You know those moments when you look back on your life and think, “Ohhhh… THAT’S what was happening.”

Yeah. That was us too. When our first child started needing extra help in preschool, we thought it was just a normal “every kid develops at their own pace” sort of thing. And honestly, that’s true, until their “pace” starts looking less like a stroll and more like slogging through mud while the rest of the class is sprinting across the playground. 

At the time, we didn’t know anything about learning differences, educational intervention, or executive functioning challenges. We just knew something felt off and we couldn’t quite name it yet.

The Early Signs: When Simple Things… Weren’t Simple

We noticed the little things first, the things professionals would later call executive function struggles, but at the time just felt exhausting:

• complete meltdowns during transitions at school and home
• following simple directions turning into a five-step scavenger hunt
• becoming overwhelmed by too many choices (“pick a toy” = tears)
• zoning out during circle time, stories, or group instructions
• difficulty moving from playtime to structured activities

Back then, we didn’t know phrases like executive function disorder or working memory challenges. We just knew our time was running out in a traditional school setting.

Trying Everything (and Then Trying It Again)

By kindergarten and first grade, the teachers were supportive and thoughtful, yet every parent-teacher meeting revealed the same challenge. It wasn’t that something was wrong with my children, it was that they learned differently. And without the flexibility to think beyond traditional teaching methods, even the most caring educators felt stuck.

So we did what most desperate parents do when their child is struggling academically:

We tried everything.

Tutoring? Yep — done.

More tutoring? Absolutely.

Online programs? Bought them.

Phonics apps? Downloaded them.

Charts, timers, sensory tools, reward systems, stickers, chore systems…

If Pinterest suggested it, we printed it and were on it.

But here’s the truth we didn’t understand yet. Tutoring helped the symptoms, not the root. What we really needed wasn’t more practice, it was support for the underlying cognitive processing skills that make learning possible.

When We Realized Things Weren’t Clicking

By the end of third grade, the gap was widening for both of my kids. As other kids soared, ours were still wrestling with reading, writing, and anything that required multiple steps (hello again, executive functioning challenges).

That’s when the whisper started, “Something deeper is going on here.” And let me tell you, that moment hits hard. Because all I wanted was for my kids to go to school, make friends, and have a “normal childhood”. 

You feel fear.
You feel guilt.
You feel like you’re failing your child, even though you’re doing everything humanly possible.

But sometimes God has to bring us to the end of our own strength before we see the path He’s been preparing all along.

Piecing Together an Education

There were days it felt like we were holding our child’s education together with prayer, coffee, and any educational support available to us. We weren’t looking for perfection — we needed someone who understood learning differences, could support the foundational skills behind learning, and had the patience to walk the long road with us. 

And if you’re in that season right now, please hear this:

You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re doing what brave parents do when their child needs more than the system can offer.

The Turning Point: When We Finally Said “We Need Something Else”

By the end of third grade, it was undeniable. This wasn’t an issue of effort. It wasn’t a lack of intelligence. This was a learning difference, something that required more than tutoring, accommodations, or extra worksheets.

We needed something that addressed the root of the struggle:

• cognitive processing
• working memory
• executive functioning
• foundational learning skills

That’s when the door to NILD Educational Therapy cracked open. We didn’t know it then, but God was nudging us toward a completely different kind of support, educational therapy, not tutoring. A path that would require sacrifice, commitment, time, money, and faith… but would eventually lead to the “clicking” moments we had prayed for.

With NILD Educational Therapy and other services offered at The Pearl Center supporting their unique learning style, we finally found a path that addressed the root of the learning challenges, strengthened their executive functioning and cognitive skills, and gave us the guidance we had been searching for all along.

If your child struggles to keep up in ways that tutoring hasn’t helped, or if you’re noticing learning differences early on, don’t wait to explore the possibilities. Contact Charity at The Pearl Center at (864) 675-9200 to learn more about how educational therapy can help your child thrive.