Children with known or suspected learning differences may not thrive in a conventional academic environment. If you think your son or daughter has ADHD, dyslexia, or another processing disorder, an evaluation can point you in the right direction of tools and services that can help them overcome their challenges. Today, Currey Ingram Academy, one of the most sought-after boarding schools in the South, shares insight on three important educational evaluations: psychoeducational, speech-language, and occupational therapy.

Q: What is a psychoeducational evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: A psychoeducational evaluation can be summarized as a professionally performed assessment that helps identify a child’s weaknesses and strengths. A parent might seek this type of assessment if they notice persistent behavioral problems, social withdrawal, and poor basic academic skills in foundational areas, such as writing, reading, or math. Many students undergo a psychoeducational evaluation after receiving low standardized test scores or based on a teacher’s recommendation. While not all boarding schools in the South offer psychoeducational evaluations and assessments, Currey Ingram Academy’s Diagnostic Center is open to non-students from ages three into adulthood.

Q: How do I know if my child needs a speech-language evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: Speech disorders are not uncommon, but they can derail a child’s academic experience. Whether your child attends one of the private boarding schools in the South or is registered for public education, their ability to sequence information, retell stories, and speak clearly is crucial to their academic success. A speech-language evaluation can help by identifying delays or auditory, verbal, or communication impairments so that your child can receive the help they need to intake, output, and process information clearly and completely.

Q: What does an occupational therapy evaluation look for?

Currey Ingram Academy: A typical occupational therapy evaluation assesses a child’s gross, fine, and visual-motor integration skills. We will look at their ability to perform common self-care acts as well as their handwriting and other actions that require physical, spatial, and coordination skills. Deficits in any of these areas can have a significant and negative effect on a child’s experience at home and at school. It can also affect relationships from the playground and friendships early in life to relationships with colleagues and the boardroom later in life.

Q: What type of therapy or intervention services should I seek after an evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: There are many different types of services you might consider for your child. Once you’ve undergone a psychoeducational, speech-language, or occupational therapy evaluation, the test administrator and their team can offer specific suggestions. You will have lots of options, including private therapy or enrolling in one of the boarding schools in the South that specialize in educating children with learning differences.

The Diagnostic Center at Currey Ingram Academy is located in Brentwood, TN, just south of Nashville. We offer services to both students and nonstudents, and our primary concern is ensuring that no child is left behind. For more information, visit us online at CurreyIngram.org.

Whether you’re considering a boarding school in Brentwood, Tennessee, or other location, here are some of the things you can do to make sure you’re giving your child the best educational experience possible.

List your must-haves

Sit down with your child and talk about all areas of the boarding school experience that need to be considered, including the boarding school’s location, campus and class size, extra-curricular activities offered, tuition and financial assistance available, inclusivity, and philosophy. This will help sift your non-negotiables from the things you could do without.

Take it a step further and ask your child to think about their long-term goals. Where do they want to go and who do they want to become? The right boarding school will provide an atmosphere that encourages them to grow along this path, both inside and outside the classroom. 

Consider the private boarding school’s mission statement

A boarding school’s mission statement is crafted to reflect its values and goals; it will ultimately be the basis for how the school’s decisions are made. Brentwood boarding school, Currey Ingram Academy’s mission statement, for example, is to provide an exemplary K-12 day and boarding school program that empowers students with learning differences to achieve their fullest potential. Take time to think about whether or not this school reflects your values as a family.

Explore Currey Ingram’s curriculum, teaching methodology, and how the school works to uphold social, emotional, and academic balance. These factors will determine how the school assigns homework, conducts tests, grades performances, mentors its students, and sets long-term learning goals. The culture within the boarding school’s teaching community is reflective of the culture created within the classroom. 

Seek first-hand reviews

This of a boarding school education as an investment. While statistics like state rankings, test scores, and student-teacher ratios are important, first-hand reviews will give you a feel of the school beyond the numbers. This can help you decide if a boarding school is the right fit for your child.

Check if the boarding school has programs and support systems in place for holistic student development

A student’s interests will evolve over time, so variety is essential. Does the boarding school’s curriculum include science offerings, an arts program, and special interest classes? Does it have an excellent athletics program as well as facilities to go along with it? Are there mentorship opportunities available?

Currey Ingram Academy, a well-known boarding school in Brentwood, provides programs for visual arts, music, photography, theater, and video production that give students multiple opportunities to share their talents and to be recognized for their work. Students are encouraged to participate in and/or support the school’s athletics program.

Get a feel of the community life

For a truly exceptional boarding school experience, students and teachers must have a strong rapport with one another and value each other’s contributions to the community.

Select faculty members of Currey Ingram Academy have joined the Residential Life staff and live alongside boarding students in the school’s new residence hall. They are there to make sure the students’ experience is rewarding, safe, and fully-integrated with all aspects of living and learning on campus.

Look up the school’s history and traditions, as these in part shape the school’s approach to community building.

Schedule a tour 

An on-site visit will give you a clearer view of everyday life at the boarding school. Observe student-teacher dynamics: Do they greet each other? Do they greet you? Are they fully engaged with the discussions taking place within the classroom? 

Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions on housing arrangements, protocols in the event of a medical emergency, food options, college placement assistance, and weekend activities.

At Currey Ingram Academy’s boarding school, mission-appropriate applicants are invited on the Brentwood campus for individualized shadow days. All prospective students are expected to participate in classroom activities and complete all homework, if given. Lunch and a snack will be served in the dining hall at no charge. 

Remember that admission departments are just as hopeful in finding the right boarding school-student fit as you are. At the end of the day, it all boils to choosing a place that inspires your child to learn and thrive to the fullest.  

A boarding school in Brentwood, Currey Ingram Academy supports and empowers students with learning differences to achieve their fullest potential – academically and socially – within an environment that fosters holistic student development. Get in touch by calling (615) 507-3173.

The number of students with different learning needs has increased in recent years. These differences are not observable in most cases. As a result, students with learning needs are often overlooked or misunderstood. Faculty members and school staff must understand the implications of learning differences so they can advocate for classroom accommodations and provide them with opportunities to thrive and succeed.

What are accommodations?

Accommodations are modifications in the way tasks are presented that allow students with learning differences to complete the same assignments as the other students. Accommodations do not change the content of the assignments, alter how tests are evaluated, or give these students an undue advantage. Rather, accommodations enable students to demonstrate what they know and not be impeded by their learning differences.

Continue reading Advocating for Classroom Accommodations and Academic Support →