MY TYPICAL STUDENTS
My students are typically 5 to 18 year olds who struggle in school due to unique learning profiles (or special needs) that may or may not include: specific learning disability (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, visual processing disorder, nonverbal disability), autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), and speech and language impairments (expressive and receptive language delays, apraxia, dyspraxia).
My students may appear to be "lazy", "misbehaving", "spacey", "stubborn", "anxious", "overly emotional" or "attention seeking". These traits are usually a result of being overwhelmed, underestimated, misunderstood as a result of their underlying learning challenges.
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With expert private tutoring that addresses their special needs, many of my students develop an earnest desire to learn, not just for a “good grade”. As they gain confidence in their ability to learn, they become more motivated, independent learners. My students often discover they are like diamonds: rare and incredibly strong.
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Is special education good for "normal students" ?
Absolutely yes! Someone wise once said that "special education is good education." The main reason special education methodology is not typically used in the general education classroom is that it is perceived as less expedient, more expensive and more time consuming for the teacher. Furthermore, many general education teachers are not adequately trained in how to teach students who need specialized help in math, reading, writing, organization and self-regulation. Finally many students who need special education support are highly intelligent and other than failing in school, seem to be "normal", therefore they often fall through the cracks.