How to help children who learn
differently succeed at school:
A Neuro-developmental Model
of Assessment and
Interventions
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Agenda

Housekeeping

Introduction of Rudolf Stockling

Presentation

Discussion
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1. Introduction of Rudolf Stockling
EDUCATION / MEMBERSHIP
 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) UNE Austr.
 Dip. in Education (Dip. Ed.) UNE
 Grad. Dip. School Couns. (Western Sydney)
 MSc (Psych) Wollongong
 Member Australian Psychological Society (APS)
 Registered Psychologist NSW Australia
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EXPERIENCE
 Secondary Teacher (4 Years)
 Educational Psychologist (12 Years)
 Psychologist in Private Practice (8 Years)
 Director of Assessment Lexicon Reading
Centre Dubai (at present)
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Aim of Presentation




introduce participants to the
Neuro-developmental Model of
Assessment and Interventions
that will
measurably improve their children's
success in school and life
by
providing interventions that integrate


educational, scientific, and clinical expertise.
are based on sound evidence
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Objectives of Presentation
Participants will be introduced to



eight neuro-developmental functions
(processes involved in learning) that make up
a person’s learning profile
indicators of strengths and weaknesses in
their children’s neuro-developmental
(learning) profile
strategies for some of the more common
profiles leading to difficulties at school
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Objectives of Presentation (cont.)
Participants will be able to
 discuss some individual issues relating
to their children
 discuss the next steps in supporting
their children at home and school
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Introduction
“Too many children struggle and fail
needlessly simply because the way
in which they learn is incompatible
with they way they’re being taught.”
Dr Mel Levine
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Introduction (cont.)


Each student has an unique “neurodevelopmental profile.”
A neuro-developmental profile is a
 balance sheet of individual strengths
and weaknesses
 in the various processes involved in
learning
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The Neuro-developmental
Model of Learning
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Important Elements of the
Neuro-developmental Model
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1. Positive View of Learning Diversity
2. Stress on Individual Learning
Profiles:
3. Quest for Specificity and Individuality
A Desire to Strengthen the Strengths
and Affinities of Children
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The Eight Neuro-developmental
Constructs (systems) are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Attention Control System
The Spatial Ordering System
Temporal-sequential Ordering
The Memory System
The Language System
The Neuro-motor Control System
The Social Cognition System
The Higher Order Cognition System
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1 Attention:
The ability
 to concentrate,
 to focus on one thing rather than the
other,
 to finish tasks one begins,
 to control what one says and does.
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2 Spatial Ordering:
The ability
 to distinguish between a circle and a
square,
 to use images to remember related
information,
 to visualize steps in a process,
 to understand tables, graphs etc.
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3. Temporal-sequential Ordering:
The ability
 to understand and use time and
sequence of
 events
and

pieces of information
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4. Memory:
The ability to
 to keep information in the mind long
enough to perform an operation
 to store the transformed information and
 to recall that information when needed
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Memory
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5. Language:
The ability
 to understand and articulate language
involves many separate kinds of abilities:
 awareness of different sounds
 pronouncing words
 comprehending written symbols
 understanding syntax
 telling stories.
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Decoding Activity:
Recognizing Phonemes
When you see
Pronounce as
q
z
p
b
ys
a, as in bat
e as in pet
d or t
m
b
p
er
e as in pet
a, as in bat
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Passage

We pegin our qrib eq a faziliar blace, a poqy like yours
enq zine.
Iq conqains a hunqraq qrillion calls qheq work
qogaqhys py qasign.
Enq wiqhin each one of qhese zany calls, each one
qheq hes QNA,
Qhe QNA coqe is axecqly qhe saze, a zess-broquceq
rasuze.
So qhe coqe in each call is iqanqical, a razarkaple puq
veliq claiz.
Qhis zeans qheq qhe calls are nearly alike, puq noq
axecqly qhe saze.
Qake, for insqence, qhe calls of qhe inqasqines; qheq
qhey're viqal is cysqainly blain.
Now qhink apouq qhe way you woulq qhink if qhose
calls wyse qhe calls in your prain.
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We begin our trip at a familiar place, a body like
yours and mine.
It contains a hundred trillion cells that work
together by design.
And within each one of these many cells, each
one that has DNA,
The DNA code is exactly the same, a massproduced resume.
So the code in each cell is identical, a remarkable
but valid claim.
This means that the cells are nearly alike, but not
exactly the same.
Take, for instance, the cells of the intestines; that
they're vital is certainly plain.
Now think about the way you would think if those
cells were the cells in your brain.
Excerpt from NOVA Online "Cracking the Code“
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/
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6. Neuro-motor Functions:
The ability to
to coordinate motor or muscle
functions
to match brain processes with motor
activity
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7. Social Cognition:
The ability to succeed in social
relationships with peers, parents, and
teachers
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8.Higher Order Cognition:
The ability to
 understand and implement the steps
necessary to



solve problems,
attack new areas of learning
think creatively.
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The Process of Identification
How do we identify a child’s neurodevelopmental strengths and
weaknesses to develop a learning
profile?
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Step 1: Profile Development
Look carefully at each of the functions of
the brain that can affect a student’s
learning and performance.
Involves:
 Student
 Teacher
 Parents
 Clinician
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Step 2: Demystification
Demystification means
 providing children (and parents) with
the language and insights to understand
their strengths and weaknesses
 making children part of the solution
team
 encourage communication between
clinician, children, teachers and parents
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Step 3: Interventions by Profile
Create an action plan for School / Home
It might include
 Accommodations
 Personalized Instruction
 Tutoring
 Remediation
 Speech Therapy
 Occupational Therapy
 Counselling,
 Medication,
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
Strategies
Bypass Strategies (Accommodations)

how to work around a weakness

One such strategy might allow a student
to do extra work in an area of strength,
while reducing demands in an area of
weakness
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Strategies (cont)

Interventions at the Breakdown
Points – (Remediation)
I
Interventions specifically designed to
strengthen an area of weakness.
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Strategies (cont)
Strengthening of Strengths –
(Tutoring)
Strategies that allow children
 to keep on using and
 improving the parts of their minds
 that work especially well for them.

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Strategies (cont)
Affinity Development – (Motivation)
This is a process of
 helping children discover and deepen
their natural interest in particular areas
(such as cars, horses, or nature). and
 use these interests to increase
motivation to attack difficulties

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Step 4: Follow-Up
The child’s profile and plan are reviewed
periodically, in order to
 monitor progress
 refine interventions
 make adjustments
 re-assess if interventions have limited
success
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Assessment and Intervention
Process
1. Data Gathering

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Teacher observation (questionnaires)
Parent observation (questionnaires)
Clinician’s Testing data
2. Data Consolidation

Evaluation Report
3. Intervention Plan

Case Conference
4. Demystification

Discussion with student
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Assessment and Intervention Process
(cont.)
5. Implementation


interventions are implemented
accommodations are implemented
6. Follow-Up

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student progress is assessed
accommodations/interventions are adapted
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References
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Levine Mel (2003): The Myth of Laziness. New
York: Simon and Schuster
Fletcher, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L. S., & Barnes,
M. A. (2007). Learning disabilities: From
identification to intervention. New York: Guilford
Sattler J(2006): Assessment Of Children:
Behavioral, Social, And Clinical Foundations Fifth
Edition. La Mesa: Sattler Publications
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Resources for Parents
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Professional Organizations
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org/
Provides information fact sheets for parents and caregivers, current research etc.
American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/
Contains general information for parents of children from birth through age 21.
American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/
The scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States.
Websites
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All Kinds of Minds: http://www.allkindsofminds.org/
Provides resources to help parents, educators, and clinicians
Learning Disabilities Association of America: http://ldaamerica.org/
Provides a wealth of information on understanding learning disabilities
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ncld.org/
An online guide to l information about learning, early literacy and learning resources,
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Thanks
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