There is nothing scarier than hearing from your child’s teacher that they are concerned that your child might have learning differences. Being a traditional learner myself, I lacked any familiarity with the spectrum of reading-related learning disorders, and the methods of diagnosis, treatment and management. All I knew was that, at 3rd grade, my daughter Audrey was not reading and she hated school. This devastated me.
When it became clear that her private school (one of the most competitive in the state) would be unable to offer her the support she needed in the classroom and during the school day, I began to explore our options within the public school system, and more specifically how I could use the tool of the individualized education program (IEP) to help support Audrey’s learning during the school day.
Wai'alae School stood out as the best school in the city to offer strengths-based, child-centered learning, along with the support of the Dept. of Education's IEP Program. In only her year and a half at Wai'alae, Audrey’s relationship to learning has been transformed. She is excited about school and has many opportunities to shine.
She has a dynamic special education team that has helped her become a proficient reader and writer at a level I didn’t think it was possible. I see the way Audrey sees herself as a part of a community of learners where her ideas and contributions play a vital role in the health of the whole. This confidence wouldn’t have been possible had we not made the shift.
-Ashley, mom to Audrey, Wai'alae School fourth-grader