Our program was first designed for our teenage daughter -- and we needed a tool that helped identify how she learned best, where she was strong, and where she was struggling -- the Structure of Intellect Assessment (R) served her well and has helped hundreds of our teenage students.
Many smart struggling teenagers learn best when they see and experience information – these students often struggle, despite massive investments of time, money and effort -- by the students and their parents.
We label the students GOLD Students (TM) or Gifted Operating with a Learning Difference, because these students have many gifts, they learn differently and if a program is tailored to their strengths, while addressing their challenges, it can be far more successful
Below, we have listed 7 key issues that parents face, even when they have invested in a thorough psycho-educational or neuro-psychological review
Issue 1
Parents and students realize there is a significant differential between the teenager’s potential and their performance, and the student and the parents are frustrated. We realized we needed a tool that was valuable to the parents and the students and would lead to action.
One guidance counselor at a private school recommended asking 32 parents to get psycho-educational tests, the cost would have been $2500 a piece or $80,000 in total. The principal merely asked, “What will we do differently as a result of the tests?” The seven professionals in the room said nothing.
How SOI Helps
The SOI Assessment shows how the student learns best – this focuses the process on programs and professionals that match the student’s learning style and address the co-existing conditions.
Issue 2
Visual perception issues are very common for teenagers – many traditional assessments miss these issues that include skipping words and lines when reading, difficulty copying information and/or reversing letters and numbers - and often impact athletic performance.
How SOI Helps
The SOI helps by:
Identifying the issues through 6 sub-tests demonstrating the issues with concrete examples
We supplement this with a Visagraph (R) that shows the issue to the parents and the student -- as one teenager said to his mom, "I really do have a problem seeing what I read".
Issue 3
Public and private schools want to know how to help the student
How SOI Helps
The SOI provides specific tools that can be used by trained professionals and provides schools with prescriptive recommendations. One Boca Raton principal asked her Special Education Specialist why they stopped using the SOI and she said,
“Because the Federal Government requires us to find out what is wrong with a student”.
The SOI on the other hand shows us how the student learns best, their underlying strengths and challenges, and whether they have underlying vision or auditory issues. It then provides specific actions to improve performance.
Issue 4
Teenagers often have trouble with processing speed, timed tests and copying off the board - and sometimes teachers and parents are unsure if the problem is real.
How SOI Helps
The SOI both identifies these issues and provides concrete information that can be shared with the schools to get appropriate accommodations – It also provides insights on whether accommodations may be needed for school and SATs.
Issue 5
Teenagers, who know they are smart, are often tired of hearing:
“You are just lazy and unmotivated”.
“You are not as smart as …”
“If you just put your mind to it …”
How SOI Helps
Teenagers are often delighted to see:
- How many skills they are above grade level on, and even way above grade level
- That there are just a few weaknesses holding them back
- That all the issues can be improved, and that once they are, everything gets even better
With our son, he had a stronger SOI than all the other members of the family – including his brother at Columbia University – with this knowledge and the follow-up, both his mindset and his skills improved.
Issue 6
Successful parents often learn differently themselves – they are creative, problem solvers, and can see what others cannot see. Parents and teenagers want the student to be Outrageously Successful. They want a game plan that will explain to them:
- Where the student is strong
- Where the student struggles and why
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How they can help the student to be Outrageously Successful with a combination of services from Outside Professionals and their local Educational Professionals
How SOI Helps
When Dr. Guilford and Meeker developed and improved the SOI, they focused on:
- The underlying learning skills needed for success
- Developing systems that can be used to improve all the skills
- Making the tools easy to use
Issue 7
Teenagers are often frustrated with assessments -- that are focused on what is wrong. We believe it is imperative to tie the feedback to school, college and what interests the students --whether it is baseball, football, golf, tennis or hockey.
How the SOI and The Interactive Metronome Help
Students want to know how this can help them. With the feedback on the SOI and Interactive Metronome, which measures attention and timing, we can:
- Provide insight into why the student has been excelling in some areas and struggling in others
- Explain why they are good athletes -- and how they can apply the tools we use to improve their sports performance -- athletes from St. Thomas Aquinas, the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Panthers have used the Interactive Metronome to improve their performance.