The Student Success Program uses the philosophy and framework of All Kinds of Minds to help students who are struggling to succeed in school and in life. In this model, an experienced team of clinicians drawn from our staff of learning specialists, psychologists, and pediatricians pinpoints each student’s strengths and weaknesses and then provides recommendations for managing learning accommodations and interventions that parents can share with teachers. In a process called "demystification," a student (and parents) discovers the characteristics of his/her specific profile. The team links this neurodevelopmental profile of strengths, weaknesses, and affinities to academic skills to help answer, in very specific terms, why a student is struggling with an aspect of school. A clinician carefully explains to the student and parents/caregivers the connections between the student's neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses and his/her academic performance. This empowering and respectful process allows students to be a part of the solution and also helps them feel more confident about themselves.
 
Susan was part of the team at the Student Success Program that worked with a student by the name of Bryan*. Bryan was in the 12th grade at the time of his assessment. The following are descriptions by Susan, Bryan, and Bryan's mother about their demystification session.

Susan’s Perspective
When Bryan and his mom arrived at the Student Success Program recently for an assessment, his mother stated that she was very interested in the demystification session that would occur later in the day. For several years, Bryan has been underestimated and disregarded at school because of his reserved personality and deep, philosophical thinking. As a result of continuous struggles academically in school, Bryan appeared to have given up on himself and likewise, underestimate his own abilities and skills. From the start of the day, I realized his potential, as I was able to peer beyond the rough exterior he has attempted to erect. I was touched by a beautifully written sample his mom proudly submitted, his wisdom and sophisticated thoughts seemed to extend beyond his years as he shared an experience, which caused growth in his life.

During the demystification session, my primary goal was destigmatization [explaining that everyone has strengths and weaknesses] and promotion of optimism as he begins a new chapter in his life. The objective was to assure him that we each have our own areas of strength and weakness that we struggle with on a daily basis. Earlier in the day I wanted him to see that I too was not a math wiz by using a cheat sheet that had answers scribbled on it. It was my way of relating to him. Because of the rapport we had developed through the course of the day, I shared with him some of my own struggles in high school, which he appreciated. Although high school has been a struggle for him, upon graduation he will be entering the adult world where the strength of his strengths will matter more and draw attention towards him. And he does have strengths—a talented soccer player in addition to gifted artist. He plans to pursue art after college and I assured him that he could succeed at that without being a math wiz. As he enters college, he can begin to gravitate more towards his interests and develop them further through his class selection in addition to his peer group.
 
Talking to his mother later, she expressed appreciation for connecting with her son and for his frequent smiles while we talked. Bryan said it was nice for a change to hear something positive and emphasis placed on his strengths rather than his weaknesses. To further emphasize his strength and affinity for art, he was asked to submit a painting or drawing to hang on the Student Success Program walls—he was pleased. It will be extremely valuable for Bryan to receive continued demystification about how his mind works so that he can understand that each of us has our own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Part of his learning plan includes the need for him to feel more positive about himself and his ability to learn. He should receive as much positive feedback as possible with emphasis placed on his sound neurodevelopmental profile and areas of affinity.
 
Bryan’s Perspective
My attitude towards the demystification session was not entirely positive when I was first approached with the idea. After the session however, my opinion changed. According to the assessment and other information attained by the team, the Learning Specialist discussed, not told, the conclusions to me. My strengths were first pointed out followed by my weaker areas. I received feedback on how these weaknesses could be handled and was informed about different methods for dealing with the areas that were more problematic or difficult.

This was all somewhat helpful, but would have been a lot more beneficial to me if I had the opportunity to approach this program earlier in my academic career. I encourage anyone who is struggling in school to pursue this program with an open mind and take it seriously.  

A Parent's Perspective
By the time my son and I arrived in the Student Success Program office, I felt confident that the evaluation experience would be helpful to both of us. I had read a newspaper article about the All Kinds of Minds Institute a year earlier that piqued my interest but the article focused on the Institute's work to educate teachers and educators. However, Bryan continued to struggle academically and I felt it was really affecting how he saw himself. Exploring the Institute's web site made me think that Bryan could benefit, even as a high school senior, from the research results on learning differences. I admit I hoped the evaluation team would find some distinct problem that we could all point to as the culprit. What we found instead was a demoralized teenager who had minor learning problems and a well-developed set of strategies for coping with several years of being labeled and discounted.

The physical environment at the Student Success Program is very relaxing and immediately put me at ease. It was really helpful for me to watch Bryan via closed circuit technology as he went through the different evaluation exercises. Opportunities for observing how your child functions in the classroom tend to end at middle school graduation. The most interesting part was learning more about how Bryan's mind works at 18 versus as a high school freshman when I tutored him in Algebra or as a very young child learning the phonetic sounds. To see how he solves problems now in a structured setting gave me a better understanding of how he is likely to approach the challenges of adult life.

When Bryan and I returned from lunch, we were ready for the demystification session - in fact, this was the part I was intensely interested in. I was sure we would come away with the equivalent of a diagnosis and prescription for success. Instead, the session was very informal, even low-key, and focused on Bryan's strengths. The two learning weaknesses uncovered during the evaluation were fully explained but minimized. The fact that Bryan is intact, having survived three challenging years, was the centerpiece. I had not seen Bryan smile so much in many months. 

I was relieved to get the technical information about "chunk size" and the slight disconnect between Bryan's visual and fine motor processing. This aspect of the evaluation helped to explain phenomena I had noticed over the years that seemed to continually trip Bryan up. But the most valuable information for me was to learn that my son is doing okay, despite these difficulties. He has taught himself to compensate for problem areas and has a strong will to succeed. What he needs most is support to believe that he is smart and uniquely talented, and that another world awaits him after high school where he will have more flexibility to pursue his interests. I can relax and be his advocate, knowing that there is much more going right than wrong. 

*The student’s name has been changed to Bryan