 | Students who attend Lawrence School are those who discover their own voice and learn to speak about who they are and how they learn. They feel like they belong (some for the first time), and can openly address their challenges and needs—without apology or excuse.
So, who are our students? They come from every race, religion, culture, and economic status imaginable. They look like students you would see in any classroom, in any school building across the country. They have interests and abilities that extend beyond the walls of school – which often are neglected because simply getting through school requires so much work. They are bright, unique, possess untapped potential, and have talents and gifts that may very well change the world someday.
The unique challenge faced by Lawrence students is that they learn differently from the majority of their peers. This learning difference can be expressed as difficulties with reading fluency, reading comprehension, or written expression; dyslexia; dysgraphia; or expressive and receptive language disorders. Additionally, our students might also have challenges focusing attention or difficulty with executive functioning.
Lawrence School’s specialized methods of instruction and tailored intervention serve students who fall into the above categories very well. However, it is difficult to base enrollment decisions purely on diagnostic criteria. Therefore all applicants are assessed individually gathering information from many perspectives. This individual assessment allows Lawrence School to identify and enroll students for whom its program supports. Although Lawrence School may be the best place for the student, the student’s profile may not be the best fit for Lawrence School.
While we understand that students may also have secondary diagnoses or difficulties in addition to learning and attentional differences, Lawrence School does not serve students with primary diagnoses of autism, cognitive impairment, social/emotional impairment, and behavioral issues. These primary diagnoses inhibit the implementation of our specialized instruction within the classroom, and effect the social climate that has been intentionally promoted through programming. |
| | Common Learning Differences | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Serious and persistent difficulties in attention and focus that falls into one of three types/categories: Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, or Combined Type. Also includes what was formerly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorders). |
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| Dyscalculia Difficulty understanding or using mathematical symbols or functions. |
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| Dysgraphia Difficulty producing legible handwriting with age-appropriate speed. |
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| Dyslexia Difficulty managing language (speaking, reading, spelling, writing). A person with dyslexia may see letters, syllables or words upside down, reversed, blurred, backwards, or otherwise distorted. |
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| Dysnomia Difficulty remembering names or recalling words needed for oral or written language. |
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| Dyspraxia Difficulty writing, drawing, buttoning, and performing tasks that require fine motor skills, or in sequencing the necessary movements. This may also affect vocal sequencing needed for basic speech. |
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| Executive Function An absence and/or delay in the processing of complex, meaningful information. |
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| Expressive Language Disorder The inability to express thoughts verbally. This includes difficulty with word retrieval and may also affect a student’s written work. |
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| Receptive Language Disorder The inability to process and store information correctly, which causes difficulty with information retrieval. |
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| The Lawrence Perspective
At Lawrence School, we often say that 'differences are not disabilities'. Many Lawrence students have been diagnosed as having a 'learning disability' either by a medical professional or learning specialist in a former school. At Lawrence – and in many other schools and organizations – the term 'learning difference' has been adopted as a better descriptor of the ways our students learn best.
'Learning disabilities' unintentionally implies that a person has a general 'deficit' in learning as a whole. We know that this is not the case. Rather, students with learning differences are just as intelligent, and can learn just as quickly and effectively as other students – if they are taught in a way that best suits their unique learning styles. The key is to place those unique learners in an environment that uses creative yet structured learning techniques, employed by teachers who know how to help bring out the best in each student.
This also holds true for those students with organizational or attention difficulties such as ADD or ADHD. While these diagnoses do not fall under the category of 'learning disabilities' they certainly qualify as differences in learning. And as with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, specialized methods and practices can help students with attention difficulties employ strategies that will allow them to become successful learners. |
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