Success Stories & Case Studies

Mom of an LLS student

“I speak for both myself and my husband when I say you have been a TERRIFIC asset and AWESOME influence on our child and I think the results show that!”

Case Study

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT IMPROVES READING COMPREHENSION, GRADES,
& CONFIDENCE WITHIN
11 MONTHS OF COGNITIVE SPEECH THERAPY

Snapshot:

7th-8th-grade student struggling with completing and submitting homework, understanding what they’re reading, learning new vocabulary, understanding spoken directions and stories, needing constant reminders, and keeping track of materials.

Candidate for: Comprehensive Evaluation

& Cognitive Speech Therapy

The Starting Point:

I met this student halfway through their 7th-grade year.

They were earning “good enough” grades, but performance in classes requiring reading comprehension and writing was a red flag for the parents.

The family worried about the student’s transition into high school–keeping up in class, quality of performance, self-organization, initiative, and confidence.

Despite their history with private and school-based speech therapy (for speech and language delay) and their classroom accommodations … something was missing.

Insight & Assessment

Using an integrated cognitive processing model (i.e., assessing overlapping areas of cognition that support learning and self-direction), I identified subtle weaknesses in two key cognitive processes (executive functioning and language processing–including below-average reading comprehension).

Pinpointing these areas of need provided the necessary context for the patterns seen in the student’s performance at school, home, and on assessments.

The focus was no longer on multiple and, in this case, subtle surface-level challenges … but on where the weak links in the system existed and cascaded into daily life.

Because executive functioning underlies all cognitive functioning (e.g., learning, language development, independence), focusing on the weak subskills of executive functioning was the most appropriate and sustainable option.

This insight formed the blueprint of a targeted treatment plan.

The Approach (What we did)

The student and I met twice a week, typically in person, sometimes virtually.

Sessions were designed much like a weight training session, strengthening underlying muscle groups, starting with what they could “lift” and gradually adding “weight” and more independent execution.

Instead of lifting weights, the student learned how attention works, and was coached into awareness and course-correction. They also completed targeted exercises to improve their ability to think in images–strengthening how they remember and understand what they’ve heard or read with less and less support.

The Shift (What changed over time)

The first signs of transformation emerged in small ways within therapy sessions (as they often do). This included gradual yet consistent progress in therapeutic activities of increasing difficulty with decreasing support, and they started cleaning up after making their afternoon snack–a point of friction at home that seemed to become a point of empowerment.

Shifts in confidence were observed as early as four months, characterized by the student recognizing increased ease with tasks that used to be difficult, and a family member communicating to me that the student seems excited about the school year (which historically was not the case).

By six months, signs of progress outside of sessions became more apparent–improved grades in Reading and English; improved locker organization; less assistance with daily routines.

Outcomes & Impact

By 11 months, English and Reading grades continued to improve, and the student was taking more initiative with daily routines and improved general accountability–oh, and they are reading for fun.

A reassessment of their language and reading skills supported the progress observed in therapy, at home, and at school. The student’s language skills improved from low average to average. Their reading comprehension improved from below average to average (improved by 3 grade levels).

In this time, the family’s 6-month goals were met, and progress on their 5-year goals for high school readiness was underway.

Encouraged by this progress, the student and their family chose to build on the momentum.

Why This Matters (Bigger Picture)

By targeting the “cognitive muscles,” the student strengthened their foundational capacity for learning and planning that will transcend therapy sessions and better equip them for independent learning and life beyond accommodations and reminders.

This contrasts with the idea of teaching and reteaching content and solely troubleshooting with checklists and visual aids … the goal was not reliance but independence.

With this foundation, new information is likely to stick better than before. All of this was achieved by focusing on foundational skills, NOT tutoring in each subject area.