Students with Learning Differences
Maximize Their Potential
We love the challenge of finding and building on these students’ strengths and maximizing their potential.
Neuro-diverse Learners &
Special Needs Students
Learning differently should never be a barrier to college admissions or success. We value and celebrate diversity in all its forms, including neuro-diverse learners that encompass conditions such as anxiety, autism/Asperger’s, dyslexia, and ADHD—as well as individuals with chronic illnesses that require special facilities and/or equipment.
Holding a PhD in educational psychology, our specialized counselor, Brooks Imel, has focused training in the area of cognition and learning, and has special expertise in working memory and executive function. Brooks has spent years studying the psychology of learning and has served as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Learning Disabilities, the flagship journal for the study of learning differences.
Brooks also has a special interest in helping students who have overcome trauma, addiction, or other difficult life circumstances that may have interfered with their learning—and who are ready to get their education "back on track"!
Let us find the college where your child can succeed and become prepared for a personally rewarding career.
Counseling for Neuro-diverse Special Needs Students
In addition to all of the general college counseling services provided, our LD college counselor offers the following specialized knowledge and guidance:
Evaluation of LD student’s college needs
Review of educational history, psychoeducational testing and accommodation plans
In-depth interviews with students and parents—and possibly educational psychologist and teachers
College readiness and personality/career assessments
Building a compelling academic profile
Course selection related to your student’s special needs and skills
Recommendation of academic & test prep tutors specializing in LD students
Educational strategies for LD students
Whether/when to disclose learning differences
Educational options, disability services and assistive technologies at specific colleges
Remedial or developmental courses offered—or substitutions for math or foreign language requirements
Finding “right fit” schools: academically challenging, LD supportive, and socially appropriate
Identify schools with excellent career assessment and planning services for LD students
Guidance on how to evaluate schools for specific needs of your student
Preparing for independence in college
Guidance about required documentation to gain accommodations in college
Strategies for developing self-advocacy to gain deserved support and accommodations—and to take full advantage of the support services available to them.
Transition planning
Sometimes students are not ready for the jump from high school to college. This is especially true for students who struggle with executive functioning.
Our LD counselor can help students craft an individualized transition plan that will help them build the confidence, independence, and self-advocacy skills they'll need to succeed in college--and beyond!