Learning Disabilities Charlotte

Who are the Educational Specialists at Child and Family Development?

Established in 1980, Child and Family Development has been serving the needs of children and their families in Charlotte. Our pediatric therapy team has over 400 years of combined clinical experience, with expertise and additional certifications in many diagnostic areas.

Our Educational Specialists are trained to evaluate and treat the underlying causes of learning difficulties. Learning concerns may involve specific disorders of reading, writing, and mathematics or problems with attention, organization and study skills.

All of the Educational Specialists at C&FD have advanced graduate degrees in the field of Special Education. They help students understand their learning style, strengthen underlying processing weaknesses and develop strategies for school success.

Educational Specialists offer the following services to maximize growth and development:

• Developmental Screenings and School Readiness Assessments for children 3-5 years of age to help parents plan for the most appropriate learning environment for their child.
• Comprehensive Educational Evaluations to identify a child’s learning strengths and weaknesses
• School Consultations to present a child’s learning strengths and weaknesses to the school to provide the ground work for developing a team approach to meeting the child’s school needs and establishing informed parent advocacy.
• Treatment of Learning Disorders in Reading, Mathematics, Written Expression, Literacy Readiness, Handwriting, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Phonological Processing Delays through an Individual Educational Treatment Plan
• Support for children and adolescents with learning concerns including Study Skills, Homework Strategies, Time Management, Test Taking Strategies through individual treatment as well as intensive small group session available if needed

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Lancaster, South Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is less than 5 miles from the border and easily accessible from I-77 and the 485 loop.

Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs.

We participate in many insurance plans.  Also, some of our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy providers accept South Carolina Medicaid. 

The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest. 

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Rock Hill, South Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is less than 5 miles from the border and easily accessible from I-77 and the 485 loop.

Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs.

We participate in many insurance plans.  Also, some of our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy providers accept South Carolina Medicaid. 

The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest. 

When looking at behavior, there are close similarities displayed with both children who have attention difficulties (ADD/ ADHD) and sensory processing disorder (SPD).  Co-morbid diagnoses may include Autism, Developmental Delays, and Learning Disabilities.  Common characteristics for children with both sensory seeking SPD and ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type) are as follows: impulsivity, excessive activity, disorganization, impatience and poor self-control. 

However, more specifically, children who have SPD tend to be more in control of stopping impulsive behaviors.  They may crave activity relating to a specific sensory system, may become more organized after receiving proper sensory input and may be more patient while waiting if give proper sensory input.  They commonly poke/pull/touch others without proper sensory input.

Those who have ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type), tend to continue impulsive behaviors, be disorganized and have difficulty waiting-even with sensory input.  They tend to crave activity not related to a specific sensory system.  They often talk a lot, impulsively interrupt, and have difficulty waiting a turn during a conversation.

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Fort Mill, South Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is just 13 miles from there and easily accessible from I-77 and the 485 loop.

Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs.

We participate in many insurance plans.  Also, some of our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy providers accept South Carolina Medicaid. 

The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest. 

For Children:

Ο        Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. & E. Dixon, Ph.D. (2004).

Ο        Putting on the Breaks by P. Quinn, M.D. & J. Stern, M.A. (2008).

Ο        Cory Stories by J. Kraus & W. Martin (2004).

For Teens:

Ο        The ADHD Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Gain Motivation and Confidence by L. Honos-Webb, Ph.D. (2011).

Ο        The Girls' Guide To AD/HD: Don't Lose This Book! by B. Walker (2009).

For Young Adults:

Ο        Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD, by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. (2006).

Ο        ADD and the College Student: A Guide for High School and College Students with Attention Deficit Disorder by P. Quinn, MD. (2001).

With diverse clinical expertise, interests and experiences, the Child and Family Development team of psychologists is ready to provide a wide range of evaluation and treatment services.

MIDTOWN OFFICE

Carol Capehart, MA, LPA, is a licensed psychological associate with

about 20 years of clinical experience. Carol has extensive training and

experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism

spectrum disorders (ASD) and founded our ASD evaluative services in

2006. Prior to that, she spent many years working in public schools with

children of all ages and learning abilities.

Gretchen Hunter, Ph.D., CRC, is a licensed psychologist and Certified

Rehabilitation Counselor with a specialty in neuropsychology. She has

experience providing neuropsychological evaluations to children and

adolescents with neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, learning

disabilities and attention related disorders. She provides individual,

family and group psychotherapy and behavior intervention to children

and adolescents.

Kristina Murphy, Psy.D, HSP-P, is a licensed psychologist who

provides psychotherapy and evaluations to children, adolescents and

young adults. Her specialized focus is adolescents and transitions to

High School and College. Areas of clinical expertise include anxiety,

depression, attention disorders, learning disabilities, life transitions and

adjustment issues.

SOUTH CHARLOTTE OFFICE

Annada Hypes, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in

the treatment of adolescents and young adults. Dr. Hypes specializes in

treating mood and impulse-control disorders, including depression, self harm,

substance abuse, disordered eating and attention disorders. She regularly offers social skills groups for girls. 

Joy Granetz, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with over thirteen years

of experience. She provides neuropsychological and psychoeducational

evaluations with special focus in working with children and adolescents

with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders

and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz is one of a few practitioners in North Carolina

offering Cogmed Working Memory Training, an innovative computer based

training program to help children with attention difficulties.

Chris Vrabel, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in child

evaluation and child and family therapy. He has expertise in the assessment of

autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention disorders, learning disabilities and

other developmental, behavioral and emotional problems. Dr. Vrabel also

provides therapy to children and families with concerns regarding ADHD,

behavior problems, depression, anxiety, social difficulties and other issues.

Read the blog, visit the website, or contact the offices to learn more about our child psychology services.

What are Executive Skills Disorders?

Many students, particularly students with learning disabilities, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, struggle upon entering middle school and high school. All at once, the student must shift from learning the specific academic skills of reading, writing and math to applying their academic skills in the content area. They now must be prepared to do literary analysis, report writing, and the reasoning of higher level math. Tackling this next learning step requires the student to draw upon the executive skills of prioritizing, multi-tasking, and time management. The struggle to garner one’s executive skills is frequently observed in these types of behaviors:

• Does homework, but forgets to turn it in
• Loses assignments
• Forgets materials
• Gets good test scores but loses points on daily homework grades
• Ignores or dreads homework

If this sounds familiar, the child's executive skills are likely not up to these tasks.

The executive control needed to handle these organizational demand increases dramatically upon entering middle and high school. Yet, the organizational support a student needs to learn these skills actually decreases. Consequently, many children with weak executive skills require direct instruction and individualized instructional support to manage the routine of studying, note taking, and homework.

Educators at Child and Family Development are experienced in working with these middle school and high school students who struggle.

Because it is not necessarily considered an academic subject with a grade, handwriting sometimes garners less attention than it deserves. However, there is great value in receiving strong handwriting instruction during the primary years.

• The ability to effectively manipulate a pencil is essential in sharing one’s ideas on paper. Students who struggle with their pencil grip often experience hand fatigue and find themselves unable to finish writing tasks. Also, for children who have difficulty knowing how to form letters, the act of writing even single words can become a chore. Even though these students may have a rich fund of verbal information, they may write very short, choppy sentences when asked to put their ideas to paper. In doing so, they fail to share all that they know.
• Handwriting is also essential in all academic subjects. In language arts, children must spell and write stories and reports. In science, they have to record data. In foreign language, they must write sentences and paragraphs. Especially as they get older, students have to listen to verbal instruction and quickly record notes. If they cannot write in an accurate and efficient manner, they may miss or fail to understand important information that is required for test preparation and papers.
• Finally, handwriting goes along with the skills that are taught in other areas. As children learn to write individual letters, they make associations with sound sequences and whole words. They begin to make connections among the things they are learning.

Difficulty with handwriting may also accompany the underlying struggles associated with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or reading and writing disorders. As an Educational Specialist at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, I administer comprehensive evaluations to determine the presence of learning disabilities. I also enjoy consulting with parents about their concerns in these areas.

Looking back on my days in elementary school, I remember the banging of erasers and washing the board as a special job. The cringing of someone scratching a chalkboard is long over.  These days, students may ask "What's a chalkboard?". Classrooms now are filled with an amazing amount of technology, from computers, laptops and smart boards. Schools are constantly trying to keep up with the endless amount of technology available to them.

As a Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist, I have had to put away some of my dittos and articulation cards and move forward with the technology. When working on expressive and receptive language skills, Powerpoints and SmartBoard Activities have become the norm. Flip Videos are now used for teaching social skill lessons to children with Autism. 

I purchased an Ipad a few months ago and have found that children with disabilities can do things on an Ipad that most adults cannot. I have seen a child who is non-verbal increase expressive language skills by using the Ipad to communicate. A 2 year old with a developmental delay was able to navigate through an activity, gaining a sense of independence while increasing receptive language skills.

We have to face it. Our world is more technologically based than it has ever been. Children with Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Learning Disabilities or Developmental Delays will benefit from early use and exposure to computers and other forms of technology.

If you are interested in learning more about how technology can help your child, please contact me at jwalton@childandfamilydevelopment.com.

• illegible writing (despite appropriate time and attention to task)
• inconsistencies in writing (ie: mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case; irregular sizes, shapes, or slant of letters)
• unfinished words or letters, omitted words
• poor use of margins; decreased alignment
• inconsistent spacing between words and letters
• cramped or unusual grip
• strage wrist, body, or paper position
• talking to self while writing, or carefully watching the hand that is writing
• slow or labored copying or writing - even if it is neat and legible
• content which does not reflect the child's other language skills

The term ‘IQ’ actually stands for Intelligence Quotient, which was coined by William Stern in the 1920’s. There are many different theories on intelligence and how and if it can truly be measured.

IQ tests, currently often referred to as cognitive tests, have their limitations.

One may seek out cognitive testing, or IQ testing, for certain purposes. One reason may be to gain access into a private school or to receive enrichment services. Another reason it to gather information on a child’s  thinking and reasoning skills in conjunction with academic functioning to investigate if a learning disability is present.

If you have questions about testing, you can contact a child psychologist at Child and Family Development to see if testing your child is appropriate.

Does your child resist completing assignments that require handwriting?  Does he find ways to avoid writing activities?  

Handwriting is a complex skill that requires postural stability, fine motor strength and coordination, good visual perceptual skills, motor planning, higher level cognitive skills.  There could be several explanations for this avoidance as there are many skills needed to write.



What skills does my child need to be able to write?

1. Your child must have a strong base of support or core muscles to sit upright at a table to complete writing activities.
2. Your child needs adequate fine motor strength, coordination and grasping skills to write for any length of time
3. Your child must have strong visual perceptual skills to allow for visual memory of formation of letters, visual spatial awareness for spacing and alignment, etc.
4. Your child must demonstrate good motor planning or praxis skills and executive function in order to form an idea, organize his/her thoughts, and put his/her thoughts into writing

How do I know what area my child is struggling with?

One of the first steps you can take is to schedule an occupational therapy evaluation for your child.  An occupational therapist will assess your child, focusing on the skills identified above, to determine what area(s) might be impacting your child's success with writing.

An occupational therapist can then provide you with a list of recommendations to address the areas of difficulty that were identified during the evaluation. If your child does not qualify for occupational therapy services, he may be referred for a psychological/educational evaluation to determine if the he may have difficulty with executive function, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or another learning disability.

What can I do to help my child?

• Don't assume that your child is being disobedient or defiant in not completing his writing assignments
• Encourage and support your child, praising him for the work they have completed
• Help your child break down writing assignments into smaller portions so that they can handle them without becoming overwhelmed
• Provide your child with a way to help him organize their thoughts such as a "word web"
• Allow your child to type out his assignments to eliminate the handwriting portion while trying to put his thoughts into words
• Implement other strategies recommended by an occupational therapist, child psychologist or educational specialist

     Child and Family Development is pleased to offer Cogmed Working Memory Training. 
 

Joy Granetz, Ph.D. is one of a few trained Practitioners in our area.

Dr. Granetz is a North Carolina licensed psychologist and has over twelve years of extensive experience.  Dr. Granetz is based at our South Charlotte clinic where she provides neuropsychological assessment and psychoeducational evaluations of children and adolescents with special focus in working with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders, and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz also provides therapy for children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties. She is proud to lead our Cogmed Working Memory Training program, an innovative computer-based training program to help children with attention deficits.

Cogmed Working Memory Training is a home-based program that helps people with attention problems by training and increasing their working memory capacity. Clinically proven results demonstrate that after training, people improve their ability to concentrate, control impulsive behavior, and better utilize complex reasoning skills. Better academic and professional performance can be achieved.

Visit their website, www.cogmed.com, for more information about this state-of-the-art intervention. A free parent webinar is available.

To find out if Cogmed Working Memory Training is right for you, call our South Charlotte office (704.541.9080) to schedule an initial appointment.