Schools and education

The right school is not the one with the best brochure. It is the one where a trained therapist works with your child several times a week, the class is small enough for that to happen, and the whole staff understands learning differences.

Almost every school will tell you it supports students with dyslexia. The difference between schools is not whether they say yes, it is what sits behind the yes. Ask how many staff hold a CALT or equivalent certification, how many minutes a week your child would spend in structured literacy instruction, and who delivers it. A school that cannot answer those three questions specifically is telling you something.

Changing schools is not always the answer. Many students do well in their current setting with a solid 504 plan and outside therapy several times a week. The decision usually turns on two things: whether the current school will actually implement what the evaluation recommends, and whether your child is still willing to try. When a student starts saying they are stupid, the setting has become the problem regardless of what the paperwork says.