It’s not about the diagnosis. It’s about creating a positive and sustainable plan.
The purpose of the evaluation is not to put your child into a clinical ‘category.’ Our approach is much more personal and customized. The fine-grained analyses we conduct are very revealing, and extremely useful as a ‘road map’ for designing and implementing targeted interventions.
Having a direction, and knowing what to expect next, helps eliminate the uncertainties and worry that families have been living with. With a higher-level view, and by understanding that everything is ‘fluid’ rather than cast in stone, parents often realize that the problems are not as serious as they feared.
Understanding a child’s needs, abilities, and stage of development is key.
A thorough assessment – the earlier the better – will reveal how those factors tie in with the behavior you’ve seen. As we discuss those findings, both parents and their child often say they feel better from simply having some insight into what’s been going on.
Many parents in Alpharetta, Roswell and other areas north of Atlanta come to Dream Big for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and dyslexia testing. Customized evaluation programs help us understand the ways each child learns best, as well as what deeper needs may be hidden below the surface.
That process can play out in ways that are clearly problematic, but hard to understand.
Learning disabilities and developmental challenges, as well as social and emotional issues, can initially be reflected in falling grades or lack of effort in the classroom. Maybe school officials have contacted you about troublesome incidents or behavior.
You may have appealed for help from an overburdened school system with limited resources. Perhaps you waited up to a year for a school-based evaluation, or maybe your child’s disabilities are still unidentified. Or you just don’t want their problems to be part of their permanent school record.
A child’s relationship issues may be connected to deeper struggles.
Some children can be socially immature or awkward, making it hard to connect with others and make friends. Some tend to conflict with other kids, or with family members, exhibiting disrespect and defiance. And some are simply uncommunicative.
Interactions with, and expectations of, their school, social and home environments can be factors. And a mismatch can compound a learning or emotional issue. But adjustments can be made. Even if a child’s current trajectory isn’t positive or productive, it doesn’t have to be permanent.
The smartest therapies help boost confidence by building upon the child’s strengths.
We provide individual, group, and family therapy to support a variety of needs. In collaboration with you and your child, we work to overcome your child’s unique learning, social-emotional and behavioral issues by focusing on positive patterns for the future rather than past problems. Parents seem to appreciate the thorough and personalized support their son or daughter receives at Dream Big.
Drawing from the techniques and principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other therapeutic approaches, our goal is to help your child replace harmful cycles and patterns with communication and coping skills to meet the demands of his or her environment going forward. With a deeper understanding of themselves, and a sense of empathy toward others, your child can develop healthier individual and group relationships.
When you see your child doing better, you’ll feel so much better yourself.
You’re here because, naturally, you’re concerned. But with a smart, whole-child approach, any boy or girl can thrive. We love watching the children in our care make progress, get stronger, and find their own ways to grow and contribute.
Kids themselves generally feel relieved when they have some insight into their own struggles and confusion. They seem to appreciate the help that enables them to move forward, and nurture their own talents.