When a Child Learns Differently, Choice Matters
October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month, a time to recognize the millions of students who learn differently and the educators and families working to help them thrive.
But awareness is only part of the conversation.
For families of children with dyslexia, ADHD, learning disabilities or other unique needs, there can be a more immediate question: What happens when the school environment isn't the right fit for your child?
Sometimes, the answer is a different approach. And sometimes, having the ability to choose a different school can change what a student believes is possible.
Finding a Place Where Students Can Thrive
For Courtney Klotz, that realization started with her daughter, Mary-Camila.
Mary-Camila had significant learning challenges, but Courtney also saw her daughter's many talents. In 2016, Courtney joined forces with dyslexia specialists and educators to transform a small homeschool hybrid into Renaissance School of the Eastern Shore, a school built around the idea that students' strengths and needs should both be honored.
The difference was significant.
Renaissance uses Universal Design for Learning, a framework designed to reduce barriers and give students greater flexibility in how they learn. Courtney says that within weeks, students begin to experience less anxiety and more confidence. They begin to believe something they may not have heard before: they are capable of learning.
And the students' stories tell the rest.
Sydney, now a ninth grader, has advanced four grade levels in two years and recently earned a silver medal in a scholastic fiction writing contest. Landon, also in ninth grade, says his ADHD is more manageable in his new environment and is preparing to take dual-enrollment classes.
For younger students, the changes are just as meaningful. Students who experienced bullying or struggled in previous school environments now describe Renaissance as a place where they feel safe, supported and able to enjoy school again.
Mary-Camila's story has come full circle. She is now graduating from Flagler College a year early as a presidential scholarship recipient and preparing to begin her career with Disney.
Her journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes students don't need someone to tell them to try harder.
They need someone to see what they are capable of and give them an environment where they can show it.
There Isn't One Right Kind of School
Renaissance isn't the only example of a school adapting to meet students' unique needs.
In Auburn, St. Michael's Catholic School has taken a different approach.
The school serves students with a range of learning needs, including dyslexia, hearing impairments and vision challenges. Teachers have received training in Orton-Gillingham instruction, a structured, multisensory approach to teaching reading, and the school employs former special education teachers who bring their experience into the classroom.
With smaller class sizes, teachers have more opportunity to know their students, adjust instruction and work together to address individual needs. At St. Michael's, that support isn't treated as an add-on. It's part of the school's approach to educating students.
And for families, that can make a difference.
Principal Debbie Brooks puts it simply: children with disabilities deserve the opportunity to attend a private school if that's what their parents believe is right for them.
Renaissance and St. Michael's don't look alike. They don't use the same educational model. They don't serve identical students.
And that's exactly the point. There isn't one school that is right for every child.
Choice Creates Possibilities
For families of students with unique needs, finding the right school is only part of the equation. They also need to be able to afford it.
That's one reason Alabama's Accountability Act includes a Unique Needs Scholarship for students with an IEP or 504 plan. The scholarship was created to help students attend a school that best fits their needs and, unlike AOSF's general scholarship, does not have an income requirement.
Programs like the AAA can help remove some of the financial barriers that stand between a family and the school they believe is right for their child. At St. Michael's, Principal Brooks says the AAA scholarship has helped make a faith-based education more accessible to families who otherwise might not be able to afford it.
That matters because educational choice isn't about finding one school that works for every student.
It's about making sure families have options when the traditional path isn't working for their child.
For one student, the right fit might be a school specifically designed around learning differences. For another, it might be a smaller school with specialized training and individualized attention. For another, it might be something entirely different.
The goal isn't to make every child fit the same school. It's to give families the ability to find the school where their child can thrive.
During National Dyslexia Awareness Month, it's worth remembering that awareness is only the beginning.
Students who learn differently need more than understanding. They need support, opportunity and access to an educational environment that sees their potential.
Sometimes, finding that environment starts with having a choice.
