year old (sophmore) son who's had an IEP since preschool. He's been in general ed with some pull out/push in support. He's a great reader (decoder), pretty good with comprehension, strong in math but can be very unfocused (ADD) and disorganized when it comes to things he's not interested in.
My son keeps his grades up (mostly Bs and Cs) by turning in homework and completing shorter assignments effectively but when it comes to end of chapter tests/finals in subjects with lots of facts and nonfiction reading material (e.g science, history), he has a hard time preparing a comprehensive study guide (looking through the textbook and finding the main idea) and then effectively studying the material, usually scoring Ds on these kinds of exams, even though he "studied". He also struggles with writing.
We are looking for an educational therapist who can help him with executive functioning (working memory, time management, planning/prioritizing etc.) and study/test taking skills. He gets supports at school through his IEP but it's not enough. We live in Lafayette and traveling to the Berkeley/Oakland area is too far on weekdays unless we find a therapist who can work on this side of the tunnel.
I would love some feedback from anyone who's used Strategies for Learning, SOS (Student Organizational Services), Bella Menti (Danville) or any other coach/tutor/ed therapist who you can recommend.
Thank you so much!
Parent Replies
Try Nancy Chin nancy [at] stepbystep4success.com (510) 384-1909 or SOS 4 Students (510) 531-4767
I work at Orinda Academy and we have SOS on campus to work with students with executive functioning weaknesses--they come to our school and I've heard positive things about Beth Samuelson. Nancy Chin has come by and left materials as well. She does 9 week-12 week programs in Oakland and Walnut Creek.
Here's the link to SOS summer programs (being held at Orinda Academy)-you can contact Beth at (beth [at] sos4students.com (beth[at]sos4students[dot]com))
http://www.sos4students.com/summer-workshops
We love Sydney Metrick! She is an experienced coach who works with teens and adults helping them develop structures and strategies that address their specific executive function challenges. My son worked with her. Sydney not only helped him create and implement habits and routines that help him with time prioritizing, setting boundaries, and managing time effectively, but also helped him discover and utilize more of his unique strengths. It was such an empowering process! My son enjoyed working with Sydney. She made him feel special and confident about himself. Sydney's email: sydney [at] artfulcoaching.com. Or phone: (510) 223-3882.
A happy mom
You might want to consider virtual Academic Coaching as well, which increases your options.