Academic Independence Management (AIM)

8 Signs your child may benefit from AIM instruction

  • Difficulty with efficient and accurate specific subject work.

  • Poor material management skills. Messy desk, locker or book bag; misplaces assignments, forgets materials needed to complete an assignment.

  • Forgets or does not write down assignments; forgets to turn in assignments.

  • Difficulty knowing where to begin or how to complete an assignment.

  • Poor time management and prioritization skills.

  • Prepares for tests using inefficient methods that do not support long-term memory (reading text over and over again).

  • Appears out of sync or frustrated with school work.

  • Labeled as lazy, not trying or caring, unmotivated, oppositional or defiant.

The Academic Independence Management, or AIM, program supports students with average/above average processing skills that cannot seem to translate their skills to academic production. An Academic Assessment is not needed to begin this program, but may be recommended if instructors discover learning difficulties that could be remediated using our other programs.

The AIM program is also used to support students who have received intensive remediation and now need to apply newly learned strategies to schoolwork. Instructors will work with your child to support, coach, and facilitate the student’s use of strategies, techniques, checklists, and procedures being implemented based on their Individual Performance Plan. Instruction is consistent, repetitive, and the student is actively involved in the process.

AIM instruction targets the following areas of school work production:

  • Thinking before acting

  • Planning work

  • Being prepared for what’s coming next

  • Using learned strategies

  • Predicting the effects of one’s actions or words

  • Bypass strategies for over activity and fidgetiness

  • Maintaining organization over time

  • Controlling and adjusting the rate and tempo appropriately for the task

  • Monitoring and adjusting errors, especially repeated errors

  • Knowing and keeping track of grades and assignments

  • Material organization

  • Time management

  • Learning from one’s mistakes

  • Specific problematic production areas such as note taking, test taking, and homework production