Education

 

 

 

A twenty-two year follow-up of low achieving performance interventions for students ages 13 - 22

Published case studies of students ranging from gifted, to high average, learning disabled, average, low average, to developmentally disabled

Click here to see what happened to thirty individuals age 8 to adult, 15 to 25 years later. They were taught in small groups in clinical practice, and had abilities ranging from Gifted, Average, to Severe Deficiencies. Where are they now?

These case studies of The Bridge To Achievement ® success were published two to four years following the treatment in 1989. (Journal of Accelerative Learning and Teaching, Summer 1989, 14, 1, 113-141) These summaries have been updated to reveal the current status of each participant.

Fifteen-Day (24-hours of intensive training) classes were taught in small homogeneous groupings by age and ability, according to their pre-course assessments. Various classes included both high and low academic achievers, and various Special Needs populations of Gifted and Talented, Learning Disabled, Dyslexic, and Developmentally Disabled.

Cognitive skills testing was administered with the DTLA-1 Leland Baker, 1967. (measured and evaluated in 1982-1984, before the DTLA-2, DTLA-3, and DTLA-4 were developed as derivatives) Hammill, 1985. Other corroborative intelligence testing, The WISC-R, (Weschler, 1989; 1974), was administered by the student's school.

This data set of forty students had longitudinal maintenance gains. They all attended college and are successfully employed. The following cases reviewed within in each Special Needs category, with tests that were routinely administered in the early 1980's.


Gifted and Talented: B. H. took the class when he was age 12.7, a sixth grader in the public schools, classified as gifted with the administered WISC-R (Weschler, D., 1989, 1974).
His pre- course median mental age score on the DTLA-1 was 13.6. He was in the public school gifted program. His post median mental age was 15.9, and one year post-test
was 16.0. At ninth grade graduation, he was recognized as the student having the
most A's during junior high school. He majored in business at a university with a 3.4 GPA during his first semester, while carrying 16 hours, which included statistics and calculus. He is now a successful Real Estate Developer.


C. L. E. took the treatment at age 14.11, with a median mental age of 15.0 on the DTLA-1. Her post-test score three weeks later was 17.8 median mental age. Her one year post-test score was 17.0 Following the treatment, she was classified as gifted in senior high public school, scoring an IQ. of 151 on the WISC-R (Weschler, D., 1989, 1974).

School officials, being skeptical of this exceptionally high score, retested her on two other measures, including the WISC-R, verifying this IQ. score. In a three year post-test with the SFTAA (Sullivan, Clark & Tiegs, 1970), she scored a 160 IQ. While in high school she was elected as International Key Club Governor by national student Key Club Kiwanians.

She graduated from a university in 3 1/2 years in political science and languages. Receiving several Presidential Appointments during the two Bush Administrations, she had a top position in the U.S. Office of Education developing and implementing national educational policy.

C. L. E. recently took a new position as a consultant and lobbyist for education for intergovernmental affairs and business with a prominent Washington DC consulting firm.

Learning Disabled and ADHD:  R. S. entered the program at age 11.5, with a median mental age of 9.3 on the DTLA-1. He had been a RH factor infant and had received a total blood transfusion at birth. His pre-test auditory processing functioning was at median mental age 5.0 and 6.0. His memory for visual objects was 9.0 median mental age. His median mental age at the end of the first treatment was 11.9. His one year post-test score was 11.3 median mental age on the DTLA-1. He underwent treatment a second time, and post tested with a median mental age of 16.0 or 6.7 years mental age gain.
As a freshman at Oklahoma State University, he received average grades, without learning disability assistance. He graduated with a 2.9 GPA, and has a successful career in hotel management.


L. N. took the treatment twice, the first time at age 13, and again at 16. Her pre-test median mental age score was 10.0, and following the treatment the post-test score
was a median mental age of 14.6. Her pre scores on the DTLA-1 ranged from median mental age 9.0 for auditory span for unrelated words, 9.3 for memory for objects, 7.0 for verbal fluency, and 8.0 for spatial designs. Her pre-test IQ. as measured by
WISC-R (Weschler, 1989; 1974) by the public schools' measurement was 67. The Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude (SFTAA Sullivan, E., Clark, W., & Tiegs, E., 1970,
based upon the California Mental Maturity Scales) pre-test indicated an IQ. of 71.

She had qualified as severely learning disabled within that same IQ. range. Her mother, an elementary teacher, worked rigorously with The Bridge To Achievement training system following the treatment. Her one year post-test median mental age was 15.9, up from the post tested median mental age 14.6 on the DTLA-1. Following the second treatment, she had a 17.0 median mental age score.

Her post-test IQ. measured by the WISC-R in 1986, was 113 (up 46 points from the WISC-R (Weschler, 1989; 1974) Pre-test score of 67), post-test on the SFTAA was 95, up 24 points from the pre-test score on the SFTAA of 71. 

After L. N.'s teachers noticed her improvement in school, this researcher was asked to present training at a teacher's Inservice Training.

In her college freshman year she had a 2.2 GPA without any tutoring or outside assistance. She graduated from college with a 2.4 GPA, is married with triplets, and is now a Home-Bound parent-teacher consultant for a large metropolitan public school district.


M. N. was classified as learning disabled with severe auditory processing, encoding, and spatial weaknesses. He received the treatment twice, the first when he was 13.5 years of age and again at age 15. His first course pre-course median mental age on the
DTLA-1 was 11.6, his post-test median mental age 15.0, and his one year post-test was 16.9. His first course entry auditory processing level was 7.6 median mental age for auditory attention span for sentences, and he post tested at 10.9 median mental age. In a second auditory processing post-test one year later, he tested at 10.3 median mental age. His second course auditory processing post-test was 13.0 median mental age on the DTLA-1. 

He attended a private high school where he graduated with a 3.6 GPA. M. N. is a
skilled tennis player, a sport that requires spatial and hand-eye coordination. He graduated with honors from a university with a 3.8 GPA. He worked as a coordinator for the U.S. Olympics Team, in Boulder, CO.


  G. M. had the treatment twice, once at age 12, and again at age 15. G. M. was attending a school for severely learning disabled in Florida, and came to the Midwest for a month to receive the initial treatment. She was in seventh grade, reading at the fourth grade level. Following the first treatment, she improved from low average, 17% on visual memory and perception, to high average, 73% on the Woodcock-Johnson (1977) Psycho-Educational Battery. She returned to the learning disabilities private school, where the gains were confirmed by the school's routine psychological intelligence testing on the WISC-R (Weschler, 1989; 1974). The school asked this researcher to give a teachers' Inservice regarding this treatment method. After the second treatment, G. M. left the learning disabilities private school and maintained a 2.4 GPA at a public high school. She entered and later graduated from college with a 2.5 GPA, and now works as an office supervisor for a large company.


Developmentally Disabled: C. D.had the treatment three times, at ages 14, 15, and 16. She was placed in a special education classroom in the public schools. The first pre-test was when she was in eighth grade, and her median mental age scores on the DTLA-1 (Baker & Leland; 1935, 1967) ranged from 7.6 median mental age on spatial designs, to 8.0 median mental age on auditory attention span for unrelated words, and 9.0 median mental age for memory for alphabet letters. Her pre-test score of 10.9 mental age on oral directions was noted as somewhat high for one classified as developmentally disabled, even at the age of 14. She scored 0% on both memory and perceptual speed clusters on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho Educational Battery (1977). Her DTLA-1 pre-test IQ. was 72.

Following the third class her IQ. rose to 107. Her spatial design scores rose from 5% on the second course pre-test to 84% on the third posttest on the DTLA-2 (Hammill, 1985). The resource room also post tested following the third session, and the raw scores matched the 3 year post-tests with the treatment. The school psychologist confirmed her IQ on the WISC-R (Weschler, D., 1989, 1974) at 110, well within high average intelligence range, but did not change her special education status. C. D. graduated from high school, and works in a dental office as a receptionist.


S. K. was classified as developmentally disabled with a hearing impairment in the special education classes in the public schools. She received this treatment at age 22 while living at home and working as a hotel maid. On pre-test auditory processing, she scored a mental age of 6.6 DTLA-1 (Baker & Leland; 1935, 1967) on memory for unrelated words, 9.0 median mental age on letter sequences, 9.0 on oral directions, and 12.3 on spatial designs. She received the treatment for two subsequent years. Following a one year interim, her second set of pre-test scores maintained from taking the treatment. Her IQ. on the first pre-test on the SFTAA was 77, her first posttest 87, and her second post-test 99. These intelligence scores were verified by the school districts administered WISC-R scores (Weschler, D. 1989, 1974). She attended modeling school, has been employed as an art finisher for an ceramics artist. She lives independently in an apartment, drives her own car, and her parents reported her to be self supporting.

Average to Low average achievers (B's to C's to D's) in high school: R. L. S.'s Junior high school counselors told his parents that he did not have the capabilities necessary to attend college. He had difficulties with reading, spelling, and math. He then received this treatment twice, the first time when he was age 15.7, the second time at age 16.7. His first pre-test DTLA-1 median mental age was 10.6, his post-test median mental age was 15.0. His second treatment pre-test at age 16.7 indicated a median mental age of 15.0, holding the previous gains.

His second post-test median mental age was 18.3. He attended the a large university without any tutoring or special assistance, received two scholarships while managing a local retail store. He graduated from college with a 3.4 GPA in communications and
is now a National Marketing Director with a leading pharmaceutical company. 

M. E. also was advised by high school counselors that he was not college material, as he received C's and D's in high school Algebra. He had been tracked non-college preparatory. He began the cognitive skills training at age 17.2, with a median mental age of 11.6, which included even lower auditory memory scores. Following the treatment, he had a 5.4 years median mental age gain to 17.0, which included high auditory scores.

Longitudinal three-year post-test scores revealed his median mental age had risen to the top of the DTLA-1 scale of 18.0 M.A. By then he had received a B in college calculus. He graduated from a large university in mechanical engineering with Honors, and was
employed as a Senior Analyst Engineer for a major California aircraft and space manufacturing company. They gave him a full scholarship to USC, where he graduated again with Honors with a MBA. He now is Director for a prominent Commercial Lending company in Southern California.

D.O. had the treatment at age 14.7, and had a median mental age of 12.3. In the public schools, he was a low achiever. His lowest pre-test score of 10.0 was on the DTLA-1
subtest #18, Following Oral Directions sequences. The three week post-test
score on 'Following Oral Directions' was 16.0, and this score held on the
one year post-test. His post-test median mental age was 17.0 at age 15.7,
and two year post-test was also 17.0 at age 17. He attended technical school
and is employed as head maintenance supervisor for operative machinery
at a plastics manufacturing company. He also serves as a trouble shooter
supervisor in machine operations.