Sanford Shapiro looks at The Little Keswick School
Sunday, January 21st, 2007
Sanford Shapiro looks at The Little Keswick School
© 2007 Sanford Shapiro
The Little Keswick School is a therapeutic boarding school for middle school and high school boys. Most people who know of Little Keswick have thought of it as a school for kids with primary behavioral issues, which it is. However it has evolved over the more recent years to a point where it’s important to include it for those with learning disabilities as well. It’s for students whose learning disabilities are complex, and whose behavioral/emotional regulation problems are impacted by their learning profile. This is definitely a school to be considered for students struggling with behavior, relationships and/or school due to an interrelationship between their neurobiology and their (poor) response to it. While some of the kids enrolled definitely have a history of manipulating and oppositional behavior, mood and impulse control issues, they also tend to be disorganized, socially ’softer’ and, and less street savvy and sophisticated than at most therapeutic schools. Kids with language-based and non-verbal learning disorders, including Asperger’s Syndrome can fit in well.
Located in Keswick, Virginia, Little Keswick School is small (30 students), for boys only, and is licensed by the state of Virginia as a school for learning disabled and emotionally disturbed students. Having worked at therapeutic schools myself I know how the balance can tip away from academics towards social/emotional development. Keswick is really engaged in working towards understanding how the two areas are so intertwined with such a student profile. The small class sizes and strong counseling/social communication emphasis make for a very warm student-friendly atmosphere. Class sizes that I saw were six and seven students per room. Each teacher is reportedly certified in emotional disturbance and/or learning disabilities and participates in the advisory teams along with therapists. I spent time with the schools academic head, and he seemed dedicated to bringing coherence between best practices in psychology and learning disabilities.
Besides the standard array of academic course offerings, Little Keswick also offers a lot of evidence that kids are involved with woodworking. There’s plenty of student built pieces around. In addition, Keswick boys also work in an equestrian program in which a student works with a particular horse in very hands-on and therapeutic manner.
Other members of the Clinical Team at Little Keswick include an on staff Psychologist as well as a consulting Child Psychiatrist and Clinical Psychologist, who provide staff training and consultation as well as individual and family work. In addition all newly enrolled students are assessed in terms of any speech/social language or sensory deficits and sensitivities. Language therapy groups and/or occupational therapy services would then be offered if needed.
Related at this site: The Little Keswick School