About educational therapists
Educational therapists (psychopedagogues) support children, teenagers and adults with learning difficulties such as dyslexia or attention problems, study techniques and school guidance, in coordination with families and schools.
Getting mental health care in Madagascar
Public psychiatric services exist at the university hospitals (CHU) of the six former provinces, including the psychiatry department of CHU Joseph Raseta Befelatanana in Antananarivo; mental health prevention and diagnosis centres exist only in Antsirabe, Ambositra and Manakara.
What does a educational therapist do?
An educational therapist, known in Spanish as a psicopedagogo, helps children, teenagers and adults learn more effectively. Day to day they identify how a person learns, assess difficulties with reading, writing, maths, organisation or study skills, and design practical intervention plans. They work individually with students and coordinate closely with families and schools, adapting materials and strategies to each learner.
What happens in the first session
The first meeting usually involves an interview with the family, or with the adult learner, about school history, current difficulties and what has been tried, followed by observation or initial tasks with the student. Bring report cards, notebooks, previous assessments and teacher comments. Ask what the plan will include, how progress is measured and how they coordinate with the school.