What is the Down the Road Education Difference?

One of the first questions we field from families is, "What is Educational Therapy and how does it differ from tutoring?" Our collective seven decades of thinking and learning about the interconnectedness of academic, social-emotional, language, cognitive, and motor development guide our approach to teaching and learning.

Holistic Teaching 

Our approach considers all areas of development as we design for our students. We carefully weigh accommodations and the sub goals of how we're guiding students to learn the skills they need now and down the road.

Dynamic, Flexible, and Tailored

Instead of following a single curriculum, we design learning and shift based on an individual's needs. With a deep understanding of task analysis, we navigate how to balance age appropriate skills with foundational skills. 

Intentional Relationship Building

The work we do requires a deep connection to the learner. By listening and creating work around the student's interests, we are able to work on the skills that feel the most challenging for them. We understand that children are more likely to step out of their comfort zone and take academic risks when they feel safe, understood, and respected. 

Team Approach and School Collaboration and Advocacy

Partnership with the adults in a child's life is at the core of the work we do. Collaborating on goals and expectations will help children feel supported. We connect with teachers, tutors working on specific skills, therapists, and other allied professionals to maximize the time students spend outside of sessions. 

Parent Guidance

Parent guidance is included in our approach. Ranging from how to talk to a child about learning differences to support with advocacy at school, we believe this piece is critical to the success of our work. We facilitate healthy communication between child and parent about school, homework, emerging independence, and social development.

Vision for Lifelong Skills

We work with students to build skills and the confidence in those skills to be successful beyond our sessions. We take a meta-cognitive approach to helping children recognize and understand how they learn. We gently teach advocacy by being transparent and modeling for them. We support students to understand the systems in place at school that can support them outside of sessions.