LEARNING DIFFERENCES

AD/HD

Approximately 60% of our students at St. Paul's have had a diagnosis of AD/HD, and our students with AD/HD find greater success as a result of St. Paul's refined academic program, which includes:

• small classes
• highly structured day-to-day living including structured and supervised study time
• strong positive reinforcement
• experienced and well trained teachers who are dedicated to the success of each individual student, regardless of learning differences
• study skills and executive functioning tutoring provided by our learning specialist and teachers
• education through both study skills tutoring and counseling on the symptoms of AD/HD

Our block schedule plays to the strengths of our students with AD/HD, as having only one class at a time greatly decreases the demands on executive skills, and allows students to focus their mental energy on the subject at hand rather than juggling the organizational and time management demands of six concurrent classes.  This schedule significantly cuts down on transitions between classes, which are very challenging for students with AD/HD.  Additionally, our unique block schedule allows for repeated exposure to material without interruption or distraction while incorporating more hands-on, project-based learning opportunities.

The following are AD/HD organizations with whom we are affiliated:

• www.chadd.org
  • For local Phoenix area parents, we recommend connecting with the Valley of the Sun Satellite Chapter.
  • P2P (Parent to Parent) training is held by Lynn Moran.
  • Out-of-state parents can search for local chapters in their area by using the CHADD link above.
• AD/HD Iceberg from Teaching Teens with ADD and ADHD by Chris Zeigler Dendy
• The All Kinds of Minds Organization translates the latest research from neuroscience and other disciplines on how children learn — and vary in their learning — into a powerful framework that educators can use in the classroom.
• Our library includes:
  • Learning Outside the Lines, by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole,
  • Teaching Teens with ADD and AD/HD by Chris Zeigler Dendy, 
  • A Bird's Eye View of Life with ADD and AD/HD, by Chris Dendy and Alex Zeigler, 
  • Landmark Study Skills Guide, by Joan Sedita and Landmark College,
  • Driven to Distraction, by Edward Hallowell, MD,
  • Help4ADD@High School, by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

Learning Differences

St. Paul's works with students with learning differences like:  dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, apraxia, auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders, non-verbal learning disorders, low processing speed, AD/HD, Asperger’s, developmental disabilities, speech and communication disorders, executive functioning deficits, and language based learning disabilities.  Student interest is stimulated by the rotation of teaching modalities, which include:  visual, audio, and kinesthetic techniques.  Students with learning differences often find that the school's size and diverse teaching styles, along with block scheduling, are conducive to their learning needs.  With more hands-on, experiential learning, our academic coach is available to work with those students with learning differences in order to recognize and appropriately compensate for their deficiencies.

In addition to the structure and support that St. Paul's offers students with learning differences, accommodations are made, such as:  books on tape, receiving a copy of class notes before the lecture, or preferential seating, for example.