Lake Oswego
Parent Testimonials
and Case Studies
LEARNING RX CASE STUDY
Student: Peter Santoro
Age: 15
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Challenge: Reading, Writing and Motivation/Procrastination
Such was the case with Peter Santoro, who moved to West Linn in 2007 and found his new high school experience to be completely overwhelming. “He struggled for the first semester and we realized that we had to do something to help him,” says his mother, Juliet. “My husband was the driver – he really researched options and found LearningRx and said, ‘let’s try this one.’”
The Santoros admittedly were reserved in their expectations, having already placed their son through tutoring programs including Kumon math and Kumon reading. Throughout his elementary and middle school years, Peter also had been helped by a tutor. “He still just wasn’t reading enough, and we started thinking that perhaps there was a reason he wasn’t reading,” Juliet explains.
Peter’s initial reaction to LearningRx was much more than reserved. “He thought it was stupid,” Juliet says, with a laugh. The already overwhelmed student understandably balked at the prospect of adding even more work to his schedule. “But we explained to him that this was different; that this was ‘brain training.’ He heard that as a positive.”
Fortunately, Peter’s one-on-one trainer, Ruben, was a “perfect fit,” according to Juliet. Over the months, Peter started learning little tricks. “He started learning how to push himself; how to remember certain things. What we saw right away was his personal growth.”
Though the family recently completed the six-month program and has yet to put it to test on an academic scale, Juliet says Peter is reading faster and read plenty of books throughout the summer. She notes, though, that what has changed most is Peter’s attitude.
Now, Peter spends a lot of time quoting Albert Einstein in the house. “He’s always saying, ‘Mom, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’ He tells us he doesn’t want to do what he did last year, like waiting to complete projects at the last moment.”
After a pause, Juliet adds: “Now he seems determined to succeed, and that was the whole goal all along.”
LEARNING RX CASE STUDY
Student: Anna Williams
Age: 22
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Challenge: Lifelong Learning Disabilities / Problem Attitude
Two years ago, Anna Williams never envisioned herself living away from her parents, let alone venturing into completely un-chartered territory. But thanks to her experiences with a “brain training” program based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, this now 22-year old young woman is moving hours away to the Oregon Coast to start a career with the JobCorps.
Anna, whose energy and positive attitude radiates from her voice, struggled her whole lifetime to keep up with her classmates. “I was in special classes all through elementary, middle and high school,” she explains. “I had to take speech classes, and I had a very hard time with reading. School was very, very hard and depressing for me.”
Anna’s father, who also struggled his whole life with learning disabilities, heard an advertisement for LearningRx on the radio, and thought it might help his daughter where other programs had failed.
“When I went there, I was all about it,” Anna explains. “I realize we were finding something a little late in life – I had already graduated – but I thought it could help me in my future, especially with jobs. When I first went there, I was nervous, but they made me feel super comfortable. I never felt stupid.”
Unlike tutoring, LearningRx’s unique program consists of a variety of “brain training,” cognitive challenges that help children and adults learn faster and easier. Rather than teaching WHAT students learn, this six-month training system improves HOW learning happens by building on existing strengths and helping circumvent weaknesses.
The unique exercises that Anna tackled were often difficult and very frustrating, but she notes that the training program pushes kids at that pace because “you get a chance to amaze yourself! And after that work you realize, ‘my gosh, that wasn’t even all that hard.’ They push you, but you realize that you really can do it.”
Like many students who progress through LearningRx, Anna’s spelling and reading improved markedly, but it’s her changed attitude that has been most noticeable. “Before this program I was shy and didn’t want to take chances; I even used to be a mean person – really!” she says, to our disbelief. “But now I’m more positive. My family tells me all the time now that I’m fun to be around.”
Anna’s changed attitude has also helped her take chances she never thought possible. Last summer, she spent three months in Japan, acting as a nanny for her sister’s children. This fall, she’ll move into her own apartment and into her first career at JobCorps. “My spelling and reading is SO much better now. But I think if I didn’t take this program, I wouldn’t be as confident as I am, and I wouldn’t have this positive outlook. What I’ve noticed in myself is that I’m willing to take changes. LearningRx has totally changed my life.”
“When a child or any person struggles to function in everyday life just to comprehend everyday communication, their self esteem – who they are and how they perceive the world around them – is at risk. The LearningRx program stimulates and trains the brain to work and make sense of the world around us. Cody’s trainer helped him set the goal, identify the tasks and complete the process. He experienced personal growth and wants to give back to society in a positive way. LearningRx is about taking who we are and growing that. Cody had to deal with so many challenges in everyday life – at school, in relationships, with his peers. He is so much more connected and sensitive to what's going on around him and how he fits in. He is calmer, more determined, takes on challenges with more thought and a plan to succeed. He has matured greatly, dealing with daily life with more confidence and a desire to succeed, even with unfamiliar challenges or undesirable situations. He can decide to move forward and think things through with confidence.”
Marianne
Mother of Cody
Vancouver, WA
Two letters to a son from his parents:
“Dear A,
I’m very proud of the many achievements you have accomplished in our time doing LearningRx. To name a few, you stayed the course and finished the tasks well. Your reading and writing have greatly improved. You hit some walls, and with perseverance you broke through and experienced many victories! I have seen you grow up from a boy to a young man. I thank God for you and all he is doing in your life now and in the future. This has been part of your preparation for things to come. You can do the hard things! Well done, my son, well done!
Love, Dad”
“Dear A,
You have faced a great challenge by completing six months of intense LearningRx training. Working step by step, day by day, hour by hour, with courage and endurance, you have MADE IT!! I know you don’t fully appreciate the benefits that you have fought to gain at this time, but I believe that one day you will be grateful for this experience. Not only have you made great strides academically, you have also gained lessons in character. Thanks for trusting your parents to do their best for you. You are an amazing young man who is capable of accomplishing anything that he sets his mind and determination to. You are a son to be proud of and I love you so much!
Love, Mom”
Anonymous
Oregon City, OR
“Learning Rx is the only program I have found that helps children lay down new neural pathways. Not only have I seen improvements in the learning ability of my daughter, it has helped our relationship. When we were working, I became a trainer and not just a mom and that helped my daughter better appreciate my authority.”
M.B.
Vancouver, WA
“There is a strong drive at LearningRx to make my child’s program work for him. My son can read!! He has an ability to keep in focus longer, and he loves coming here.”
Anonymous
Lake Oswego, OR
“I have already recommended the program in and out of state to three different families due to the experience our family had. The benefits to our son I believe will be lasting, and the approach is in line with the needs he has that are not remedial or developmental, but how his brain processes information. The families I have recommended the program to have had their children in tutoring and did not get the noticeable improvements through tutoring that we have with LearningRx. The immediate benefit for our son was confidence. He had success achieving levels with the program that I believe translated to his daily school work. He has been maintaining A/B grades when getting him to even try for a C last year was frustrating for all of us. I have seen improvements in his choices and his ability to verbalize his decisions, he engages in discussions that he would previously have avoided, and he is able to shape a logical opinion now – something I use to have to help him with to get through questions.”
D.B.
Lake Oswego, OR
“Finally there is something that seems to fix the problem. I will recommend as many people as I can. I have seen J become more responsible for his things. He is able to focus on something and tell me when he is being overwhelmed in
order to sort through information. He is able to self monitor his activities more instead of having me tell him over and over again what he needs to be doing. J has so far turned all of his homework in on time and has not struggled with focusing on his tasks. He seems able to sort through tasks with much more ease.”
Anonymous
Lake Oswego, OR
“I have seen a huge improvement in my son’s level of responsibility. He now does his homework without being told, and he is doing better in school. LearningRx has made a huge difference in my son’s life. He focuses much better on the things he needs to do. I am impressed and pleasantly surprised with the LearningRx program!”
Valerie
Mother of Ben
Oregon City, OR
“My daughter has gained confidence; the exercises were excellent. The instructor and all the other staff we dealt with were top notch. LearningRx has given my daughter confidence and aided in her academic progress in high school.”
Anonymous
Lake Oswego, OR
“My son has made great gains while in this program – it is something a lot of children need. My son has conversational speech, which he didn’t have prior to entering his program. He is reading, writing, thinking and that is what it is all about!”
Sheryl
Mother of Cory
Vancouver, WA
“This program gave my son and me hope and helped to build his self esteem. My son was diagnosed with ADHD and has been on medication for about 2 years. After the first 12 weeks of LearningRx, he went off his medications and has not taken them since! I see improvements in his confidence; he wants to do his homework by himself, and he actually reads some books on his own, which he would never do before LearningRx. This program has been a huge blessing to David and to me as well.”
Cristi
Mother of David
“We felt that the help that the program provided for our son was incredible. I would want other parents to experience that feeling for their own children. Watching the transformation from the student he was to the student he is now was incredible. Our son was struggling with homework and daily work at school. They had tested him a couple of times for "Special Ed" and he did not qualify, but still had trouble. He had no self confidence in his reading, aloud or quietly. His daily work at school was always failing. His testing he did okay on. After going through this program, he received very high marks on his report card, he wants to read out loud and by himself. I did not have to struggle to get him to do his homework. His teacher was amazed at his improvements in such a short time. Outside of school, we watched his self esteem rise. When he was doing better in school, the kids were not picking on him as much, and he felt so much better about himself. The transformation in our son after the 12 week session was amazing. I only wish that we had found out about this program much earlier in our school career.”
Celeste
Mother of Isaac
Clackamas, OR
“The most important reason for giving LearningRx a 10 is that I know Dillon’s life will be forever changed. He has grown in both skills and confidence – and what he knows, he knows. The skills to take in information, process it, remember it and make it a part of daily life gives a confidence that I’ve never seen in Dillon before. He is ready to take on the world in a whole new way; head held high, happy, excited, willing to do what ever it takes to conquer new waters. LearningRx has opened so many new doors for us all. You can’t do home training and not be affected by the process yourself. The time, countless hours and miles (several thousand of them) seem like nothing compared with the success that Dillon has had. WE LOVE THE FREE TIME WITH OUR SON, time that was once spent doing almost all of his school work at home for the last 3 years. Lastly, I’ll be honest, it was hard work. When it was the hardest, it was because Dillon was on the verge of yet another breakthrough. So we chose to turn our anxiety or frustration into excitement and joy. We were about to move to another level and knew there would be no turning back. We could never have done what we did without the techniques that we learned from LearningRx and will continue to use for the rest of our lives. THAT’S SUCCESS! THAT’S A 10!”
M.B.
Vancouver, WA
“The benefits we are seeing in our daughter! Her confidence is improving as well as her ability to read and do her homework. Jessie read her first book this year (6th grade). We are so proud of her and the growth we have seen this year is impressive. Homework is no longer a 2-3 hour fight…rather, on many days she does her homework on her own.”
Jennie
Mother of Jessica
Portland, OR
“My son was able to learn to read for comprehension. He feels successful and he was able to pass all of his fifth grade state exams. His report card no longer says “does not meet” on any of the standards. LearningRx has been a great learning experience for our child. The fact that he feels successful is the greatest outcome. He has also asked us that if he struggles in school in the future, could he please come back to LearningRx. It is hard for him to leave LearningRx and his trainer. She has been excellent with our son.”
S.J.
Lake Oswego, OR
“My son has improved in many life skills that he will need as he grows. He remembers when I ask him to do things. He does homework without my or his father’s constant reminders to keep focused. His spelling has improved. His writing is less laborious. There is less parental effort in completing his homework. He has more self confidence. He seems more motivated to improve and work for his goals. LearningRx has helped my son improve his memory retention. I hope that anyone that I refer would have as great a result. My son’s biggest struggle was with writing. He is less intimidated by it now. He seems to process information faster and remember it longer. There is less of a struggle around homework too. He remembers directions long enough to follow through and is motivated to do so.”
Catherine
Mother of Zachary
Portland, OR
“The program was an excellent fit for Adrian. To see him smile at his accomplishments and to excel was a joy for all. His confidence with reading is exciting to see everyday. When Adrian brought home his 4th grade math book and was able to read the story problems for the first time, I was truly amazed!”
Stacy
Mother of Adrian
Molalla, OR
“LearningRx is a good program and we have had a positive experience. In addition to academic improvements, we have seen some real opportunities to build character lessons into our training. Qualities like consistency, endurance, and commitment were easily modeled and experienced in our home training.”
L.E.
Lake Oswego, OR
Comments from an 18-year old student with severe Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:
“I can focus on school work better without giving up now. I’m happier and am wearing brighter clothes. My patterning and organizing is showing in everyday activities. At school, I’m actively discussing in class group discussions. I’m now able to ignore peer negativity and I am working on my emotional reactions and behavior around these feelings. I’m learning more skills and trying new things.”
Comments from her mother:
“M’s improvement has been dramatic. After 2 weeks of LearningRx, she told me “the fog is lifting. I feel that I’ve been living in a fog forever.” M’s balance has improved a lot. I had M evaluated neurologically about 1 year before LearningRx and she couldn’t put her finger on the spot where they pinched her during the test. Now she’s spot on every time. M has finally been able to learn the months of the year. It was not a memory problem but rather a connection of thoughts with names. She can find things, remember locations, give complicated Starbucks orders and be far more independent. I have seen major improvements in problems solving skills. Her reading was always listed as above grade level, but she would skip words, would not be able to figure out new words and comprehension was low. Now she will curl up with a book – doesn’t skip words, reads fast and tells me she really remembers what she reads. On the neuro exam, they explained why she had trouble with comprehension – well, we have big improvements now! LearningRx, the director, trainers and all have been wonderful and supportive. M, who couldn’t always come due to her inability to handle stress and couldn’t even make it through 1 session, or needed a break plus I had to sit with her, now stays for an entire 1½ hour session! And 95% of the time I’m not sitting with her. She shows the same improvements at school. Her self esteem has shown marked improvement and thus, her quality of life. Thank you so much, LearningRx. We both feel these improvements are a direct result of the LearningRx program and the ability of the staff to individualize the approach for M.”
M.O.
Portland, OR
If you would like to speak to a learning professional, please contact your local LearningRx center:
LearningRx Lake Oswego
4500 Kruse Way Place, Suite 225
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(503)699-2800
Contact by email - lakeoswego.or@learningrx.net
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