Learning Disabilities and ADHD
Dr. Bolnick works with many individuals who have suspected or diagnosed Learning Disabilities (LD) and ADHD. Some people think that this means that they are broken or dumb. Having learning and/or attention difficulties means you learn differently, not that you cannot learn. Even Albert Einstein is suspected of having ADHD and Dyslexia, as well as possible Autism. Thinking outside of the box allows you to see the world differently and be more creative or innovating than others. Treatment helps you identify your strengths; understand how to accommodate your weaknesses; advocate for your needs at school, home, and work; improve your self-esteem; and provide support for social communication difficulties. The longer these are undiagnosed, people tend to experience depressive and anxious symptoms. Sometimes they start therapy to address those emotional issues, only to determine that they have underlying LD/ADHD. Since diagnosis was not as common decades ago, adults tend to seek help after their children have been diagnosed and they realize they had experienced similar issues growing up. With ADHD, much of the work is determining ways to improve attention, productivity, time management, organization/planning, and other executive skills. If needed, Dr. Bolnick also coordinates with schools and employers to receive Section 504 and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accommodations or additional academic supports through an IEP (Individualized Education Program).
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Growing up, Dr. Bolnick knew she wanted to work with children who had Learning Disabilities. While in her Undergraduate studies, she was introduced to the field was as a Research Assistant to Dr. Addison Stone (who at the time was the Head of the Learning Disabilities Program, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University) and as a staff member for the Summer School program at The Cove School (a private school in the Chicagoland area specializing in teaching IEP students with Learning Disabilities and related disorders). As she learned about different options for supporting students who struggled academically in school, she decided she wanted to become a Clinical Psychologist. However, she chose to first pursue a Master’s degree in the field of Learning Disabilities to better understand the educational system. This has allowed her to collaborate better with schools, as she knows what it is like to teach in a Special Education environment and what accommodations are reasonable to ask of a classroom teacher.
In 1997, she received her Master’s degree from Northwestern University in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Program in Learning Disabilities. She was trained to conduct psychoeducational assessments for children with suspected learning disabilities and developmental delays. Additionally, she learned how to create and execute remediation plans and behavior management systems. Dr. Bolnick was taught by one of the pioneers in the field, Dr. Doris Johnson, who along with Dr. Helmer R. Myklebust wrote a landmark book, Learning Disabilities: Educational Principles and Practice, that was a foundational text for understanding otherwise healthy children who have difficulty processing certain information.
During her Doctoral years, Dr. Bolnick was a Research Assistant at Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Department of Child Psychiatry, administering and scoring measures of intelligence, memory, and executive functioning. She attended seminars on neuropsychological and developmental assessment with the Pediatric Neuropsychology and Developmental Psychology trainees. She then trained for 2 years at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital’s Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology Service, provided outpatient and inpatient neuropsychological, developmental, and and psychological assessments for children and adolescents with varying educational and psychological concerns. She furthered her work with the school system by collaborating with clients, parents, and medical specialists to develop IEPs for these students. As a doctoral student and then a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, she conducted psychoeducational assessments in several Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago, as well as providing supervision to diagnostic trainees in those settings. Eventually she conducted these assessments in Private Practice in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and in Downtown Chicago.
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**Please note that Dr. Bolnick no longer conducts formal psychoeducational assessments.
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For more information about ADHD, please see the following: