If your child is experiencing difficulty at school, the most standard action is to schedule an examination for issues such as dyslexia, ADHD, or any other condition that may require a different method. However, with psychologists and teachers working full time and not having enough, Parallel Learning is hoping that remote solutions could help get children back to their normal routines with fewer delays, and it has collected $20 million to extend its services to other states.
It was founded by a New York-based company that was established after it was realised that a fresh method was required in the area of assessment and therapy. In the past, if the child needed an assessment, they would get it and then be given the assistance or tutoring suggested.
However, the number of kids who qualify for special education has grown in recent years, and schools are struggling to keep up with the demands of the tests and the extra instruction this growing group demands. Parents can wait for half a year before a child is able to receive an official recommendation or diagnosis. During this time, they might struggle to read, stay on track in class, or connect with their classmates. This was prior to the outbreak that killed thousands of people, and those same numbers, together with other comorbidities such as anxiety and depression, were soaring higher.
Parallel offers the same kinds of services that a parents or school previously used and in a telehealth environment.
“We haven’t reinvented the wheel; we’re sticking with existing research,” said CEO and founder Diana Heldfond.”These are proven methods of helping kids overcome all of these challenges; we’re just thinking of how to make them better, how to build tools to better deliver that curriculum.”
Assessment and tutoring function in the same manner as they did before when schools contracted with private psychologists in their areas of expertise to conduct meetings in person. Parallel manages these online and does the exact task. that various professional and medical settings have done – albeit with some hiccups over the last two years.However, the result is that children are being largely ignored on a large scale.
“There’s just a drastic shortage of actual providers,” Heldfond stated. “The reality is that not every student is going to be at the point of being trained. Teachers everywhere have been overwhelmed in the past couple of years. Special education teachers had cases that weighed in at 30; today they’re facing 60. We’re able to grow due to the fact that at the end of the day, “we’re a technology platform and are able to be effective in utilising providers’ time.”
Parallel uses providers in assessments and in special educational areas in order to allow for a speedier assessment turnaround. Then, they can also provide additional help, which follows. However, Heldfond took the time to emphasise that this isn’t just a diagnostic mill.
“We work with partners who have full clinical teams putting together these test materials, and they’re widely accepted by schools for assessments,” she added. In fact, using them online might have some advantages. “When it is a psychological test, even the tiniest of distractions could disrupt the process. Being able to conduct this in a relaxed space such as the home of a child or in a class is much superior to going to the office of a psychologist, only to be exiled from the class and told you’re not the same.