About the CARRD

The Center for the Assessment and Remediation of Reading Difficulties (CARRD) was established in 1996 after nearly a decade of research and development. The CARRD offers three programs: the Identification and Intervention Program (IIP), the After School & Summer Program (ASSP), and the ADHD Screening program. One of these programs, the IIP, has been in existence the longest. It is used to identify young students, typically first graders, who are at risk for developing reading difficulties. All of the first graders in a school system are assessed to determine if they are at risk for reading difficulties. Once the assessment data have been analyzed, some children are identified as "at risk." These children are then provided an intervention at their school, during school hours, that lasts the entire first grade year. The IIP has been a very successful program in preventing children who are at risk for developing reading disabilities from experiencing reading difficulties. The ASSP is similar to the IIP in that an assessment is given followed by training. The difference is that the individuals are seen at the CARRD location and the ages of individuals who are assisted have ranged between preschool and adult. The ADHD Screening program is used to assess children and adults for attentional difficulties. A number of assessment instruments are provided. These assessments, along with a medical examination and a medical history, are helpful to other professionals who are involved in making a diagnosis of ADHD.

IIP The IIP is used to identify children at risk for reading disabilities before they begin formal reading instruction and to provide these children with an intervention that will allow them to remediate their phonological processing deficits; to prevent learning/reading disabilities. We have been in the process of developing early detection programs and creating appropriate interventions for children at risk for reading difficulties for the past 19 years. The result of this work has been the Identification and Intervention Program IIP. The purpose of the IIP is simply to identify children who are at risk of becoming reading disabled, also referred to as dyslexic, as soon as it is scientifically possible and then to provide these children with an appropriate remediation that will enable them to become competent readers. At the present time the IIP is being used in several school systems in southeast Kansas. Our work has been published in the most prestigious scientific journals concerning dyslexia and reading disabilities, has generated requests for information concerning the IIP across the nation and internationally, and has been supported by the National Academy of Education. Although we are in a small rural area, the technologies that we are developing can be used anywhere. We are proud of our work and believe that we are helping many children remove the barriers that are preventing them from becoming good readers.

ASSP The After School & Summer Program is intended to provide preschool children through adults the opportunity to receive one-on-one remedial phonological and reading instruction. The individual is first assessed to determine the specific weaknesses that need to be strengthened. A training program is then constructed to improve the deficient skills. The Summer Program provides the student with an excellent opportunity to fortify and enhance his or her phonological processing and reading skills during a time when schools are not in session. Students typically make minimal gains in academic performance over the summer months. The Summer Program is geared toward closing the gap between students who are weak in phonological processing and reading skills and those who are excellent readers. Parents are encouraged to assist their children at home by practicing the skill-building exercises with their children. Lastly, intensive weekly or weekend sessions are available for individuals who must travel to the CARRD from out of state or country.

ADHD Screening The CARRD also offers Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment. Approximately 30% of individuals who have reading difficulties also have difficulties with attention. As a result, the CARRD offers assessment of ADHD. In addition, a very large percentage of individuals with ADHD also have grave difficulty learning to read. A typical screening for ADHD will involve administering an intelligence test, a test of continuous performance, a brief interview with the parents/guardians, and questionnaire information collected from the individual's parents and teachers.