Kenston Forest School offers one-on-one academic assistance for certain students identified by teachers who observe an unexpected discrepancy between student ability and academic performance. The therapist instructs the student through methods and strategies from the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD).  While tutoring increases academic performance, educational therapy develops independent learning abilities.  Please contact Frannie Schwabenton, Director of Admissions, for additional information and costs of this special program.  NILD Educational Therapy was developed to treat assumed, underlying causes of learning difficulties rather than simply treating the symptoms.  It is a true therapy in that it aims the intervention just above the student’s level of functioning and raises expectations for performance.  Students are trained to view themselves as competent, confident learners.  The goal of NILD Educational Therapy is to help students develop tools of independent learning in the classroom and in life.  Students in NILD Educational Therapy receive two 80-minute sessions of intensive educational therapy per week.  This can be either in individual or small group settings.  These sessions include a variety of techniques designed to address students’ specific areas of difficulty and to improve their overall ability to think, reason and process information.  Techniques emphasize basic skill areas such as reading, writing, spelling and math, applying reasoning skills within each area.  Students are taught by educational therapists, who are trained specifically in NILD methodology and receive on-going graduate level training leading to NILD certification.  Regular collaboration between the educational therapist, parents and classroom teachers is encouraged in order to assess progress and appropriately adjust educational programs for each student.