Pathfinders Learning

Our Story

Brenda Lana’s passion to help struggling students become successful learners led to the establishment of Pathfinders in 2003. She began her career in education in 1994 at a small private school and later taught third, fourth, and fifth grade in the Saddleback Unified School District in Southern California. She worked at the Orange County Department of Education as a Reading Resource Teacher in Special Education where she trained teachers in reading instruction and facilitated classroom instruction. She is certified as a Dyslexia Remediation Specialist.

She has spent the past several years studying the latest research about the brain and has been trained in specialized programs to retrain the brain and develop underlying skills. The traditional approach to diagnose and treat learning difficulties is incomplete. We now know that the brain has an attribute known as plasticity, meaning it can change.

What new research reveals is that there are layers of brain function that affect all areas of learning – layers of function that were not adequately addressed in the past. These layers include processing speed, working memory, visual and auditory processing, attention, planning, and organization. All these skills are critical for reading, math, and writing – all academic skills. Without a strong foundation in all these areas, even the simplest of academic tasks become overwhelming.

10 Pathfinder Promises

1. We promise you will experience a life-changing journey that will transform those with learning differences to fulfill their fullest potential.
2. We promise that you will see positive changes in your child that include self-awareness, confidence, handling anxiety, frustration, academic improvement, attention, and listening skills.
3. We promise to use the most effective and efficient research-based programs and techniques available. This means an ongoing process of learning and growth on our part. We are committed to keeping up with new and innovative procedures as specialists.
4. We promise to give undivided 1-to-1 attention to each person (child) we serve.
5. We promise to treat your child with respect and dignity, as an individual and tailor the training to their specific needs.
6. We promise to keep parents aware and informed. We will set aside time to meet with the parent, child and cognitive trainer weekly to observe the child’s training session and monthly with parents for a progress update.
7. We promise to provide techniques and strategies for help at home and school.
8. We promise to do everything in our power to help students (and struggling adults) progress.
9. We promise to appropriately adjust our services and techniques to fit every age. We find that the same percentage of need exists among adults. Business applications needs have the same spectrum of opportunity for hope and success.
10. We promise to hire the finest quality staff of professionals who will do everything in their power to help, offer hope, and success.