Background and Experience
Welcome to the Educational Therapy practice of Kathy Sonnad, M.Ed/ET, a learning specialist with over twenty five years of experience. My professional background includes: classroom teaching, parent education and consultation, teacher training, homeschool instruction, working as a reading specialist in private practice and educational therapy for students in grades K-12.
I graduated with honors from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA with a Bachelor's of Science degree. My undergraduate curriculum focused on human behavior and development, neuropsychology, and developmental reading and education. Graduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA led to a Master’s Degree in Education with a core emphasis in developmental reading, special education, and a minor in teaching English as a Second Language. Post Master’s training and Certification in Educational Therapy At CSUN provided expertise in the evaluation and remediation of learning disabilities of students in elementary and secondary education.
So, why did I dedicate my life to learning about the brain, how people learn, what gets in the way, etc? Growing up, I was not a student who liked school. In fact, I was extremely clever in coming up with excuses not to go! Maybe it had something to do with starting kindergarten at age 4 because I was an "early reader" and writer. I was always so much younger than my classmates. Truth be told, I lived in a constant state of fear and worry. I was afraid to make mistakes. I would go completely blank on tests - even when I knew the material so well the night before. I felt stupid and thought there must be something wrong with me. I was different from the other kids. I tried to hide in the back of the classroom so the teachers wouldn't call on me. I wished to be invisible. Then, when I was a junior in high school and feeling as though my future was bleak, my parents decided to have me evaluated by a school psychologist. Long story short - it turns out my intelligence is just fine - "well above the norm" - and something about having "very strong abstract thinking abilities". Hmm...so why did I have so many issues in school? At the time (late 1970's /early 1980's), they didn't know all that much about AD/HD or its best friend 'anxiety'. Had they understood better, perhaps I would have been provided with more time or a quieter room to take tests and quizzes. They would have recognized my "perfectionist traits" as anxiety manifesting itself. It took a while for me to start believing in my ability to "shine" in academics. Eventually, with the support of family, friends, faith, and good tutors, I was able to show - FINALLY- what I had studied for in tests. I also began to realize that I wanted to be for other students who were smart but struggling, the "person I most needed when I was growing up". I truly know how they feel.
I have been providing educational therapy services to private and public school students for the past twelve years through my private practice located at 910-C Hampshire Road, Westlake Village, CA. 91361
What is the Educational Therapist's Role?
Educational Therapy
Many parents ask me to define the difference between Educational Therapy (ET) and Tutoring. The basic definition of an Educational Therapist is:
“a professional who combines educational and therapeutic approaches for evaluation, remediation, case management, and communication/advocacy on behalf of children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities or learning problems.” (see aetonline.org)
Educational therapy offers children or adults, who face learning challenges at school or in the workplace a wide range of specific, individualized interventions to alleviate or reduce those learning difficulties. Educational therapy demystifies learning problems and helps clients become aware of how they might use their strengths to compensate for any areas of weakness. Tutoring usually focuses on one subject or a certain test or assignment. Educational therapy gives the student the learning tools needed for any number of subjects or assignments.
How does an Educational Therapist help a client or student?
One of the primary roles of the educational therapist is to foster self-confident, independent learners who become aware of their learning profiles and can begin to advocate for themselves. An ET creates and implements an individualized plan based on the client’s needs. These needs are determined by formal and informal assessments, psychological evaluations, school or work history, social/emotional profile, family schedule, and time/energy levels. The ET may communicate with other professionals for advocacy and effective case management purposes in serving the needs of a client.
What are the core principles of Educational Therapy?
Educational Therapy recognizes the social and emotional aspects of learning. The ET is committed to developing a relationship of open communication with the client and, where applicable, with his/her parents, based on trust and mutual respect. The ET creates a safe learning environment and may function as a case manager and collaborator, as appropriate. ETs help clients and parents understand child development so that realistic goals and expectations may be created and benchmarks recognized. ETs are committed to maintaining confidentiality and to acting in accordance with the AET Code of Ethics in serving the needs of their clients.
There are estimated millions of children and adults with average to superior intelligence who experience academic difficulties. Educational Therapy can help these individuals progress and meet their goals. Educational therapy can Benefit students who struggle with:
- Completing homework or school work in a timely manner
- Associating sounds with letters
- Remembering printed words
- Understanding what is read or heard
- Following oral or written instructions
- Understanding math concepts or recalling math facts
- Time management
- Study Skills
- Organizational Skills
- Working independently
Services Provided
Initial Intake and Assessment. The intake consists of the following: parent and child interviews, informal assessments in reading, writing, and math, review of formal evaluations such as neuropsychological reports and/or educational psychological testing, and recent school progress reports. The initial intake usually takes between one to three sessions to complete. On occasion, the educational therapist may interview other allied professionals in the treatment plan such as teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, pediatricians, and psychologists.
Formulate Individualized Goals and Treatment Plans for monitoring progress. An individualized set of goals is created for the client based on the intake information. The parents and students are encouraged to take part in this process. Typical areas addressed are:
- Academic - reading, writing, math, spelling, study skills, critical thinking skills, EF Skills, etc.
- Non-Academic strategies for learning, organization, problem solving, attention, self-esteem, self-advocacy, awareness of strengths and challenges, etc.
- Socio-Emotional - strategies to address the interrelationship between emotions, behavior, and learning. Providing a safe place for students to express feelings that affect learning.
Provide One-to-One Direct and Systematic Instruction using research-based curriculum and multi-modal remediation materials such as:
- Reading Remediation - Lindamood-Bell, Wilson Reading Systems, Touch Phonics, Explode the Code, Phonemic Awareness, Read Naturally (fluency), etc.
- Writing Intervention at the word, sentence and paragraph levels. Handwriting Without Tears, Step Up to Writing, L.E.A, Jane Schaffer, etc.
- Math - Touch Math System, Math-U-See, Common Core Math
- Executive Function Skills, Time Management, and Organization Skills