Family & Individual Counseling & Educational Testing in Edmond & Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
We’re Here to
Help You Thrive
As educational interventionists we specialize in working with children, adolescents and adults to identify ADHD, Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities. We serve individuals in the Edmond and Oklahoma City area to pave the way to reach their full potential.
Diagnostic Testing, educational and career planning along with other treatment modalities can help address the relational issues often caused by these conditions.
Overcome Your Obstacles
Educational Testing
Educational testing can be a powerful tool in advocating for children, adolescents and adults when communicating with schools, physicians, tutors and even employers . The detailed report will outline any diagnosis of learning, attentional issues and any other unique needs along with a specific course of action.
Counseling for Individuals and families
We use a number of treatment modalities. These include, but are not limited to, Coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Gottman Method (especially for couples counseling), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). All of our work focuses on improving family communication, understanding and skills.
Post-Pandemic Trauma
Anxiety and depression have lingered for children as well as adults. Current studies indicate that during the Covid-19 pandemic children missed big chunks of learning and academic excellence. Academic testing is appropriate to determine any remaining educational gaps impacting a child. We can also help children or adults struggling with lingering psychological or emotional consequences of the pandemic.
We are a multi-faceted team of licensed professionals with an extended network of support including vision, hearing, and speech/language specialists, specialized tutors, conferring psychologists, and other medical resources.
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Paula has relationships with a number of local specialists for referrals. These include early childhood specialists, school and clinical psychologists, licensed counselors, pediatricians and child psychiatrists; all are available for collaboration or further referral.
Paula has lectured nationally and locally, including presenting for the International Learning Disability Association, The National CHADD Conference, Oklahoma Learning Disability Conference, and teacher training groups for the Payne Educational Center.
Diagnosis leads to intervention
Twenty percent of the population has some form of learning disability, Dyslexia, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), yet only three percent of these people are ever diagnosed. Many children will grow into adults without ever receiving treatment. Those most often missed are the bright individuals who as children have these disorders, but do not meet the degree of severity mandated by their particular state guidelines to qualify them for special testing or placement in school.
Correct and early diagnosis is critical to creating appropriate intervention. We offer answers quickly to begin a path toward success. An early diagnosis begins by building a documented history that will support suitable accommodation, intervention, and understanding throughout an individual’s lifetime.
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We work with both children and adults of all ages and stages of life, including children (ages 6-10), preteens, teens, adults and seniors 65+.
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Individuals with LD, Dyslexia, or ADHD often have trouble keeping up in the classroom or workplace and display some of the following symptoms:
Impulsivity, hyperactivity, or inattention
Confusion with sequence
Difficulty following directions
Faulty oral language (can’t tell stories, lose words)
Slow work rate
Errors in spelling and/or copying
Directional confusion
Trouble making or keeping friends
Poor organization
Time management
Slow processing of information
Delayed reading
Memory problems
If you or your child experience any of these difficulties, a professional evaluation can serve as the first step towards understanding and managing them.
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Our staff is experienced and equipped to help with a number of focus areas, including, but not limited to the following:
ADHD
Anger Management
Antisocial Personality
Anxiety
Behavioral Issues
Career Counseling
Codependency
Coping Skills
Depression
Developmental Disorders
Divorce
Dual Diagnosis
Dyslexia, & ADHD
Education and Learning Disabilities
Emotional Disturbance
Family Conflict
Grief
Life Coaching
Life Transitions
Marital and Premarital
Men's Issues
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Parenting
Peer Relationships
Post pandemic trauma
Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum
School Issues
Self Esteem
Sexual Abuse
Sleep or Insomnia
Spirituality
Stress
Trauma and PTSD
Mental Health
Dissociative Disorders (DID)
Impulse Control Disorders
Mood Disorders
Personality Disorders
Thinking Disorders
Transition of Aging
Who & How We Help
Meet the Team
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Paula has more than 40 years of experience as a Licensed Professional and National Board Certified Counselor and a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist in the Edmond and OKC area. She has helped families for over 40 years.
Paula has been on the Professional Advisory Board of Oklahoma Learning Disabilities Association and CHADD of Central Oklahoma. She has become well-respected nationally in leading workshops, teaching and speaking about learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD and the family issues involved in these disorders.
National Board Certified Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed Marital & Family Therapist
Educational Interventionist
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Joseph A. Banken, Ph.D., is a compassionate and experienced Clinical Psychologist licensed in Oklahoma (1336), with over 35 years of expertise. He performs psychological testing after Paula completes the intake interview.
Dr. Banken earned his doctorate in psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi. His career spans roles as a Captain and Clinical Psychologist in the U.S. Air Force, faculty in psychiatry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and private practitioner in Lubbock, Texas. His contributions include published research in psychological assessment and presentations at international scientific associations.
With clinical interests in children, Veterans, maternal health, and substance misuse, Dr. Banken’s dedication reflects a lifelong commitment to understanding and improving mental health across diverse populations.
Our staff solves the puzzle by providing a comprehensive continuum of care including evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and referral for children and adults with Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia or attentional problems.
FAQ
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Paula J. Stanford and team spend a full day with a person for evaluation. This approach allows evaluation of performance over a realistic amount of time resembling a full academic or work day. Prior to testing, a complete history of the patient is obtained with the help of the family, physician, teachers, and co-workers.
Test day consists of a patient interview, intelligence testing, academic achievement evaluation, computerized ADHD screening, visual screening, memory abilities evaluation, processing style evaluation, and other tests individually selected to address the specific presenting problem.
A post-evaluation counseling session offers specific recommendations for the home, school, or workplace. Our staff works with the patient to develop strategies for managing the learning disability or attentional problem. The Stanford Human Resource Network refers to a group of professionals familiar with our patient’s needs and profiles. After the evaluation, we provide a detailed written report that outlines the person’s unique situation, establishes a benchmark to measure future progress, and presents a specific course of action. The report is written to communicate with families, schools, employers, physicians, tutors, and other helping professionals.
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If the evaluation reveals evidence of LD, Dyslexia, or ADHD, there are some important facts both patient and the family need to know. Our staff makes every effort to educate the individual and any other involved parties to understand and work with the situation in a positive manner.
Students may be eligible for special accommodations or placement at school. Adults may be within their rights to request reasonable adjustments at work to achieve job success. Taped textbooks may be provided. College entrance tests may be given with extended time. Our staff will help you request what you need and are entitled to receive.
The American Disabilities Act protects people with these disorders. A documented history supporting special needs is the best manner of receiving this protection. Our staff follows up with annual updates for children and adolescents. If this process is neglected, problems may arise late in life when trying to prove the existence of a specific learning disability. Evaluation, proper diagnosis, and updating an ongoing record will provide the needed documentation.
If there is not a specific diagnosis, the evaluation is helpful for identifying learning and academic styles and potential for effective educational planning as well as identifying issues such as self-esteem, anxiety, self-control, disturbed mood, or social skills issues.
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Paul J. Stanford is a Licensed Professional and National Board Certified Counselor and a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist. She has operated The Stanford Human Resource Network in Oklahoma City for over 35 years. Paula has been on the Professional Advisory Board of the Oklahoma Learning Disabilities Association and CHADD of Central Oklahoma. She has become well-respected nationally in leading workshops, teaching, and speaking about LD, dyslexia, ADHD, and the family issues involved in these findings.
Paula’s team is comprised of early childhood specialists, school and clinical psychologists, licensed counselors, and an M.D. child psychiatrist available for collaboration or referral. Paula lectured nationally as well as locally, including presenting for the International Learning Disability Association, The National CHADD Conference, Oklahoma Learning Disability Conference, and to teacher training groups for the Payne Educational Center.
From diagnosis to treatment to follow-up and follow-through, The Stanford Human Resource Network provides complete support for adults and children with LD, Dyslexia, ADHD, or academic struggles.
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A learning disability is most often an interruption in one of these four steps of the learning process:
INPUT- recording information in the brain
INTEGRATION- organizing and understanding the information
MEMORY- storing the information
OUTPUT- communicating the information to others verbally or in writing
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Dyslexia is a neurologically based disorder characterized by struggles with decoding words, spelling, and performing accurate and fluid word recognition. People with Dyslexia are limited in the basic reading precursor- phonemic awareness.
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ADD or ADHD is indicated when a person displays inappropriate inattention, impulsivity, and, in some instances, hyperactivity for their mental and chronological age. Hyperactivity may or may not be present. ADHD can also be evidenced in the disruption of executive functions such as organization, time management, directionality, and the ability to “set aside” or delay gratification or action in service of a goal.
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No. These are life disorders, which do not go away at puberty. What disrupts academics in childhood often disrupts career or relationship success in adults. What causes fights on the playground and low self-esteem in children can later be seen in social and relational problems in adults. LD, dyslexia, and ADHD do not disappear with age. These are disorders that span a lifetime.
Patient Forms
Required forms can be downloaded below. A deposit of $150 is required to secure a date for educational testing.
From diagnosis to treatment to follow-up and follow-through, Paula provides complete support for adults and children with learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, or often academic struggles. Fill out a form to get started.