Learning experts offer help to those with hidden disabilities.

Parents who suspect a learning problem in their child, even when they’ve been assured that the child will “catch up,” should listen to their intuition.

Whether it’s a 4-year-old who isn’t yet talking clearly, or a ninth-grader who isn’t paying attention in school, a learning disability may be the root cause.

“Most parents are correct when they have concerns,” said Bainbridge psychologist and educational consultant Judith Rut­berg-Self, noting that even highly capable students can have underlying learning difficulties that are often mistaken as laziness.

That’s where she and her collaborator, speech and language pathologist Nancy Mumm, can be of help. The pair recently opened an office at 793 Ericksen Avenue in Winslow, where they work together in the assessment and treatment of learning disabilities for children and adults.

Working and living on the island, they say they have a knowledge of the local school curriculum and the ability to work closely with local educators to develop intervention and treatment plans.

“Most everyone these days is now aware of the critical importance of identifying reading problems early,” Mumm said. “We know that intervention in the hands of specially trained professionals can in fact prevent a learning disability, and science-based intervention can help older students overcome reading and writing difficulties.”

Rutberg-Self added, “By looking at the underlying processes that contribute to learning difficulties, is is actually possible to diagnose dyslexia before a child can read, as early as preschool.”

The pair works as a team, with Rutberg-Self conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the student’s mix of skills and challenges, and Mumm providing therapy to the child afterward.

A researcher in the field of writing disabilities, Rutberg-Self taught assessment and intervention at the University of Washington, where she is an adjunct faculty member. She has also worked at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.

Mumm, who completed her masters in speech/language pathology at the University of Washington, has been treating children with disabilities in public and private school settings for over 20 years.

Many people think of a speech pathologist as a person who helps with pronunciation, Mumm said. But it is often the pathologist who uncovers writing and reading disabilities through a child’s difficulty with speech, because all those skills are intertwined.

Children with reading difficulties, she said, can often be brought up to grade level within a year. Writing problems can take longer and are harder to overcome, she said.

“You can’t fix it overnight. I often work with kids for a school year,” said Mumm, noting that each child’s treatment program is designed for the individual, based on “best practices” and the latest research out of the University of Washington, a leader in learning disabilities field.

The pair said they often find themselves counseling parents who are desperate to find the right intervention for their child. It’s not uncommon for undiagnosed learning problems to come to a parent’s attention when a child enters their teen years, when the volume and complexity of the work load increases, they said.

“These are the students that have been thought of as lazy or unmotivated, when in reality they have learning problems that are not being addressed,” said Rutberg-Self. “Even at this age, they can benefit from intervention for their difficulties.”

* * * * *

Open house

Learning experts Judith Rutberg-Self and Nancy Mumm are having an open house from 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 18 at their new office at 793 Ericksen Ave. They can be reached at 478-8104, or 855-9580.