The dePaul School - Louisville

As a young child, Beth* seemed to have every reason to excel in school. She learned to read early, and could always read far better than her peers. Her parents motivated her to do well, and enrolled her in a highly-regarded private school. Her teachers were capable and genuinely interested in their students' progress. But unbeknownst to everyone, difficult times lay ahead for Beth.

Throughout her early years in school, Beth experienced frustration and troubles. She had a hard time paying attention in class. She daydreamed quite a bit, and had difficulty concentrating on her work. She was very disorganized. Beth's teachers observed that she often failed to understand and remember directions unless they were explained step-by-step.

In addition to these general challenges, Beth was struggling with mathematics and reading comprehension. She had a very dedicated math teacher who tried "every way [she] knew" to help her to understand new concepts, but the right avenue to Beth's learning was not found. In Language Arts, Beth had great difficulty remembering and applying what she had read, even though she seemed to read far more easily than any of her classmates. These specific academic hurdles added to Beth's growing feelings of being different from everyone else. Beth became easily frustrated, and experienced more and more anxiety about going to school.

Beth's teachers were perplexed by her struggles. It was clear that she was very intelligent and that she was trying her hardest. Why wasn't she more successful in class? They could see the frustration and distress mount on this young girl's shoulders, and they tried to find ways to ease her anxiety. For example, her math teacher developed a special code with Beth. She knew that Beth tended to write an answer for every problem -- whether she knew it or not -- so that other students would not notice her difficulties. She arranged for Beth to write an asterisk (*) beside these made-up answers, so she could distinguish them from genuine mistakes. But such solutions did not address the source of Beth troubles: she still was not learning well, and she was feeling ashamed of this.

Beth's difficulties were experienced at home, as well. She was impulsive, often acting without regard for consequences. Homework took most of every evening, and her mother spent significant amounts of time helping her. Her parents described her as "obsessive" about her daily schedule, getting upset and stressed by any last minute changes in her routine. She began to vent her frustrations through emotional outbursts, which became more and more frequent. Of great concern was Beth's weight, which was dropping due to stress.

Throughout these years, Beth's parents devoted themselves to finding solutions for their daughter's problems. They conferred with her teachers and hired a tutor to help with academics. They obtained counseling for Beth to help her identify and cope with her frustrations. Beth was diagnosed with ADHD, and medication was prescribed to help her control her attention and impulsivity. Beth's home behavior improved, but she continued to experience failure and frustration at school. She needed a school setting better suited to her needs. They decided to look into The de Paul School.

As part of the admissions procedure, the de Paul's assessment team used specific tests to determine whether de Paul was a good match for Beth's needs. Through this battery of assessments, the school was able to identify three key points regarding Beth:

If Beth was to reach her potential, she needed to learn to maintain her attention and better organize her class materials and written work. She needed to remediate her reading comprehension and math skills. But to achieve any of this, she needed a program which would capture and maintain her attention and teach her in ways which she would understand and remember.

The de Paul Difference

Beth entered The de Paul School this year for her fifth grade year. Her teachers use a variety of short activities and hands-on materials throughout each lesson to help maintain her attention. Her teachers also apply many simple techniques, such as movement around the room, eye contact, thoughtful organization of the classroom, and clear directions, which have dramatic results with students who have attention difficulties. Beth is able to concentrate better, and is therefore able to learn better.

Through multisensory activities and many opportunities to practice, Beth began to fill in the gaps in her mathematics knowledge. To improve Beth's reading comprehension, her teachers are teaching her strategies which will keep her actively engaged in what she reads. Her math skills are approaching grade level, and she now demonstrates excellent comprehension of what she reads.

While she is learning successfully in her subject areas, Beth has also been learning student skills. These skills, including how to organize her written work and how to keep track of homework assignments, will ensure her continued progress. Her teachers notice and applaud the improvements in her handwriting and general organization. She has also begun learning about her own learning; her teachers help Beth and her classmates to evaluate which study methods generate the best results for them individually. She continues to learn how to harness her impulsivity and take her time with math computation and with her handwriting. Her teachers describe her as an "efficient" worker, making good use of her time and staying on task until an assignment is completed.

Just as important, though, are the non-academic improvements Beth has experienced. Beth is a resilient child, and has flourished as her obstacles have been removed. Now several months into her first year at de Paul, she is a more confident student. She better understands her learning attributes, participates a great deal in class, and is taking risks in the classes which are hard for her. Her weight has normalized, and her anxiety has reduced greatly. She has set a personal goal to "not be scared when asking for help." Her mother speaks of "all the positives beyond academics" that she sees. Mother notes, "Beth is a different child than she was a few months ago."

Beth speaks highly of her experience so far at de Paul.

Beth's learning ability was like a treasure which was partially buried. With help, she has now uncovered this treasure, and claims it as hers. Her current accomplishments are glimpses of the even greater victories awaiting her.