What We Offer

NILD Canada provides several courses and workshops, an annual conference, and in-service training to help educators understand and meet the needs of students with learning difficulties.

Are you an educator who would like…

• to improve your ability to ask questions and stimulate thinking in your classroom?
• to gain strategies to improve your students’ ability to think, reason, and process information?
• to better meet the needs of your most vulnerable students?
• tools to strengthen students’ skills in reading, spelling, math, and written expression?
• to be a part of producing competent and confident learners in your classroom and beyond?

As a training institution in the field of special education, we offer a variety of professional development opportunities for educators and parents. 

NILD Canada Annual Conference

Each spring, we host an annual conference to provide ongoing professional development for NILD Educational Therapists, as well as educators and parents. We want to be a conduit for linking educators to current research that strengthens intervention methods and equips attendees to unlock the learning potential in all students.

Attendees will receive official NILD Canada certificates of attendance that can be used to receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to maintain school or professional organization certification requirements.

Check out our Events to find out details on our next conference. 

Executive Function – Air Traffic Control

Executive function strategies are an important foundation for helping children grow and develop their academic skills as well as building their confidence levels. Students who recognize how to use these strategies in working with their weaknesses and strengths also see improved grades. Learn how to implement and build an executive function culture in your classroom and how to foster strategies that will create confident and resilient students which create open gateways to success. 

Beyond Memorization – The Importance of Critical Thinking

It’s one thing to teach facts. It’s another thing to have our students understand concepts, explain their thinking and defend their answers. This is the crux of higher-level thinking – to guide them to think outside of the box! How can we as educators be intentional about developing these critical thinking skills in our students? In this workshop, we will share insights and tools to help you make this leap in your teaching.   

Upstairs, Downstairs, the Whole-Brained Child

Emotional intelligence and working memory are two aspects of executive function which play key roles in the “upstairs” brain of a child when making decisions and balancing emotions. In this workshop we will investigate the completed meta-analysis of evaluation studies showing improved academic accomplishments linked to strategic programs that train in social and emotional learning. Learn how to implement these learning strategies to create enriched classrooms and enhance struggling learners.

ADHD: Disease, Delayed Development or Something Else?

Statistics today indicate that 5-15% of school-aged children, and even more adults, are affected by ADHD. But what truly is ADHD? Are there other conditions that mimic the ADHD symptoms or affect it? How do these symptoms impede students’ academic performance or social well-being? This workshop will help you identify challenges that these students face and find strategies and therapeutic solutions to support them.

Laziness, Latebloomer or Learning Disability?

The age-old question—is this child just being lazy? Is this child maturing at a slower rate?  Does this child have a learning disability? How long should we wait to see if they ‘catch up’? In this workshop, we will help de-mystify these questions and share strategies to help launch your struggling learner on the road to success. There is HOPE!

Accommodations or Modifications: How to Create Effective Classrooms for Struggling Students

In this workshop we will explore real examples of accommodations and modifications for students with learning challenges. Participants will learn about the role of accommodations and modifications and the differences between each, as well as the tools and strategies that can assist both parents and educators. We will also give instructions on how to implement the IEP in the classroom and how to connect IEP expectations with report cards.  

Movement and the Brain – Move More, Learn More

Research is showing that in order for our students’ brains to function at their peak, their bodies need to move! Dr. Ratey and others teach us that movement is integral for improving attention, warding off anxiety, controlling ADHD symptoms and stimulating general cognitive function. Dr. Blomberg and others teach us how unintegrated primitive reflexes can affect student’s academic and emotional skills. In this workshop, we will discuss this research and share ideas on how we can promote and incorporate movement in our classrooms.

Rx for the Three R’s: Small Group Intervention

Some of our students just need a boost to give them the competence and confidence they need to get caught up to the rest of the class. These small group ‘Rx-prescriptions’ will help students discover new concepts using the Socratic method of questioning and mediation – all within the safety and with the benefits of a small group. Rx 4 Math helps students build and strengthen their number sense, math vocabulary, and problem-solving strategies. Rx for Reading builds and strengthens the 5 pillars of language into a language brain. Rx for Writing builds and strengthens grammar and writing mechanics. In this workshop, we will discuss how educators can train in this method to help students succeed!

Transforming Struggling Students into Lifelong Learners

There is help and hope for our struggling students! By retraining the brain to think more clearly, NILD Educational Therapy® maximizes an individual’s potential and transforms students into lifelong learners. In this workshop, you will learn about the exciting benefits of this therapy program. We will highlight some of the new research on the brain, give tips on how to unlock the learning potential, creativity and critical thinking skills of your struggling students. 

The Digital Age – How Technology is Affecting the Cognitive, Mental Health and Future of our Children

 The effects of technology on children are perplexing, with both positive and negative outcomes. Whether technology supports or hinders the development of your child’s thinking is dependent upon many variables and research is slowly providing answers. We will take a deep dive into how cognition, executive functions, behaviour, mental health, and physical well-being are affected by screen time in the lives of our children.

Giftedness and 2e Children

This workshop discusses two topics which often intersect as well. Learn how to identify giftedness in a student as well as students who may be gifted along with having a learning disability. We will discover how to work with gifted students in the classroom including motivational techniques, as well as helping them deal with the emotional quotient. Learn how to identify twice-exceptionality in a student and find a good educational fit for them in the classroom. We will unpack topics such as communication, underachievement, self-management, perfectionism, peer relations, interventions for learning disabilities and how to find professional helps.