Process & Programs FAQs

Find quick answers about HOLS educational assessments and learning evaluations and how they support student growth.

Which age groups do you work with?

We work with clients of all ages – from 4 to 90!

What are your Educational Specialists qualifications?

Our team of Educational Specialists is the key to our success with each client. Each individual is carefully selected and extensively trained to be effective in their work. They are chosen based on their education, personal background, and gifts/talents. Each has a passion for their work and extensive experience working with children. Creative, engaging, and nurturing, our Educational Specialists come alongside the student and family to guide and deliver programs that will bring about the changes needed for students to become successful learners.

All our staff have been thoroughly trained in each of the programs that they provide by our educational director, Laura Parker. We require a minimum of 60 hours of initial training and observation before Educational Specialists begin working with a client independently. We perform regular, ongoing education for new programs and disabilities. We also send our Educational Specialists to professional training or bring specialists in to train and educate. Educational Specialists are well supervised and guided with each student. We meet weekly to discuss programs, student progress, and staff development.

Do you work one-on-one?

Yes. This allows us to provide the intensity, individualization, and specific feedback needed to make significant changes in the shortest time possible. Each student will have a specific schedule and an Educational Specialist (or a team of specialists) to work with regularly.

Do you work with groups?

No. We have found the best way to make the needed changes and provide a personal, positive, and enjoyable experience for students is to work individually. Because the programs are tailored to each client’s needs, delivering them in a group setting would slow each individual’s progress and reduce effectiveness.

Such personal training is essential to the strategies we employ. To make real, lasting changes in the brain, students must be challenged. Working one-on-one allows us to stretch students’ thinking in a very supportive, encouraging, and confidence-building environment.

 
 

How long does it take before I see results?

We usually begin seeing changes within the first few weeks. Changes always occur in the clinic first, and then transfer to home and the classroom. The first area we always target is self-esteem, motivation, and anxiety. It is difficult for a student to learn if they perceive they are not smart. In the first few weeks we are able to complete tasks with a student that allow them to realize that they are capable and able to succeed. This becomes the turning point at which the student becomes willing to work with us as a team and put in the effort in more difficult tasks. As skills are gained, the student’s motivation and abilities build upon each other.

So what’s a realistic time frame? The length of any program depends on the number and severity of the student’s learning challenges and the intensity and frequency of the sessions. This is something we can discuss realistically once an assessment and program have been designed.

What do your learning sessions look like?

All our clients are serviced one-to-one in a directed teaching basis. Our programs are multisensory, customized, and incorporate movement, in order to provide the individual with the stimulation needed to be an alert and efficient learner. Some programs use specialized materials or equipment. Sessions are held in individual offices. We also have a movement or ‘fun room’ for sensory motor development and attention training. A few of our programs use a computer. All activities are supervised and directed by the Education Specialist.

Each session begins with movement for motivation as well as integration of the body and mind. By starting our day with movement, the students are put at ease and begin by having fun. This builds in a lot of motivation for our students to want to come and work hard. Integrating movement allows the individual to be alert and present.

The bulk of the session is spent in the Learning Specialist’s private office. We believe in order to provide the best delivery of our programs, the client and Educational Specialist need to work in an environment where distractions are limited. Depending on the client’s needs, our Educational Specialists have a variety of motivational systems they can choose from to inspire great effort.

At the end of the session, if the client has put forth good effort and completed the tasks they were given, they get to choose and play an end of session game. This part is also important to the motivation of many of our clients. We also have reward charts, which upon completion, a student can earn individual prizes.