We are now offering completely customized virtual neuropsychological testing assessments and remote neurofeedback! Schedule your assessment and treatment today
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We are now offering completely customized virtual neuropsychological testing assessments and remote neurofeedback! Schedule your assessment and treatment today
Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic provides comprehensive evaluations and personalized treatment for children and adults with learning disabilities in Palo Alto and throughout the Bay Area. We support individuals and families from nearby communities who are seeking answers for challenges related to reading, writing, math, information processing, and academic performance. Depending on your needs, services may be available in person at our Palo Alto clinic or through virtual appointments when appropriate.
Learning disabilities most often start presenting in childhood, particularly when a child first enters the school system. These conditions make it hard for children to keep up with their classmates and can cause children to fall behind at school no matter how hard they try.
There are many different types of learning disabilities. Specific learning disorders include:
People may also experience a variety of nonverbal learning disorders, which don’t involve words or speech. These disabilities can affect problem-solving, spatial understanding, and social cues.
Children can have one or a mixture of different learning disabilities, or may have some characteristics of several without meeting the criteria for a specific disorder.
About 5% of school-aged children have a learning disability, with dyslexia accounting for 80% or more of these cases. Those with psychiatric conditions are more likely to have a learning disability—and the overlap with conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can make it even harder to process information in certain contexts.
While learning disabilities make it difficult to navigate actual learning, they can also have negative social impacts. Children may dread going to school, develop negative self-esteem, or even develop conflicts with peers or caregivers because of their academic struggles.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic in Palo Alto, California, offers a solution in the form of educational therapy, an individualized program that helps students make sense of information. Early intervention can mean greater academic success and a better overall experience for students.
Learning disabilities often hide in plain sight. A bright, hardworking child, or a capable adult, can struggle for years before anyone recognizes that the difficulty isn’t about effort or intelligence. Recognizing the signs early is the first step toward getting the right support. None of the following confirms a learning disability on its own, but if several feel familiar, a professional evaluation can bring clarity and a path forward.
If these signs resonate, you don’t have to wait for things to get worse. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic can pinpoint what’s really going on and open the door to the right support.
We use specially designed lessons that allow students to learn the basic concepts of reading, writing, and math—in the ways that work best for them. At the same time, teams work together to improve the underlying processing challenges and strengthen learning capacity.
As part of treatment, learning specialists balance the need for step-by-step, direct instruction with higher-level and open-ended, creative thinking. For instance, rather than simply telling a student how to solve a problem and then giving them a similar problem to solve, a learning specialist provides a variety of tools and strategies to discover what works best for the individual.
Every session includes holistic brain-based learning using a range of multisensory materials and methods. Learning specialists also use specialized cognitive improvement programs such as LearningRx® brain training.
To find out more about learning disability therapy, call Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic today to book an appointment.
Everyone’s psychotherapy journey is different, and it can feel daunting when you’re unsure what to expect or how long it might take to sense any progress. Many clients notice positive changes within the first 8 sessions, with deeper improvements over 3–6 months. Understanding every step can help you feel more confident about the process.
The terms “learning disability” and “learning disorder” are commonly used interchangeably. They refer to the same set of conditions (such as dyslexia or dyscalculia). The key difference is the context. Disorder is a diagnostic term, while disability is a social and legal term.
Learning disabilities are legally defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If someone meets these criteria and has a learning disability, they have legal protections and may be legally entitled to accommodations.
Learning disabilities are diagnosed by clinicians who specialize in neuropsychological conditions. At Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, we perform comprehensive tests, assessments, and observations as part of our diagnostic process. To help diagnose learning disabilities, we may also review school reports or other academic history.
To help students develop supportive academic skills, the learning specialists at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic offer learning disability therapy that includes lessons on a variety of topics.
Writing lessons might involve:
Math lessons can include:
Reading lessons could focus on aspects such as:
Learning disabilities are best treated with customized care plans. Every person learns differently—and different tools, techniques, and support systems can help those with learning disorders effectively process information.
The clinicians at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic use a mixture of feedback, therapies, and learning strategies to help you or your child develop practical tools and accommodations for success. We do all of this without medication, instead creating systems of support that remove external barriers.
