Notre Dame College Sponsors Learning Disabilities Seminar

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio—3 October 2006—Notre Dame College and The Learning Brook, with the support of Schwab Learning, present internationally-acclaimed learning disabilities speaker, Rick Lavoie, Friday, October 13 at Notre Dame College. Educators and parents are invited to hear Mr. Lavoie discuss “Mastering the Hidden Curriculum,” with strategies to help the learning-disabled student succeed. The program takes place from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in the College’s Performing Arts Center.

Lavoie is best known for his engaging PBS video, “How Difficult Can This Be? The FAT City Workshop.” He has delivered his message to over a half million people worldwide, and appeared on Good Morning, America; the CBS Morning Show; ABC Evening News; and Disney Channel Presents. This is LaVoie’s only Ohio appearance in 2006.

The fee for the all-day workshop is $85.00 and includes lunch. Graduate credit is available for an additional fee.

The Notre Dame College Academic Support Center for Students with Learning Differences is designed to support students with documented learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia. Services offered by the Center are voluntary and comprehensive, created to develop independence and self-advocacy.

So often, students with dyslexia and learning differences are accused of being “lazy” and “unmotivated.” Recent research indicates that even if the LD student is able to master the standard curriculum, his/her success is hindered if he/she has not also mastered the “hidden curriculum.” This workshop will present strategies to help educators identify social mores in the academic world and teach these concepts to the LD student. The educator or parent will learn techniques that can modify and monitor the behavior of a student with learning differences. Lavoie will identify strategies that do not work with LD students and strategies that do.

Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For more information or to register for the seminar, contact Gretchen Walsh, director of the Academic Support Center at 216.373.5185 or gwalsh@ndc.edu.

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