Psychological Assistance for Children with Learning Difficulties

Our center's specialists:

• Conduct high-quality diagnostics of attention, memory, thinking, and speech development.
• Identify the cause of learning difficulties.
• Develop an individualized strategy and tactics for corrective and developmental work.

Psychological assistance for children with learning difficulties is carried out within the framework of neuropsychological correction (neurocorrection). The center has developed the "Comprehensive Neuropsychological Support Program for Children with Learning Difficulties."

Neuropsychological Correction Includes the Following Stages:

1. Diagnostic stage (2-3 sessions).
2. Establishment stage – individually adapted depending on the child's contact level.
3. Individual sessions.
4. Group sessions.
5. Follow-up diagnostics.

The program consists of a cycle of sessions for children who have various problems that hinder their adaptation to society but, in general, are at a developmental level close to their healthy peers or at the lower threshold of the "norm." The most common cases involve dysontogenesis.

These children may experience:

• Learning and behavioral maladaptation.
• Difficulties in acquiring reading, writing, and math skills.
• Underdeveloped spatial perception.
• Reduced memory and attention functions.
• General motor clumsiness, instability, and exhaustion of nervous processes.
• Decreased overall efficiency, motor inhibition, or excessive impulsivity.
• Heightened reactivity and distractibility.
• Intellectual decline, lack of self-control, and inability to anticipate situations.
• Emotional and personality deviations, impulsive behavior, and characteristic personality traits.
• Frequent illnesses, allergies, speech disorders (logoneurosis, dysarthria), tics, and compulsive movements.
• Lack of basic skills and social deprivation.
• Need for preparation before transitioning to special education institutions or individual learning programs.

Methodological Basis of the Program

The correctional program is based on modern neuropsychological theories (A.R. Luria’s theory of brain development and hierarchical brain organization, L.S. Tsvetkova’s neuropsychological rehabilitation approach, and the principle of "substituting ontogenesis").

Neuropsychological correction follows a three-level system, where each level has a specific target of influence and is aimed at all three brain blocks.

1. Level 1 – Involuntary self-regulation, energy supply, and balance of neuropsychosomatic processes.
2. Level 2 – Operational interaction with oneself and the external world.
3. Level 3 – Voluntary self-regulation, thinking, and meaning-forming functions of mental processes.

The correctional process gradually incorporates exercises from all three levels. However, the weight and duration of each method vary depending on the child’s initial condition.

• The deeper the deficit, the more attention and time is dedicated to Level 1, with a gradual transition to the next levels.
• Level 2 automatisms are integrated into Level 2 and 3 exercises as part of each task.
• The application of different level methods requires a well-planned strategy based on a differentiated neuropsychological diagnosis of the child's deficiencies.

Goals and Objectives of the Program

By influencing the sensorimotor level, taking into account the general laws of ontogenesis, we aim to:

• Activate the development of all higher mental functions (HMF).
• Expand adaptive capacities, develop communication skills, and foster a positive self-assessment.
• Teach children how to handle dangerous situations and resist negative peer influences.

Level 1 Goals:

• Stabilization and activation of the body's energy potential (subcortical formations).
• Enhancing the plasticity of sensorimotor processes.
• Developing basic components of voluntary self-regulation.

Tasks:

• Optimizing overall body tone and working on "problem areas."
• Resolving synkinesia (unintended movements).
• Expanding fields of visual perception.
• Developing sensorimotor interactions.

Level 2 Goals:

• Developing operational support for mental processes.
• Optimizing and correcting sensorimotor interactions.
• Strengthening the basic elements of voluntary self-regulation.

Tasks:

• Improving sensorimotor interactions.
• Developing spatial awareness.
• Enhancing body image perception.
• Mastering external and body space orientation.
• Developing visual-motor coordination.
• Improving agility and accuracy.

Level 3 Goals:

• Developing the meaning-forming function of mental processes and voluntary self-regulation.
• Advancing higher mental functions.

Tasks:

• Establishing rituals, game rules, and roles.
• Developing memory, attention, logical and imaginative thinking.
• Understanding cause-and-effect relationships and sequence.
• Training voluntary attention.
• Building teamwork and communication skills.
• Forming new, beneficial habits and skills.

Comprehensive Neuropsychological Diagnosis

• Conducted at the beginning and end of the program cycle.
• Depending on the child's condition, the program may range from short-term outpatient support to long-term intervention.
• The effectiveness of correctional work is evaluated based on the child’s ability to integrate cognitive and regulatory levels of mental activity.

Neuropsychological Support as a Continuous Process

• Neuropsychological support (correction, prevention, habilitation) for atypical development is a continuous diagnostic process that adapts to the child’s rapid developmental changes.
• The plasticity and receptivity of a child’s brain (when approached correctly) lead to significant improvements in their cognitive potential.
• If unaddressed, underdeveloped brain structures will hinder and distort the entire psychological development process.
• Cognitive delays inevitably affect a child’s interests, needs, and emotional-personal structure.

Our Approach

• All sessions at our center are conducted by qualified specialists following individually tailored programs for each child.