The evolution of Premier Learning Centers emerged from a multitude of experiences, research on gifted children and twice-exceptionality, several hundred evaluations, collaborations with other professionals, and an integration of ideas about what children need to succeed and feel good about themselves. Within the Center, children work with teachers (versus doctors) to understand themselves and their strengths, come to identify their passions and personal desires, and learn executive functioning skills and cognitive behavior strategies in order to reach their goals and feel more confident, generally.
Dr. Tarnell meets weekly with teachers to help develop an understanding about the child, including factors such as temperament, executive functioning capacities, family dynamics, and goodness of fit with environment – which could mean school setting and/or peer group. Through this approach, children uniquenesses and learning styles are identified. By understanding who the child is, what his or her strengths are, and supporting the development of metacognitive skills necessary for success, teachers help kids to make significant progress in reaching their goals. This, in turn, tends to minimize anxiety, behavior dysregulation, and mood struggles in a naturalistic fashion, and supports the child’s ability to succeed across settings.