What Parents Really Want to Know About Educational Services

Every child learns in their own way, and for some kids, school can feel harder than it should. When we understand how children learn, notice challenges early, and give them the right support, it can make a big difference. At Child & Family Development, our Educational Services team partners with families to understand each child’s unique learning profile and develop strategies that make school a place where children can succeed with confidence. Here’s a breakdown of what we do and answers to the questions parents ask most often.

What Are Educational Services?

Our Educational Services go beyond tutoring or homework help. We help children and young adults who struggle with learning differences that impact school performance. This includes learning disorders, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other challenges that make reading, writing, organization, memory, or attention hard. We start by conducting comprehensive evaluations to identify not just what is challenging for your child, but why. These evaluations look at how your child learns, processes information, and applies skills. This information gives us clear insight into strengths and areas for growth.

Who Can Benefit From These Services?

Our Educational Services are designed for school‑aged children, adolescents, and young adults who struggle with learning and academic achievement due to underlying processing challenges, not simply because the work is hard or unfamiliar. Common concerns we address include:

• Difficulty reading or understanding written language
• Trouble with writing or fine motor tasks
• Challenges staying organized or managing time
• Difficulty focusing or finishing schoolwork
• Struggles that affect confidence and academic progress

What Does the Evaluation Look Like?

While the type of evaluation may vary, each one is tailored to your child’s unique needs. The results help clarify what’s happening, guide instructional strategies, and if needed, support requests for accommodations or services through your child’s school. Evaluations may include testing for:

• Reading, writing, and math skills
• Language and memory processing
• Attention and reasoning abilities
• Visual‑motor skills (like handwriting)
• Organization, planning, and executive functioning

What Is Educational Therapy?

Once we understand your child’s learning profile, we create an educational therapy plan designed just for them. This is not “one‑size‑fits‑all” tutoring, it’s targeted instruction that addresses specific learning differences and builds on your child’s strengths. Your child may work with an educational specialist to:

• Improve reading fluency and comprehension
• Strengthen decoding and spelling skills
• Build confidence with writing
• Master foundational academic skills
• Develop strategies for school success

What Special Techniques Do You Use?

We draw from evidence-based approaches that make learning more accessible and effective. By differentiating instruction, our Educational Specialists meet each child where they are, intentionally building skills, and carefully monitoring progress to guide ongoing support. Some techniques include:

• Orton‑Gillingham Approach: A structured, multi‑sensory method for building reading and writing skills. This is especially helpful for children with dyslexia or language‑based learning challenges.
• Executive Function Coaching: Executive function coaching sessions are geared towards children in the upper elementary school grades through high school. This coaching helps students think about thinking to improve planning, organization, time management, task initiation, and self‑regulation so they can navigate school more independently.
• Parent Consultations: We also support parents in navigating IEPs, 504 plans, or school meetings. Our team helps parents advocate for their child’s needs and understand the school’s processes. Parent consultations are also particularly helpful for discussing challenges with homework, parent-teacher communication, understanding test scores and a variety of other school related questions.
• Group Sessions: Some children benefit from group approaches, like book clubs, math fluency groups, or creative writing circles, that build social and academic skills in a supportive setting.

Questions We Often Hear From Parents

We love hearing from parents and are always glad to answer questions and connect about their child’s experience at school. Here are answers to some of the questions families most frequently ask:

• What is Orton‑Gillingham tutoring? It’s a structured, multi‑sensory method for teaching reading and spelling. This method is especially powerful for learners with dyslexia. Unlike general reading strategies, it engages sight, sound, and touch to reinforce learning.
• How do I know if my child needs testing? If your child consistently struggles with academics, especially after targeted help at school, an evaluation can clarify whether there’s an underlying learning difference and what supports will help.
• What is Executive Functioning tutoring? This type of coaching builds essential skills such as organization, planning, time management, self-advocacy, and task follow-through. Students learn and practice strategies by applying them to real assignments, helping them transfer these skills from coaching sessions to the classroom. Because each child’s needs are unique, the ultimate goal is to foster independence, empowering students to effectively use the tools and strategies they’ve learned in their everyday school environment.
• How can I get support or guidance with IEP or 504 planning for my child? Our team can help you understand your child’s rights, interpret evaluations, communicate with the school, and make sure plans meet your child’s academic needs, without offering legal advice.

How is a school evaluation different from a private one?

School evaluations determine eligibility for services but typically do not offer clinical diagnoses. Private evaluations are more comprehensive and can identify specific learning disorders or ADHD and make recommendations specific to information that can be used for school interventions, test accommodations, and long‑term planning. It’s also important to understand that school-based evaluations are typically initiated based on a student’s observed needs within the classroom setting. If a child is meeting grade-level expectations, even with significant effort, the school may not always identify a need for further evaluation. In these cases, the challenges a child experiences “behind the scenes” may not be fully visible during the school day, even though they can have a meaningful impact on learning and well-being. Private evaluations can help you better understand your child’s learning profile so you can help support them on their academic journey.

We’re Here to Help You Navigate the Path Ahead

At Child & Family Development, we partner with families every step of the way, from understanding why your child struggles, to building ways to help them succeed. If you’re unsure where to start or if your child could benefit from testing or educational therapy, we’re here to help. Ready to learn more? Visit our Educational Services page or schedule a consultation with our team today.