Demystification
How can we expect students to work on something if they don’t even know what it is called?
Through a process called "demystification," Success in Mind helps each student (and their parents) understand specific differences in learning and provides them with the language and insight to deal more effectively with their individual strengths and weaknesses.
“…I also learned that I have awesome vocabulary skills! They were very helpful to me and my Mom and when I left I felt good about myself! I want to go back soon!”
During the assessment day, our team of clinicians links a student’s Learning 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. At the end of the day, the clinician carefully explains to the student (as the parents observe) the connections between the student's neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses and his or her academic performance.
We believe this empowering and respectful process allows students to be a part of the solution and also helps them feel more confident about themselves. It encourages optimism and collaboration between students, parents, and teachers, and restores motivation by giving students a positive vision of their futures. Often we hear from parents that the demystification with our clinicians is the first time their child has been told about their specific strengths and what they do well.
We believe that "demystified" students and parents are far better prepared to implement accommodations or direct interventions and can also better recognize and appreciate individual differences in others. Why a student is struggling and what their strengths are shouldn’t be a mystery to anyone – especially the students themselves.
