In this day and age, it is common to see academic difficulties paired with emotional challenges. Identifying the etiology of these difficulties can be impossible at times because an academic disability can cause an emotional disorder and by the same token, an emotional problem can manifest as an academic issue. The College School’s (TCS) warm, student-centered approach mitigates this duality, setting the stage for progress, productivity, and thus a feeling of accomplishment that every child deserves to experience. 

 TCS’s program is specifically tailored to meet the needs of students who have average to above-average cognitive ability coupled with language-based learning challenges, attentional difficulties, and/or social-emotional challenges. “Unlocking” each child’s academic abilities through specialized and individualized instruction is our raison d’etre, and we devote ourselves entirely to building an environment in which every child will thrive. We know empirically that children who learn differently can triumph over their differences in the right setting.

 A typical TCS student has a primary diagnosis of a language-based learning difference, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or another processing deficit. Often, this is combined with a diagnosis of ADHD, which impacts their executive functioning and metacognition. Some TCS students have an ASD diagnosis or an emotional disorder, which may impact productivity and/or interpersonal functioning. Our program utilizes the latest research on brain-based learning and neurodiversity, allowing us to accept and celebrate each child’s unique profile while also ensuring that sound academic instruction is taking place. The goal to close gaps is an important one at TCS; gaps might otherwise be widened in a traditional setting that fails to meet students where they are. 

TCS identifies students we can best support through a comprehensive review of prior academic history, neuropsychological or psychological-educational testing, interviews, and direct observation of a student’s learning processes, temperament, and behavior.

The goal of our admissions process is to determine whether your child’s academic needs will be served most appropriately by attending our school. At this time, the School is not equipped to meet the needs of children with low cognitive functioning or a primary diagnosis of behavioral conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.

Learning Differences Defined

At TCS, we know that a learning disability is not a learning inability. We therefore prefer to use the term “learning difference” because we feel it is a more accurate description for the student’s experience. While no student should ever be defined by a learning difference, it helps to understand the basic characteristics associated with the learning disabilities that found in the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – fifth edition (DSM-V). The DSM-V contains the most up-to-date criteria for diagnosing disorders, along with descriptive text, providing a common language for clinicians to communicate about students. Here are some of the most common diagnoses we see at TCS:

• Auditory processing disorder
• Dyslexia (or language-based learning disability)
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia
• Language processing disorder
• Nonverbal learning disabilities
• Visual perceptual/visual motor deficit