Boarding Schools For Special Needs & Learning Disabilities

St Thomas More School, Connecticut

Boarding Schools For Special Needs & Learning Disabilities

Many boarding schools in the United States are dedicated to young people who have difficulty reading or paying attention in class. Other boarding schools enroll a few special needs students in each class and devote special instruction to them.

A select few schools serve students who have special needs that cannot be met by traditional or regular programs. Some are university preparatory; others have a more transitional mission and are preparing their students for a return to the mainstream.

International families oftentimes find it a daunting task to identify the right boarding school for the “special” child. Whether you use a consultant or search on your own, it is vital to find the school that is the “right fit;” one that can address your child’s unique learning style.

Most special needs boarding schools generally fall into two broad categories: Learning Disabilities and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. On some occasions, there is a cross-over and children struggle with problems in both categories.

Learning Disabilities:

Close to 20% of the school age population are diagnosed with a learning difference. Most of these children have a problem using language and are said to have a language based learning disability or dyslexia. Others have a Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NLD) and struggle with organizational difficulties, poor social skills, visual-spatial weaknesses, conceptual reasoning deficits.

Some LD students just need small classes, academic support and minor classroom accommodations; others whose LD issues are severe and more debilitating, need direct and intense, skills-based language remediation.

Curriculums at these schools use multisensory approaches and experiential teaching strategies. All teachers at these schools are trained in using these techniques. An example is the Gow School in upstate New York.

Some LD students struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These students are oftentimes very bright, but disorganized and unfocused. They usually do well in small, highly structured boarding schools. Students with this profile might do well at St. Thomas More School in Connecticut .

Emotional/Behavioral

The U.S.A. has a number of therapeutic boarding schools which can address behavioral or emotional problems and provide the necessary treatment. Therapeutic programs are highly structured and adult controlled and are for at-risk students with a history of disciplinary problems who may be depressed, angry or anxious. Most provide clinical services such as individual and/or group therapy, cognitive behavior modification, social skills training, and alcohol and drug education programs. The Glenholme School also in Connecticut is one such program.

Asking the Right Questions

Before enrolling your son/daughter in one of these programs, it is essential to determine whether the school can meet your child’s specific requirements. You must gather as much information as possible and ask the right questions. Here are a few examples:

Is the school accredited and by whom?
What kind of training/education does the faculty have?
Does the school offer ESL instruction?
Does the school have a diverse student body? How well do international students fit in?
Where do the students go after leaving the program?
What is the application process? Is an on-campus interview required?
What specific kinds of academic/psychological testing are needed?

You know your child best and the school knows whom it can and cannot serve. Be honest and forthcoming about your son/daughter’s learning difference, emotional problems, social deficits, medications, etc. Ask the right questions of the school. This will lead to the right fit and a successful boarding experience for your special needs child.

By Thomas O’Dell, an educational consultant specializing in boarding school placements for students with special needs. He can be reached at www.tomodelledcons.com.

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