Sanford Shapiro looks at US Schools
Wednesday, September 14th, 2005
Sanford Shapiro, M.Ed, learning disabilities specialist and educational consultant will be taking a critical look at K-12 schools in the US which offer LD support programs in order to assist families in finding the right school for their child with a learning disability. Sanford, the former executive director of Stanbridge Academy, a K-12 school for students with learning disabilities in San Mateo California, will begin his nationwide tour beginning this fall.
This project was conceived and inspired by a parent who found it far too difficult to apply the findings of his son’s neuro-psychological assessment in order to match his son’s educational needs with the right school. Though he eventually found a good match (Stanbridge Academy), the purpose of this project is to enable other parents in need of assistance to access a national website and search for schools that better match their children’s profiles.
Sanford is happy to join with LD Resources in this project to share his findings in a way that will make it easy for parents to both track his progress and more easily find the right school for their child. From September through February, Sanford will visit seventy schools in different regions of the country. This project is intended to support and enhance, not replace, other parent resources such as independent educational counselors and consultants.
Sanford Shapiro can be reached at sanfordmshapiro@gmail.com.
Dear Mr. Shapiro:
I am looking for a mainstream school for my son Christopher who has attended Windward School in White Plains NY since second grade. They believe my best choic is Harvey School in Katonah ny or Pennington School in Pennington NJ. I have looked at York Prep & Dwight in the city but I am concerned about behavior issues. Chris is well behaved but still has trouble doing simple math. Can you suggest any fine boarding schools also.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Marguerite B. Waye
Dear Marguerite,
The good news is there are lots of New England day and boarding schools that have supportive programs for students with learning disabilities.
Let me begin by answering your question with what may be the obvious caveats. When trying to match a child/teenager with learning disabilities to schools, you have to look at a variety of factors. Kids have personality, social, athletic, artistic, and cultural needs that have to be considered. In other words, a child’s learning disability is only one aspect of who they are and in my opinion, you have to pay attention to the rest of the child and of the schools as well. Investigating school and class size, dorms, demographics of the student body, the application and screening process, faculty background are all things to consider when getting into the process of school placement.
Central to the process is also the specific nature of your son’s learning profile. Consequently, a thorough up to date psycho-educational evaluation is going to be an extremely useful piece to this.
Have you considered using the services of an experienced independent educational consultant who can guide you and your son through this process? The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) may prove to be your best resource. Their website address is www.educationalconsulting.org/ They are a group of educational placement professionals and there will be someone in your area who knows more local schools.
Please also feel free to email me at sanfordmshapiro@gmail.com if you would like to further discuss more personal details of your son’s needs.
Good luck in the process!
Sanford
Dear Mr. Shapiro,
We have a premie twin boy, who is 9, and challenged with affects of his prematurity. He has a mild case of CP and PVL has left him delayed and struggling in academics.
He is a great kid, very social, and always does his best.
He is currently in first grade a great “mainstream” private school in San Jose, they care deeply about him, but we are concerned he will quickly fall behind. Especially in reading and writing.
I know you are from the bay area, and we have been interested in Stanbridge Academy. However, it is quite a distance from our house. But we may consider it anyway.
I am interested to know if you are aware of any schools in San Jose that may offer services for LD kids that you could recommend?
Any advice you can gvie would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Jeff,
Stanbridge may be a really good option and I would encourage you to contact them. I also have the names of a few local folks in the Bay area who are school placement/LD experts who can steer you in the right direction. If you give Marty Procaccio a call at Stanbridge (the Director) he can help you tease things apart. I do know that there are quite a few families who car pool to Stanbridge that are from the San Jose area.
Good luck and keep me posted. If you want to email me directly (sanfordmshapiro@gmail.com), please feel free.
Sanford
Mr. Shapiro,
My daughter has been the recipient of governmental services since the age of four and was diagnosed this January (2005) as Mildly Mentally Retarded by Oakland Children’s.
Over the past three years in California we have noticed a substantial decrease in her learning to which we can (at least) partially attribute the teaching model used. While we are aware of occasions where our school district has broken federal and state laws in regard to educating our daughter, we are really just looking for our daughter to receive an appropriate education. With that said, we are a single income household living in the country.
Do you have any possible suggestions for us to move forward in a constructive way? Thank you. Pamela.
Pamela,
I would suggest you contact Deborah Bloom, who has an office in the East Bay. She is an advocate and education consultant and will likely have some useful placement or programming ideas. Her number is 925-820-5480.
Good luck and let me know how things progress.
Sanford
marty procaccio’s june 9, 2006 Stanbridge Graduation speech was found online. Stolen.
stuff.mit.edu/people/amlau/clarity/kawasaki.htm
any suggestions of what to do about this?
Do you have suggestions on day schools/programs in the Boston area for my 10 yr old son recently diagnosed with NVLD? The director of special ed in our public school system has never heard of this learning disability, so private schools geared to this seem like our only option. Many thanks in advance.
Jennifer,
Boy I must admit I’m pretty surprised that a sp.ed director hasn’t heard of NVLD. That aside, there are no day schools that I know of in the Boston area that is set up specifically for kids with this profile. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any that might fit some or much of your son’s needs. Keep in mind, there are some good placement consultants in your area.
An NVLD diagnosis, while not a catch-phrase still represents a fairly wide range of description. Sometimes people with this dx struggle primarily with organizational parts of learning, the “executive functions,” written expression and sometimes math. In other words your son might benefit from instructional approaches that would be found in a school like Landmark Lower school in Prides Crossing, north of Boston. it’s worth checking into.
Goiod luck.
In your search/review of special ed. schools- could you recommend a Middle School (private or public) in Irvine, California for students with learning disabilities?
A family is relocating from NYC to CA and needs a scholl that would address the needs of their daughter entering middle school.
Thank you!
Hi Jossie, I will write you further (I got your other email at gmail) but in the meantime, tho’ not knowing details of the child in question, you might want to consider the Prentice School in Santa Ana, CA. The phone number is 714 538 4511. The website address is www.prenticeschool.org
Dear Mr. Shapiro,
I have a 6yr old son with a mild case of AS. He is currently in first grade in a mainstream private school in India. He has little difficulties in social interaction and the functional use of language.
Sir, could you please suggest a mainstream private school for my child in Vernon Hills, IL, where i’m planning to move for a year. This is because i’m not satisfied with the therapies given here in India to children with AS and I was told by my child’s pediatriacian that the therapies given in the US are more result oriented and thus would be of great help to my child. My child needs speech,language and social skills therapies. Sir, could you also please suggest a centre or a professional who would provide the same.
Thank you.Ami karia.
Dear Ami,
I have not yet visited schools close to Vernon but I would encourage you to contact two people who are excellent resources. Jeanette Spires is an educational consultant who I have high regard for. Her phone number us 847 234 7211. She is in Lake Forest, IL. Also you could contact Dr. Richard Collins. He’s the director the the Brehm Preparatory School in Carbondale, IL (it’s a boarding school for children with learning disabilities). He may be able to point you in the right direction. The number there is 618 529 1248
Good luck with everything.
Hi,
My 6 year old son has been diagnosed with auditory processing disorder and ADHD. Any thoughts regarding a private school in the Pittsburgh area that might be a good fit for him?
Thanks,
Bob
Hi Bob,
Here are some resources that may help: Chris Harris at the Janus School, in Mt. Joy, PA. Phone number is 717 653 0025. Also, Nancy Greene at 610 896 9695 and James Nolan at 610 527 9242 are both educational placement professionals who may be able to help.
Mr. Shapiro,
Are you still doing your tour of schools for special needs kids. If so, where are your findings published?
Looking for a good day school for my 14 yr. old son who has a rare disability but his learning style falls within the Higher functioning autism spectrum. Thinking of moving to TX or FLA
thanks,
SBF
New Orleans, LA
Stephanie,
I’ll be writing about lots more schools here on this site.
You might want to look at the Monarch School in Houston for your son. You can find my write up about that school on this site as well.
Good luck
Mr. Shapiro,
My nephew is 7 years old and diagnosed with sotos syndrome. He and his mother (also diagnosed with sotos syndrome) live in the Dallas, Texas area. They are in need of a good advocate to assist them when attending IEP meetings at my newphews school. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Lori-Ohio
Dear Lori,
I would contact Brooke Dudley, an educational consultant. His phone number is 210 804 1700. He has lots of good experience. Though he’s living in San Antonio TX, he spent lots of time in Dallas area and may be able to steer her in the right direction.
Sanford,
I am in the process of organizing lesson plans for a group of high functioning kids w/ various LD’s, do you have any suggestions as to the typs of extra-cirriculuar activites would benefit them most?
Michael,
I’m not sure what you mean by extra curricular or what the various ld’s are. However my opinion is that students with learning disabilities are like anyone else when it comes to a well-rounded education. A good place to start is to inventory the kids about their areas of interests. Here’s what I’ve seen in good schools around the country: digital photography, all kinds of fine arts, metal working, drama/threater arts, video production and ever increasingly, participation in robotics contests.
Research points to ‘service activities, within a community and outside (out in the town, as opossed to the smaller school community) as being a common ‘success’ factor. Again I would think this is true of anyone, ld or not. I guess anything that gives kids opportunities to try, learn, struggle, be resilient, learn what it is like to have fun and succeed in a variety of modes is a good thing.
Good luck with your lesson plans.
Can you recommend an LD school in the West Los Angeles area. My daughter is 12 years old and currently attends Eagle Hill School in Ct. Park Century School and Westmark School seem to be the only schools available and I am concerned that they have long waiting lists. Is there a public or charter school that stands out as being particularly accomodating to children with ld?
Many thanks,
Laura Cordovano
Dear Laura,
The school I would recommend your looking into and considering is the Prentice School. Tho’ it’s outside LA proper (Santa Ana), there are families that come from LA and it’s a good school. The school website is www.prentice.org Send my best to Tom Cone at EHS.
Eagle Hill School. I go there, and it is far by the best school I have gone to. Its located in Hardwick, Mass. The tuition is steep at 53,000 though.
I was hoping you could point me in the direction to help me find the appropriate school for my 5yr old. She’ll be in first grade this fall. She has a clinical diag. of Angelman Synd, mood disorder, seizure disorder, sensory processing disorder and some other medical issues. She is currently in a school for disabled but she is have huge mood problems, crying, biting herself and others, its very disruptive to her and the class and teachers. I am trying to work with the school principle but I’m not sure this school is the right “fit”. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And could you please send the response to my email. I have a hard time keeping up online.
In my previous comment I forgot to tell you where we lived – dug – Lakewood, Colorado (Just west of Denver)
Leslie,
I’d be happy to write you at your email address but I don’t see it.
Hello,
My son is five and was diagnosed at two and a half with developmental verbal dyspraxia. A recent psycho-educational showed overall average intelligence with above average scores in the performance IQ but lower average scores in the verbal IQ. This is putting him “at risk” for a language-learning disability. We live in the Atlanta area. Do you think Howard would be a good fit? Also, do you know anything about the Porter School in Roswell?
Thank you!
Hi Regina,
If he still struggles with verbal fluency production, then he’ll perform in some ways like someone with a language-based learning disability (it’ll be the same as having word finding or word retrieval difficulties, tho’ it may be for different reasons). I visited quite a few schools in the greater Atlanta area although unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the Porter School. I really appreciated the social and academic learning atmosphere of the Howard School. I would recommend your considering the Atlanta Speech School as well. The write ups on both those schools are on this site.
The fine tuning for finding the right school involves a lot of investigation and comparing his learning profile to the range of profiles at any school you’re considering. Talk to parents, visit the school and check into the speech and language aspects of any school. Good luck and let us know how you’re doing.
Hi Sanford,
Thanks so much for your note. I saw your write ups on both schools. Unfortunately, our son did not meet Wardlaw’s profile this year. We of course, loved the fact that they are in the business of remediating and mainstreaming. Howard seems like a wonderful and supportive program (in a great new facility, BTW.) We loved the fact that they hone in on strengths as well as weaknesses. But, their focus does not seem to be to ultimately mainstream…which we think is certainly possible in his case. Also, our son’s profile does not suggest dyslexia…which you seemed to believe was Howard’s general profile. FYI, he’s already been accepted there.
What did Schenck tell you about their Kindergarten? It seems to me that if he is NOT dyslexic, or at risk for that, it would be silly to apply there. However, their brochure for kindergarten indicated kids at risk for any language based learning disability would be appropriate. Your thoughts? Did you visit Sophia Academy?
Thank you!
Hi Regina,
Was he not appropriate for the other arm of the Speech School, or could he access part time services there? Schenck didn’t have the kinndergarten running yet while I was visiting so I can’t really comment.
Without seeing your child’s full evaluation it’s hard to comment on nuances. One comment about Howard’s “focus not seeming to be ultimately mainstream:” My impression was that there were many kids there who could and perhaps will mainstream at some point, but that Howard was positioning themselves (perhaps deservedly so) as being a good alternative school for kids who learn a bit differently, so many could choose to stay on. Just a different focus but still might be a great spot. Did you get a different impression? I think one of the main questions is how to get him the type of intensive speech/language production support while immersing him in a playful, developmentally appropriate kindergarten.
Hi Sanford,
Thanks again for your comments. Wardlaw is the LD day school for K-6…which other arm are you refering to? I believe my son’s deficits are a little more than they typically deal with. He is described as “solidly moderate”. I believe Wardlaw likes to take milder cases. We knew this when we applied, but we took a chance and applied anyway. At Howard, he would receive separate speech services outside the classroom. We did have a positive impression of Howard… it’s just a different philosophy than Wardlaw. I think we just have to reassess things after a couple of years in that program to see if he can be mainstreamed.
Since we are finally close to making a decision on schools.. I think I am second-guessing myself a bit!
Thank you!
Regina,
I just meant considering Atlanta Speech for adjunct speech/language therapy in support of school based program such as Howard.
Does Howard have any current or previous students with similar profile, including the dyspraxia?
Hi,
I believe there are other children with generally similar profiles, but not sure about the dyspraxia. I never thought to ask about that specifically. I will do so. Thank you.
Regina, you’re welcome. Since I don’t have all the facts and am not looking at his evaluation, I can only offer that though dyspraxia and a language based learning disability, ie dyslexia may have some similar manifestations (may appear similar), your son’s primary difficulty may be less tied to phonological (processing the sounds of symbolic language) issues, and more to do with motor production and planning. He may also have overlapping weaknesses. If not, the approaches can be quite different. Don’t get too stressed about being perfect in the process. Just keep asking questions until it becomes clear. Good luck.
Dr Shapiro:
I have an old friend named Sandy Shapiro – any relation?
Dr Noteworthy, ESQ
Larry,
One and the same!
My son is diagnosed bipolar, has some emotional disabilities, has high iq, dyslexic…
I am looking for a coed boarding school for high school.
What do you suggest?
Sunny
Sunny,
I suggest you start reading though (if you haven’t already) the different school write ups here (under Shapiro visits K-12 Schools). That will open up the door. Depending on where you live there are independent educational consultants who can work with you to really understand your child’s needs (related to his disabilities and challenges as well as his strengths and social needs, and then recommend good matches. Let me know where you live and I may be able to provide you with some names and contact info. In spite of the caveats raised in other discussion threads (about over-reliance on experts) I think the good ones can be invaluable).
The diagnoses of Bi-Polar Disorder, dyslexia and even “high IQ,” while important characteristics, don’t yet tell enough of the story of who your son is and what he needs. How much do his psychiatric/mental health issues impact him? How well do the different strategies used now (medication, therapy, etc) work to minimize the effects of his condition? What are his reading/writing/learning strengths and weaknesses? How engaged is he in this process?
I’m not suggesting you air all that personal info on this site necessarily but these are some of the questions to think about in order to begin this type of process.
Keep asking questions and exploring this site; you may start finding pointers towards next steps. I’d be more than happy to continue the dialogue online or off.
Good luck.
Sanford
Dr. Shipiro,
Thank God there is someone like you helping out lost families like us!!!
I have a son 2 1/2 with sensory processing disorder and ADHD (they think) and am looking for a school in the Houson area as well as the Atlanta area. He is VERY smart, but a sensory seeker and impulsive guy with bad social skills and little language. What schools would you recommend for him in both cities. (We have job opportunities in both and will pick which ever is a city that will help him best.)
Thank you so much for your expertise and help.
Anne
Anne,
Thanks for your comments about the K-12 school visit project. It’s been a great opportunity for me to see lots of shools for kids who struggle with certain parts of school learning. I’m glad it’s been helpful.
In the Houston area you may want to check out the Monarch School or the Briarwood School and in Atlanta look into the Howard School and The Atlanta Speech School. That’s a broad range of schools (profile wise), but as your description of your son is broad so it will be better for you to start this way. Is he 2 and a half years old? In that case, the Atlanta Speech School has a couple of pre school options. Go ahead and share his evaluations with the schools and see what they say.
Good luck.
Dr. Shipiro,
I have a twin boys, one which was diagnosed with SID and possible dyspraxia. He has an IEP and is currently at a Stock School in Chicago in a blended program. He is 3 yrs old.
My concern is that we are moving to Dallas and there is no guarantee that the public system with have what he needs. He is a visual learner and does well with vestibular stimulation. He needs a school that understands sensory issues with out making him feel different. His speech is slowly coming along, but he is definitely a young 3 year old. I would appreciate any help in finding preschools in the Dallas area for him. Do you know if the public system is any good?
thanks.
Dear Marla,
I don’t really know anything about the public schools in the Dallas area. i would definitely encourage you to contact the Shelton School. I wrote about them in a previous post www.ldresources.org/?p=1230 and you can find the contact info. They have some top people there who can point you in the right direction. Good luck and let us know what you find.
Sanford
Dr. Shapiro,
We have a sixteen year old grandson that lives with us. He has been attending Stanbridge Academy for the past two years. We feel that it may be in his best interest to now live with his mother who lives in Lynnwood, Washington. Can you direct us to some equivalent schools in that area.
Thanks for your assistance,
Charles Jackson
Our daughter was just diagnosed with NVLD. Could you please recommend an elementary school in CT or the Hudson Valley, NY area that would fit her needs
THank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Laurie
Laurie,
Let me start by saying that “diagnosed with NVLD” is a beginning step and only part of making the match between her needs and school program qualities. Since there are degrees of NVLD/ (individual variances of performance in academics and social success), I couldn’t make a match at this time. One thing a diagnosis can pave the way towards is a clear(er) articulation of her strengths and weaknesses. If the evalaution/report gives you that, you’re on your way. If not, there’s more to do.
If you read through my school visit reports at this site, you’ll find the ones in CT or Hudson Valley area. One school you might start with is Ben Bronz Academy in Hartford, CT. I wrote about it here www.ldresources.org/?p=1159
Good luck ad keep us posted. By the way you might want to consider using a placement expert (like me only close to your area) who really knows kids with this profile. You could check with the IECA, a national group of Independent Educational Consultants at www.educationalconsulting.org/
Sanford
I have an adolescent child about to be a senior this year. Her public school 504 plan, in my opinion, is woefully inadequate with regards to her learning differences, executive function and ADHD issues. She also has a mild, non specific mood disorder which is exacerbated by the frustrations that are produced due to the lack of working strategies she needs to complete assigments. This year was a bad year. I am fearful that she is giving up on herself and making the wrong friends. We need a private boarding school or private day school in the Chicago or Dallas area that caters to bright, non severe ADHD children with time management and organizational problems. She is a whiz at math and needs a school that caters to building self esteem and celebrating her uniqueness (we are moving due to a job change). Can you recommend a school or a consultant that can help us?
A. Ahmed,
I do know a consultant in the Chicago area that I’d recommend. Her name is Jeanette Spires. Let me know if you’re unable to find her contact information and I’ll see what I can dig up. I’d love to hear how things go.
Thanks. How about a consultant in the Dallas or Houston area?
A. Ahmad,
Brooke Dudley in San Antonio can help or point you in the right direction.
Good luck.
We have a son who we adopted 4 yrs ago today, from Russia. When he came to America, he only spoke Russian. He atended public school and took an ESL class and learned English.Today he speaks no Russian, and very fluently speaks English. He is 11.5 yrs of age and in the 5th grade. (Physically, he looks like he may be 13.) Fortunately, a Reading Class Teacher suggested to us this summer to have him tested to rule out any learning disabilities he might have. We received the diagnosis, less that 1 week ago,and we are told, he has Dyslexia. He has been tutored for the past 3 years and still only reading at a 2.7 level.His math scores are slightly below grade level and he has a great sense of humor and good attitude. I know that we need to find the best possible program, that will help him learn how to decode and assist him with his reading fluency. We live in Florida, but may be willing to re-locate most anywhere in the U.S. to assist his needs.His testing showed a below average IQ, but his achievements showed above average.Any ideas on where you would visit or call or write??
Can you recommend an educational consultant that you would recommend?
V,
Where in Florida do you live?
We live in Naples, Fl. on the West coast.
V,
You should contact Janet Greenwood in Tampa at 813 254 5303
Good luck. We’d love to hear how things turn out.
Hi Mr Shapiro
My 11 year old son has been diagnosed with speech and language disorder. We have been recommended to send him to a special school. Could you suggest any private schools in California that specialises in this area ? Could you recommend me any good educational consultant that can help my son. Thank you so much.
Dr. Shapiro,
We have contacted Janet Greenwood and have a scheduled apt for Sept. 25th.
Thank you for the referral.
V.
V,
Glad to help. Let us know how things turn out for you.
Sanford
Dear Dr. Shapiro:
I have a son with possible ADHD, speech therapy issues and needs some Occupational Therapy. I am considering looking at houses in Cortlandt Manor, NY (Lakeland School District) but not sure if I should stay put. I currentl live in Yonkers, NY. Do you have any recommendations on what schools in Westchester that would be good to look into?
My grandson – high functioning aspergers – just began Children’s Learning Center in alameda. he was turned down at Stonerook in Lafayette. Do you know anything about CLC? Thanks. Concerned Gramma
please do not use my last name if you post this. thnx
Gram,
I don’t know enough about CLC to be helpful but do suggest you call Deborah Bloom at 925 820 5480. She’s in the east bay and is a wonderful educational consultant.
Good luck.
Sanford
Hello,
I have a 4 year old with mild sensory integration concerns and speech delay. Looking for a private school in New Jersey, preferrably Northern New Jersey.
Andres has progressed a lot with Therapy since he was 18 months. Currently he receives Speech and OT therapy privately. Looking for a school that understands a child with mild sensory concerns.
Please advise.
Thank you.
Milagros
Milagros,
I would call Anita Targan, educational planner. Her number is 973 538 7607. Either she will know or she can point you in the direction of someone who does.
Good luck.
Our 12 year old son has Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD and is has always been in a regular mainstream classroom setting. His transition from a small neighborhood elementary school to the large, district wide 5th-6th grade school has been very difficult. Our main concern is his ability to handle the stress and chaos of middle/high school. While we have been very happy with the attention and services he has received in our district, we don’t believe he will be successful in a large public school environment where he (and, consequently – we!) will have to deal with many different teachers. We have been very involved with our son’s education and one of us is always available when an issue arises. We are looking for a private school (preferably a day school- we don’t want to send him away if we can avoid it)which has experience and success in dealing with the type of issues (behavioral, organizational and social) he presents but will still challenge him academically (he’s extremely bright and creative- definitely thinks “outside the box”!). We currently live near Cleveland, OH (we are east coast transplants) but are willing to relocate just about anywhere for him. Any suggestions?
Dr. Shapiro,
We have a 9 yr. old son who has recently been diagnosed as a mild to moderate dyslexic with a high IQ. We currently live in Spain and the support for our son’s condition is sparce. My wife and I are considering moving back to the States so that our son can attend a LD centered school. Our preference is to move to California or possible Las Vegas (my birthplace). Could you give me your “top 5″ list of schools to consider out west. We would potentially consider relocating to other areas of the States as well if there was an outstanding school. Could you also formulate a “you really need to check these 5 schools out” list. I thank you for your webpage. I can see it will be a strong resource in helping us make a very important decision.
Thank you,
Tom Kambouris
Dear Tom,
I’d be happy to help in any way I can. That said, I’m cautious about any “top five” approach. I understand why you’d ask in that way. It’s not that I don’t have my favorites, but:
I’d want a fuller explanation of “mild to moderate” dyslexia, “high IQ” and the like.
Tom the thing is you’re matching a whole child; his strengths and needs, with characteristics of a school. You also might want to consider what your family wants, in terms for example, of the level of involvement, school atmosphere, etc. With all that’s at stake with a potential move from Spain, I’d want to discuss this more in depth off line. Feel free to contact me (contact info is on this site) or access an independent educational consultant through IECA.
If you click on k-12 Schools, Categorized here at LDResources, you can start looking at schools that fit your description of your son’s profile (dyslexia, language-based learning disability). It’s y no means an exhaustive list, but is a good place to begin.
Hope this is helpful.
Sanford Shapiro
Dear Dr. Shapiro
I have a 15yr old daughter that was diagnosed with high functioning autism. The exact diagnosis was PDD, NOS. She was diagnosed at the age of 3 and has been attending special schools since then. Right now she is attending an excellent school in New Rochelle and commutes every day by bus. We are thinking of moving to the Poconos, PA area and I am desperately seeking for a good school for her. Would you be able to help me?
Thank you.
Irene,
Have you looked throughout this site yet? If not, I’d suggest you look in “K-12 Schools, Categorized” section. There, you can click on “Schools with Services for ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders.”
That will highlight schools we’ve categorized so far, and will connect you to write ups (if I’ve visited a particular school, it will show any “Shapiro Visits K-12 Schools”) as well as school contact info, and any other references from this site).
You should also click on the K-12 Schools section at this site. It will give you a larger state by state list.
That should get you started. Once you’ve done that, write back with any follow-up questions or observations.
Good luck,
Sanford
Dear Dr. Shapiro,
My 9 year old daughter (3rd grade) was tested again this year through the school and the results showed inconsistent results however in their opinion she does not have a learning disability, she is a “reluctant learner”. I think it is time I took her to a Dr. to be tested. We live in Naples, FL, can you recommend someone in our area?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Michele
Michele,
I would call Janet Greenwood and Ceel Kenny. They are both educational consultants who can steer you in the right direction for this.
Here are their websites, respectively: www.greenwdassoc.com/ and
www.ceelkennygroup.com/
Good luck.
My son is a second grader in public school who is behind in all areas of school. He has been tested and is receiving special education (speech/lang, resource) but we are looking into private schools as I think the smaller classes would help him as he seems to be lost in the classroom but makes progress when in small groups with resource teacher. Can you recommend some places in CT (we are in West Hartford). I have contacted Ben Bronz. Have you heard of Intensive Education Academy? Thank you.
Justine,
I have visited Ben Bronz Academy and liked what I saw but that doesn’t mean it would be a good fit for your son. Here’s what I said about that visit: www.ldresources.org/?p=1159
Sanford
Thank you for getting back to me. Do you have any other recommendations for schools in CT (possibly public)that have experience with learning disabilities (mainly forms of dyslexia)? I am going to visit Ben Bronz but if possible I would like to find a school that doesn’t return students to the mainstream as my son might not do well with several transitions. Also, any recommendations on a tutor in the West Hartford, CT area? Thank you.
We have an 11 year old daughter with Aspergers, ADD, OCD, and anxiety issues. She is struggling in mainstream private school classes. We would be willing to relocate anywhere in Florida. We will do anything to help her. Can you please help us? Sincerely, Lynn and Howard Holder
Lynn and Howard,
First I would read through the schools here www.ldresources.org/?p=1405 at K-12 Schools, Categorized. Look through the schools under the ASD heading and then try schools under the heading NVLD.
The descriptor labels (like Aspergers) tell only part of the story right? If you look around on the link K-12 schools you can look at schools in Florida.
The Bishop Eton School in Tampa bishopeton.com/about might be a good school to investigate.
Good luck.
Sanford
Can you give me any information on Intensive Education Academy in West Hartford, CT? Thank you.
Hello Dr. Shapiro,
I have 8 yo twin daughters, one who was diagnosed with autism at age 4 but now given a dx of NVLD. My other daughter was recently dx with dyslexia, slow processing speed, and poor working memory. Both are working very hard at their respective Palo Alto public schools, the first in an SDC, the second in a mainstream classroom. We have applied to Stanbridge Academy and Charles Armstrong for next year. There may be a possibility, however, that we will move to NYC in near future. Can you recommend schools or an educational consultant in NYC to help navigate the process?
Thank you in advance!
Kimberly Taylor
Kimberly,
I would call Caryl Frankenberger in Branford CT. She’s a great educational consultant and should be able to help you in a few ways.
You can reach Caryl at 203 481 8476 Let me know how things go.
Sanford
Hi Mr Shapiro,
What a wonderful site and thanks for all the work you’re doing in this important area. My son is in first grade of a high-achieving mainstream public school. He was held back a year in kindergarten. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia and apraxia, causing him difficulties in reading/writing and he has a minor speech defect. Although he has progressed academically at his school, he is still somewhat behind. He also experiences some behavioral problems associated with his LD, namely attention-seeking, tantrums and sometimes hitting other children. He also has trouble making friends and feels he is the odd one out. He’s a lovely little boy, and I truly believe his current behavior issues are LD related. We were thinking of sending him to a private school for a year or two, at least. Can you recommend any in the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula?
Regards,
Andy Hoffman
Andy,
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you enjoy the site and the school visits section. Truly, appreciation for the site should be directed towards Richard Wanderman the owner of LD Resources. He created this site and been at this for a long time. He and this site have provided invaluable info and a “safe place” for people with learning differences to advocate for themselves and explore their needs and find resources.
Much of the thanks for the school visit section can be directed to the anonymous parent funder who made it possible for me to travel to and visit so many schools nationwide. His intention is to make it easier for parents to find the right schools.
To help you specifically, I’d say start here: www.ldresources.org/?p=1405 This is where we’ve categorized schools according to learning profile diagnosis.
In your case, try clicking on LLD (language-based learning disabilities), NVLD, and even perhaps the ASD sections. This is not an exhaustive list but it’s pretty complete for the San Francisco area in particular.
You can link to each school and read about my description (if I’ve visited) and/or link to their website. Once you’ve explored and done that bit of research I bet you’ll see a few good possibilities.
Tantrums, and even hitting other kids, while not what you want, may not signal any deep-rooted emotionally based problems but might indeed be ld related. With an apraxia diagnosis he may be experiencing sensory and motor build up and regulation problems. So keep on the track you’re on. These behaviors need to be attended to but with an eye towards first figuring out what’s triggering them.
Feel free to write back once you’ve done this homework
Good luck,
Sanford
dr shapiro
my son who is a sophomore in public high school has adhd and a mood disorder. he had been on adderall and recently started on mood stablilizers. he did well until he entered high school but now has done poorly. he stays home from school often and does not get his work done in subjects he finds more difficult. he is under the care of a psychiatrist and has a therapist. we are looking for a private school with an environment that will provide structure for him to get his work done and actually attend. he is so far behind now i fear that he is so overwhelmed that he has given up. he is a bright boy who tested extremely well in middle school and has not been disruptive in school. we live in bergen county new jersey but would be amenable to a boarding school in the northeast/mid atlantic area. can you suggest a school or an educational consultant nearby to help us?
My son is currently in 9th grade at an emotional growth boarding school. He has done extremely well there and is ready for the academic rigor of a college prep school.
A recent psych ed evaluation showed that he has extremely high verbal and auditory skills (at the 96th percentile), but very slow processing speed (at the 13th percentile). He has historically shown challenges in visual/motor integration, though that seems to be improving with age.
We are looking for a college-bound placement for him, preferably in western NC where we live. However, if a day school specifically taylored to his needs were available within a few hours driving distance, we would consider relocating for the next few years. We would also consider a good boarding school – well suited to his needs – as a less desirable but considerable option.
What do you recommend?
Aline
PS: My husband asked that we also get your comments about the feasibility of a public high school alternative for a child like our son.
Dear Mr. Shapiro,
Our dyslexic, high IQ 8th grade son has attended Charles Armstrong School in Belmont for middle school which has given him recent confidence in his academic abilities. We’d like to have him obtain a transfer from our super-competitive neighborhood public high school in Cupertino to the Title I school in the Fremont Union High School district that has a broader cross-section of students and has school-wide support for LD students. We’ve carefully written out the social, emotional, athletic and academic reasons for him attending the school having him attend the school where he feels he can be happiest. Unfortunately, we are running into a bureaucratic wall with the FUHSD. Can you recommend a local education consultant who can serve as an advocate in our upcoming IEP meeting with the district? Deborah Bloom is currently not available.
Hi
I have an adopted daughter who has been diagnosed with a Reading Disability, probably complicated by
the fact that English is a 2nd language although she’s been here for 8 years starting at age 6. 2 questions:
1. is there a website that has a matrix of schools and the LD they can respond to?
2. can you give me the names of several educational consultants in the Bay area.
Thanks,
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
I’ll get back to you on some SF Bay area consultants but as far as a listing of schools, categorized by ld types, look no further than here at this site. Click here www.ldresources.org/?p=1405 for some ideas.
Sanford
Barbara,
Here are names and contact info for a few good educational consultants in the SF Bay area that may be helpful:
Dr. Burdick at www.drburdick.com/Referral.html, Alice Jackson, MS ph: 415 332 8734, and Amanda Mallory at www.mmbedu.com/aboutAMallory.html
Good luck.
Sanford
Susan,
Try the folks I listed in post# 85
Sanford
In some of your comments on specific schools you stress the need for visiting the school and getting a feel for whether it is the right “fit” for your child. We live overseas and can only visit the boarding schools for kids with LD that we are looking at during the summer when classes are not in session (although some of the schools do have a summer program, but these run separately from the academic year program). Do you think it is still worth visiting the schools even when students and teachers are not there? What would be some questions to ask or other ways of getting the feel for the right “fit” if we can’t meet students and teachers? Thanks. Anita
Mr. Shapiro,
I have a son who is 6 and diagnosed with ADHD and an expressive language disorder. He also struggles socially. Academically, he is quite advanced. We are moving to Denver. Are there any schools you would recommend I look into? I have talked to Havern, but they seemed to shy away from behavior issues. We do not have any issues with aggression, but due to his frustration levels, but we do work on his frustration levels self-regulation in relation to his inattention and hyperactivity. Also, do you have any educational consultants in the Denver area you could recommend?
Thanks,
Kristine
Do you have any knowledge of the Winchendon school in Mass or the Marvelwood school in CT.?
Kristine, You should contact Steven R. Antonoff Ph.D., CEP
Antonoff Associates, Inc.
1241 South Parker Rd.
Suite 203
Denver CO 80231
Tell him I said hello.
Good luck,
Sanford
Business Phone: 303-745-5577
Fax: 303-745-4488
Email: schoolbuff@aol.com
Can anyone give me their current opinion of Marvelwood School in Kent CT?
Anita,
Marvelwood School works with a wide range of students. It is not a school specifically for students with learning differences although they do have a very strong learning center for those who do have LD issues. It’s a small school with a big heart where teachers reach out to kids in a very personal way. Many international students attend Marvelwood for it’s excellent ESL program. Marvelwood will admit kids who have not been successful elsewhere; this can be risky and not all these students succeed there. Facilites are mediocre at best, although they just did build a new athletic/student center.
How would you compare Marvelwood with Winchendon in Mass?
Winchendon and Marvelwood are very different schools. Winchendon doesn’t have the academic support that Marvelwood does. W. is larger and more focused on sports including recruiting Div. I athletes. W. has a new Head coming in this year so it will be interesting to watch for changes in the direction of the school. M. (in my opinion) has a much stronger sense of community and personal attention to kids, especially those who are struggling. Both schools have a large number of international students.
You mentioned you were in the process of reviewing some CA schools to add to your “reviewed” list. What are the names of these schools. I want to be on the look out for them.
I’m looking for a high school for my child with language based issues. I read your review on Summit View in LA. Do you plan on reviewing Westmark in the future?
Thanks, Elaine
Thanks for the comparison. I am leaning towards Marvelwood.
I was the Director of Admissions at Marvelwood for many years and still have many friends there. In fact, I was on the Marvelwood campus this afternoon meeting with the Head of their LD Center in preparation for a student I am placing there. Contact me directly if you want more info about the school.
Hi Dr shapiro , I can definatly use your help my son is14 but socially function at 12 and thats why isolated from peers,academically he is above average do have difficulty with organization and writing I am planning to send him to brehm prep school in ill.but I am getting so many diffrent opinion I am not sure it is right or wrong for my son .I have send full tution but willing to forego and not send him their do you have any comment. my son is very gentle nice kid with no major prolem
brehm prep in carbondale illinois
Eikram,
What was it like when you visited Brehm with your son? Did he sit in on classes?
Don’t worry too much about other people’s opinions. That won’t help.
In your opinion did it seem like there were other kids who were like him?
Sanford
unfortunatly my visit was during spring break and and their were no student or staff except DR Collins their director and few other.from what my gut feeling was it felt like a nice program but in view of no kid to compare to I am very apprehansive
Hi, Dr. Shapiro:
I have a 14 y/o son diagnosed with ADHD/NVLD under two neuropsychiatric tests. Notably he has an extremely slow processing speed (so slow it is considered rare) yet he has a verbal IQ of 128 and good verbal reasoning abilities. His visual-spatial and visual-motor abilities are also problematic. He has problems with social skills and difficulty learning from his mistakes. He often mis-reads people’s intentions and has begun to distrust. Because of increasing anger and aggression in middle school, 7 months ago we sent him to a theraputic wilderness boarding school recommended by an educational consultant. This school advertised for students with ADHD and NVLD. He did very well in their small academic classes, the wilderness program and we loved his therapist who seemed to “get him”. However, during down time and in the residential component, he often got into fights with his cabinmates. His behavior became even more aggressive and now the school wants him to leave. Our consultant has suggested the Montcalm School for Boys in Albion, MI.
Given all this, does Montcalm seem to be the next step? We are understandably “gun shy” regarding a new school. My husband
wants him home, but day schools are so far from where we live.
BTW-Thanks, for being here for us parents. Ginny
Eikram,
What other schools have or are you considering?
Brehm is the only one as it is the only one in midwest when I searched especially in illinois but if you recommend any other
will appreciate
Dr. Mr. Shapiro,
My future stepson is about to turn 3 in November and will be changing services from the Regional Center to the school district. He has been diagnosed with minor-moderate Autism and his primary delay is in speech & language. Communication comprehension is also a bit delayed for his age. His mother is in Livermore and my fiance and I live in Dublin. We looked at School of Imagination as an option since it offers Inclusion, but we would appreciate any outside advice you could offer. We have been told by other parents that the Dublin school district offers more services for LD children than Livermore, but you seem to be the expert on this topic. Any suggestions? Another parent mentioned Deborah Bloom as an advocate for services, since currently we are receiving in-home therapy for our child. Is this a good idea to continue requesting in-home services even after he turns 3?
Thank you.
Dear Jennifer,
I agree that Deborah Bloom is a good and knowledgeable person in your area. I can’t speak to the services in the Dublin school district, but can offer some other names and contacts.
From the Stanford Autism Clinic Shashank Joshi, MD. Also Dr. Linda Lotspeich works within Stanford in the PDD clinic (t: 650 723 5511);
Dr. Pamela Wolfberg can be reached through www.AutismInstitute.com (in San Francisco), phone 415 753 5669 She specializes in among other things, Integrated Playgroups for children on the Autism spectrum
Lastly, I think the idea of continuing some level of in-home support or education (for you two as well) is a good idea to explore.
Good luck and let us know how things develop.
Sanford
I have an eight year old with pdd -nos he is high functioning i am
looking for a good school. any recommendeations. i live in bronx ny.
thank u
lorraine
I have a nephew who will be attending CLE (College Living Experience) in Ft Lauderdale, Fl in January – the cost is VERY expensive and I am worried they may not provide what they promise to provide – Do you have any knowledge about this program or know of anyone in that area who would be helpful
Thank you
Meg
Hi Mr. Shapiro,
I live in Belmont, CA (San Mateo County) and I have recently taken over care of my 16-year old brother who appears to be high-functioning autistic. His mother fought this diagnosis for years and he was only diagnosed as having an auditory processing problem. While he has been doing ok academically, he does not have any of the social skills that he needs to have a semi- or fully independent future. He also has no friends. Do you have any recomendations for programs in my region that do not cost gazillions of dollars? I’ve been trying to research all of this but am starting to feel overwhelmed.
With gratitude,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
but you could look further at these three schools: 1. Sterne School in SF, Stanbridge Academy in San Mateo, Starr Academy in San Anselmo. I’ve written about all three of those schools on this website. All of these schools do have the capacity to award financial assistance to varying degrees.
Well, I don’t know about the gazillion part
Good luck and do write back.
Sanford
Thanks, Sanford. Do you happen to know of any part-time or weekend supplementary programs? With finances being what they are, my alternative would probably be to have him enrolled in public school here (likely Menlo-Atherton), yet supplment his learning with part time programs.
Thanks again,
Melissa
Melissa,
There’s a great education specialist in your area who does supportive one to one work with students who are similar to your brother. His name is Matt Poynter and you can contact him through his website at mattpoynter.com/Site/Welcome.html
He’s a great guy and extremely talented.
Can you recommend an educational consultant close to central NJ or NYC? We need to find a placement for our 15 year old
PDD/HFA/Aspergers. We would consider day and boarding school.
Maureen,
A good one is Caryl Frankenberger. She’s in southern CT. You can reach her at (203) 481-8476.
Best of luck.
My family is from abroad and we’ve been in the US for only 18 months, so our first language is not English. We’re diplomats living in the DC metro area, and we have a 14y.o. son who will be graduating from middle school this year. The public school has not been able to support him. He has a diagnose of ADHD and also a disputed diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (discrepant assessments made inside vs. outside the US). He struggles with executive and organizational functions, and has been treated for dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder. He does not have behavioral issues and he’s more the inattentive than hyperactive type.
To make matters more complicated we’ve had a hard time to get a proper medical evaluation in the US, such as a neuro-psychological assessment, because only recently he’s become more fluent in English, and those tests are all language based.
Right now, I’m looking for a boarding school for him, because my husband and I will be posted to another country in 2011 and we’ve decided that the best for our son would be to complete his 4 years high school in the same school environment.
However, I’m completely lost at where to start. I’ve looked into some schools that I liked, such as Eagle Hill (MA), but I don’t even know how I can make a case for my son to get in, since his current medical evaluation is not conclusive. Would you recommend me hiring a ed consultant in this situation?
Many thanks in advance,
Daniella
Dear Daniella,
Well, your situation is complicated so yes, I would recommend getting expert help. Go ahead and write to me directly at sanfordsmshapiro@gmail.com
Sanford
Hello Mr. Shapiro,
Are there any good schools in the San Francisco bay area for a child who has AS? I have looked at Stanbridge in San mateo and it seems to be a good fit but pricey.
John,
There are good schools for children with Asperger’s Syndrome, but it’s not a match you can make like a puzzle piece. It’s not an automatic and logical connection between diagnostic label (AS) and particular school. You have to look at other variables obviously, like age, interests, triggers, other co-occurring conditions (LD’s, ADHD, anxiety to name just a few).
I don’t mean to unnecessarily complicate the process for you at all but as you say, good schools can seem/be pricy and the decisions carry a lot of weight.
What else can you tell us about the (your) child? Feel free to write in off-line if this becomes too personal.
Sanford
Hello Mr. Shapiro,
My 15 yr. old son is currently in the 10th grade at a public high school in the Atlanta area that is ranked in the top 100 high schools nationally. He attended The Atlanta Speech School for 4years and then St. Frances for 4 years. His learning difficulties are retrieval and auditory processing. He is also mildly ADD. He refuses to take medication saying that it makes him “boring”, he has no appetite, and trouble falling asleep. He is unaccepting of an IEP because he doesn’t want to be singled out among his peers. His current school caters to students with a much higher zest for learning. He is of average intelligence and he is not a behavior problem. He has many friends and well liked by all who know him. I am aware that kids with learning issues are at a much greater risk of heading down the wrong path. My son is capable of doing his school work, but because it is so difficult and time consuming he won’t do it. The results are that he is failing 4 classes. I have been waiting for 10years for the “lightbulb” to go off and for him to realize the importance of an education. Coupled with his LD is the fact that he is just lazy. He won’t put forth the effort. I don’t want him to lose all self esteem and make foolish choices. Can you suggest a boarding school for a kid like this? I do have an appt. with an education consultant at Parkaire Consultants, but I would like to hear your
opinion.
Dear Patricia,
I can suggest options for boarding schools. Don’t lose heart; there is some potential light at the end of this tunnel. At least you can take his resistance as a sign that he’s got a will and determination. Granted they are headed in the wrong direction but at least they’re there.
His learning disabilities may be secondary to his response to having his learning disability, and the things he tells himself about his struggle.
The first step is determining and laying out his needs and profile in more detail and depth. When looking for schools or programs that can change attitude as well as instruction, a lot of factors have to be weighed.
I’ve written you offline to get more in the way of personal details.
Hi,
Our 13 year old son currently attends a small private school for kids with reading disabilities. He has made excellent educational progress there, but socially has often felt somewhat isolated – perhaps in part due to the distance from home and in part due to the fact that his interests and hobbies are different from those of his classmates. He will be completing his fifth and final year there. and we are in the process of exploring school programs for next year. We would love to be able to bring him back to our home district but our high school is a large urban high school (2000+ kids) and both we and our school system are concerned that it may not be possible to meet his educational and social needs in this setting. We struggle with sending him off to boarding school but are beginning to realize that we may not have a choice.
He has ADHD which is well-controlled with medication and what would probably be best described as “NVLD.” While in many ways he thinks concretely, requires direct instruction and doesn’t do well with incidental learning, in other ways he’s very sensitive and demonstrates amazing insights and a great deal of empathy and kindness. He has severely impaired processing speed, as well as EF and working memory deficits, and fine motor/motor planning issues. With scaffolding and a small environment with individualized instruction, he is now able to function on or close to grade level in many areas.
He seems to do better socially with non-LD kids in our community and ideally, we would like him in a school setting that incorporates a sufficient level of educational support for LD kids but also has non-disabled peers whom he can befriend and have as “peer models.”
We live in Connecticut and are currently in the process of visiting schools. So far we’ve visited Marvelwood – and really liked it, are scheduled to visit the Franklin Academy, have contacted Forman to arrange a visit and plan to visit Cheshire Academy. In addition to meeting his learning needs, it is critical that any school that our son attend have a music program (rock and jazz) as our son is a talented musician and really needs to be in a school environment that values the arts as much as athletics. He’s going to be Van Morrison or Jerry Garcia for Halloween! He’s not much of an athlete and he needs a school that’s not all about competative sports and where there are alternative pathways to being cool and socially accepted.
We’d greatly appreciate your feedback as to your perceptions of the differences between Marvelwood, Cheshire, Forman, and Franklin Academy. We do realize that Marvelwood and Cheshire Academy are not just for LD kids and see this as a plus, providing that their LD programs can address Noah’s educational needs. We’d also be interested in your suggestions about other schools that we should visit, but prefer to stay in Connecticut so we can bring him home on most weekends.
Many thanks,
Jill
Dear Jill,
With the level of detail that you clearly understand about your son combined with the fact that you somewhat know the lay of the land regarding schools, you and your son should connect up with a friend and colleague of mine, Caryl Frankenberger , an LD and schools expert.
As you noted, the schools you’re looking at span a range of style and student profile.
If you like you can contact me offline as well.
Hi,
Many thanks. I’ll e-mail you directly.
Best,
Jill
Do you have any suggestions for an 11-year old girl with fetal alcohol syndrome, borderline retarded. She does fine in school but needs that structure all day, 7 days a week. We’ll go anywhere. She loves feeling like she’s part of a mission, and she loves the outdoors. Trying to find a happier life for her.
Thank you so much if you can help – Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
Where do you currently live? Feel free to contact me offline at sanfordmshapiro@gmail.com
Hi!
I was wondering if you had any names of boarding schools that offer significant support for LD, offers strong cultural diversity, and an emphasis on sports and drama? It could be in the US or Canada.
Thank you so much!
Vanessa