Case Study: Kristopher Gets Organized

Organization Challenges Appear in High School, Leading to a Diagnosis

Before high school, Kristopher had always accepted his mother’s help with schoolwork when needed. He did well on standardized tests and had few academic concerns.

This began to change towards the end of his 8th-grade year. Results were less consistent, and this adverse trend was even more noticeable in high school.

Kristopher would tell his mother that he was doing his work, didn’t need help, or was handling everything. But his teachers painted a different picture. They informed her that her son wasn’t turning in assignments, that his work was often late or did not meet expectations, and that his grades were suffering as a result.

Concerned about the discrepancy between how Kristopher thought he was doing and what his teachers shared, his mother began looking into hidden learning challenges that may be impacting him.

A neurologist’s evaluation led to a diagnosis of mild to moderate ADHD and school accommodations; however, Kristopher’s challenges continued. His mother decided to get a second opinion and visited a psychologist.

The psychoeducational evaluation revealed working memory deficits and poor executive function – organization and self-regulation.

Gemm Learning – The Value of Proactive Coaching

Fast ForWord is a good program. In addition, I appreciated the support that Gemm offers from following up regularly to providing encouragement.” – Kristopher’s mom

Kristopher had worked on Fast ForWord for a brief period during middle school in order to improve his interest in reading. His mother felt the program had been beneficial and decided to contact Gemm Learning to address concerns about executive dysfunction.

At first, Kristopher was resistant to working on the program. It was summer, and he felt he shouldn’t have to do academic work. “He told me that I’d be wasting my money to do it. And I just went with my best judgment and signed him up for it anyway,” his mother shared.

Upon resuming, a Gemm program manager quickly noticed that Kristopher was skipping exercises and not playing as frequently as he should. She informed his mother and arranged a time to speak with him directly about the program’s potential and the importance of
regular participation.

This helped substantially. Kristopher began playing consistently and trying hard each session.

Results: Kristopher Gets Organized

Within a couple of months, his mother observed welcome changes in his organization and communication skills.

His mother is thrilled that Kristopher is now writing notes, which he had never done before. And since the new school year started, he’s been getting his clothes out and setting up his cereal bowl for the next day.

He’s also starting assignments without prompting and planning ahead.

When asked if she would recommend Gemm Learning to others, she replied: “Absolutely, because my son benefited from it.”