Common Questions About Educational Therapy and our Practice
How is educational therapy different from therapy or counseling?
Educational therapy focuses on learning and cognitive processes, not mental health treatment. While emotional and regulatory factors are considered, the primary goal is to improve access to learning and functioning.
Who benefits from educational therapy?
Educational therapy can support learners of all ages who:
- feel overwhelmed or frustrated with school
- struggle with focus, organization, or getting started
- have difficulty keeping up despite trying hard
- learn differently than traditional methods support
- need help building confidence and independence
- have learning differences (like dyslexia, ADHD, or dyscalculia)
- feel “stuck” or disconnected from learning
- are not responding to traditional tutoring or school-based supports
Who does Autonomous Hippopotamus support?
We focus on learners who have been let down by traditional supports. This includes learners with unique learning styles, behavior that blocks access to learning, and learners with uneven cognitive/learning profiles (such as 2e individuals). We also support hyperlexic learners and those with writing challenges.
Is educational therapy evidence-based?
We are a practice-based field such as Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy. Educational therapy draws from established research in:
- Special Education
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Social Emotional Learning
It integrates these evidence-based principles and other research/evidence-based practices into individualized, practical support.
Is this only for students with diagnoses?
No. While it can support learners with diagnoses (like ADHD, autism, or other learning differences), it is also helpful for students who are struggling but may not have a formal diagnosis.
While educational therapists can give formal academic assessments, we are unable to diagnose. We use these assessments to make recomendations for intervention and referrals.
Our practice prefers informal assessments as we view formal standardized assessments as often bias towards neurotypical people and not culturally informed.
What ages do you work with?
Educational therapy can support children, adolescents, and adults—anyone who is looking to better understand and improve how they learn. Autonomous Hippopotamus works with anybody ages 2-100.
How long does educational therapy take?
It varies. Some learners benefit from short-term support, while others engage in longer-term work depending on their goals and needs.
How is educational therapy different from Traditional tutoring?
All services are guided by an educational therapy approach, meaning we focus on the underlying processes that impact learning rather than homework or other school assignments. This allows for more consistent, meaningful, and lasting progress.
We offer integrative tutoring, which includes academic support while also addressing executive function, engagement, and learning processes. It goes beyond traditional tutoring by focusing on how learning happens.
What is executive function coaching?
Traditionally, executive function coaching focuses on challenges with organization, time management, prioritizing, and follow-through. It helps learners build more reliable ways to manage responsibilities and improve consistency. Our approach is more holistic.
Based in educational therapy, we figure our where these break downs happen and provide specific individualized interventions to strengthen the underlying processes needed to access these skills and. Some examples may include cognitive processes like working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility.
What makes your Practice’s approach different?
All services are guided by an educational therapy approach, meaning we focus on the learner as a whole person, not just individual skills or assignments. This allows for more consistent, meaningful, and lasting progress.
What is developmental learning support?
Pur developmental learning support focuses on building foundational skills such as engagement, regulation, and early learning processes. It draws from developmental approaches like DIR/Floortime, combined with a social emotional and cognitive lens to support access to learning.
How do I know which service my child needs?
You don’t need to figure that out ahead of time. Services often overlap, and we determine the best approach based on the learner’s needs, strengths, and goals. Schedule a Discover and Connect session today to learn more!
Do sessions focus on schoolwork?
No, we dive deeper than that. Sessions may include some aspects fo their schoolwork, but the primary focus is on improving how the learner engages with and accesses learning overall.
Can this help if my child is “smart but struggling”?
Absolutely! This is one of the most common reasons families seek support. Many learners understand material but struggle with consistency, follow-through, or applying what they know. Or some learners have exceptional strengths at the same time as exceptional challenges. We specialize in supporting these 2e individuals.
Do you work with schools or other professionals?
When helpful, collaboration with teachers, therapists, or other professionals can be part of the process to support consistency across environments.