Our Philosophy

“No child needs to fail. Every child craves mastery and recognition. Every child can succeed-in his or her own way. The root system of a mind is getting established during childhood and adolescence. We must ensure that its branches will grow and bear fruit.

"When a student experiences undue frustration in school, it is up to us to pinpoint precisely where a learning breakdown is occurring. We now possess the scientific know-how to identify even the most subtle problems with memory or language or attention or some other brain process that stands in the way of achievement in a promising yet faltering child or adolescent. We can then provide the right kind of help at the right time. We can and should accomplish this without having to resort to labels that oversimplify a person and have little therapeutic value. We can be far more specific and helpful than that. Most importantly, we can diagnose a child’s strengths and affinities, making very sure that those aptitudes and interests are getting strengthened throughout her or his young life. After all, when you grow up, what really counts is how strong your strengths are! It is your strengths that will enable you to succeed in a career and contribute

meaningfully as an adult. All children possess them. Let’s not extinguish, undervalue, or ignore these assets.

"No one should have to grow up with a misinterpreted mind, falsely accused or educationally mishandled. Success is like a vitamin—so essential if a child is to thrive and sustain motivation. Kids must feel a sense of optimism and excitement as they ponder their possibilities.

"We will need new kinds of teachers, new kinds of schools that can understand and educate every kind of mind. To do so, we have to enlighten those who do the educating, along with policy makers, clinicians and parents. Our children themselves ought to be learning about learning while they are learning, and, in particular, they should never cease to acquire insights into the unique “wiring” of their own minds. We must help all of them discover who they are and where they need to head. Society can either benefit from their differences or else pay a heavy price for neglecting them."

— Dr. Mel Levine, author of  A Mind at a Time