In Episode 149 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with Charlotte, a University of Tennessee sophomore who works for We Know Campus - a service that connects high school students with vetted, high-achieving current college students via 30-minute Zoom calls to give honest, unscripted insight into campus life, academics, social culture, disability services, and more. The service is exclusively available through partner private schools and independent educational consultants (not directly to the public), and is designed to complement - not replace - the broader college planning process.

Resources:

We Know Campus Website: https://weknowcampus.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 148 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with Francesca Corbis and Melanie Roy from K Altman Law, a nationally recognized special education and disability rights law firm, who walk through the most common pitfalls families encounter in the IEP and 504 process - including the critical distinction between medical and educational diagnoses, the subjectivity of "educational need," the danger of template-driven dropdown goals without clear baselines, and the painful strategic reality that outside tutoring can actually undermine a child's eligibility case.

Resources:

K Altman Law Website: https://www.kaltmanlaw.com

Advocacy Circle: https://www.kaltmanlaw.com/special-education-services/the-advocacy-circle

Francesca's Contact Information: [email protected]

Melanie's Contact Information: [email protected]

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 147 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie interviews Caryl Frankenberger of Frankenberger Associates, a virtual organization of 22 coaches offering two core programs - individualized executive function coaching and a unique one-on-one social learning program - serving students from elementary school through adulthood across the US and internationally. Caryl walks through how both programs are deeply personalized, and explains that their social learning program targets kids who struggle to make and keep friends by teaching skills like perspective-taking, conversation management, emotional regulation, and flexible thinking through role play, real-world assignments, and mid-week check-ins.

Resources:

Frankenberger Associates Website: https://frankenbergerassociates.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 146 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie interviews Lesli and Erin — two certified dyslexia therapists transitioning from public school work into their new private practice, Dyslexify — covering what dyslexia therapy actually is, why the school system keeps failing to catch and address it early, and what effective, structured literacy instruction looks like.

Resources:

Dyslexify Website: https://www.dyslexify.com

Dyslexify Parent Information Flyer: https://bit.ly/3RwEBlr

Dyslexify Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/4tEQxPm

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 145 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie, Sydney, and Cara have a "Hot Topics" discussion where they each bring a current study or topic covering the systemic gaps in how learning disabilities get identified, a commonly overlooked processing disorder that flies under the radar in schools, and exciting new neuroscience research reframing how we understand and diagnose ADHD. Across all three topics, a common thread emerges: the field is advancing rapidly, but awareness, resources, and diagnostic tools haven't caught up -- leaving many students, particularly girls and those in under-resourced environments, without the support they need.

Resources:

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 144 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie introduces Cara Fennell, a new member of the Diagnostic Learning Services team who recently transitioned from nearly a decade as a special education teacher and educational diagnostician in Texas public schools to the private sector. Cara shares her background in early childhood special education and walks through what the school-based evaluation process looks like -- from obtaining parent consent to using a pattern of strengths and weaknesses to determine eligibility -- while reflecting on the differences between public school testing and private practice, particularly the freedom to spend more time with families and assess areas like ADHD more thoroughly.

Resources:

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 143 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks again with Christine Levy of the Levy Educational Advocacy Group for an "IEP 101" deep dive, covering what an IEP is, how it's structured, and the most common pitfalls families encounter. Christine walks through the core components of an IEP — parent input statements, present levels of performance, measurable goals, progress monitoring, extended school year services, and transition planning — while highlighting how increasingly template-driven, dropdown-based IEP software has made these documents less individualized and less specific about how skills will actually be taught.

Resources:

Levy Educational Advocacy: https://www.levyadvocacy.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 142 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with John Gassner, an ADHD-certified life coach with the practice Order Out of Chaos, who runs their ADHD Athlete Coaching Academy. The conversation centers on how ADHD intersects with competitive sports for student athletes — the struggles, the benefits, and coaching strategies that help kids thrive in both arenas.

Resources:

Order Out Of Chaos Website: https://www.orderoochaos.com

Contact Order Out Of Chaos: [email protected]

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 141 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with math tutor Heide Putt, founder of Mathtastic, about the three main categories of math struggle she sees in students: knowledge gaps, dyscalculia (a true math learning disability), and math anxiety. Heide shares how her background in Montessori and IB education -- both rooted in individualized, inquiry-based learning -- shaped her approach, and how specialized dyscalculia training transformed the way she teaches.

Resources:

Mathtastic Website: https://mathtastic.tutorbird.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 140 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie revisits her conversation with Dr. Sandra Elliott of Touch Math, a multi-sensory math program using touch points to help struggling learners connect abstract numbers to physical objects. She explains the science behind dyscalculia and how Touch Math's structured approach bridges concrete and abstract thinking for students who find math challenging.

Resources:

TouchMath Website - https://touchmath.com

Dyscalculia Screener - https://dysctest.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning