Sharon SEPAC
Education for Caregivers
Parenting/giving care for a loved one with any kind of specialized need is a journey. We don't know or have the information until we start down the path and path is long and fickle. It can be emotional, exhausting and sometimes leave us feeling with we are not equipped or might possibly fail our kids as we learn alongside them.
There are so many wonderful resources for parents and caregivers to guide and offer support through this process. The categories of support are robust! New England happens to be a hub for education and research with some of the world's leading hospitals and academic/research institutions.
This page endeavors to connect caregivers to information that offers support on our journey with our kids!
MA and Surrounding Resources
Massachusetts and Little Rhody have a wealth of resources for families. Listed below are some government resources, specialized schools that offer free or low-cost support and education to any family, and private organization. focused on support and education resources.
Click on Logos to go to Websites
Information about MA laws that provide the structure and process to Special Education in Public Schools
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), or sometimes referred by former name the Massachusetts Department of Education, is a Pre-K through Grade 12 state education agency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As found under the oversight of the Governor's Executive Office of Education, the DESE is identified by the U.S. Department of Education as the preeminent public education department for Massachusetts. The agency has its department headquarters in Everett.
Hosts Regular Webinars and Trainings. Their website hosts a wealth of information for caregivers of students with learning differences and disability.
MassPAC is a project of the Federation which supports SEPACs
both volunteer parent leaders and school district administrators to build effective parent-school partnerships to support family engagement.
What is a SEPAC?
A SEPAC is a Special Education Parent Advisory Council. Every public school district in Massachusetts is required to establish a SEPAC.
Massachusetts state law assigns both an advisory and participatory function to SEPACs. Membership is offered to all parents of children with disabilities and other interested parties.
Pre-K-12 Indépendant School
Open Summer Programs
Free Video Resources
Annual Conference on Neurodiversity
A unique and innovative “school-within-a-school” model which, by design, meets students with learning differences where they are in their educational journey and provides them with highly individualized and intentional instruction and dynamic learning experiences that allow them to experience success and consistently work toward their true learning potential.
For 35 years, the Hamilton School at Wheeler has served elementary and middle school children with great overall cognitive ability but who struggle with reading, organization, and study skills due to dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), executive function deficits, or other learning differences. We believe — and prove daily — that our students can learn essential skills, meet the highest expectations, and experience success.
At the Hamilton School at Wheeler, we provide consistent opportunities for our students to embrace their learning differences and develop effective self-advocacy skills. We intentionally use specific terms such as “dyslexia” and “attention variability” as a way for our students to name their learning differences and explain why certain strategies and accommodations are necessary to support their learning. Our Hamilton School students develop their voices to advocate for what they need to experience success.
For more information about the Hamilton School at Wheeler, please contact our Enrollment Office. Numerous resources, events, and information about learning differences can also be found at our Hamilton Institute for Outreach and Advocacy.
Pre-K-12 Indépendant School
Open Summer Programs
Free Video Resources
Annual Conference on Neurodiversity
What would you do if your child couldn’t learn?
This was the dilemma faced by The Wolf School founders when despite best efforts at an outstanding private school and significant tutorial and therapeutic interventions (OT/SLP), their son was failing. Turning to experts in education, occupational therapy, and speech pathology, this visionary group became convinced that other children with similar learning profiles could benefit from an alternative educational setting. This founding board designed an educational model to meet the academic, social, and therapeutic needs (OT/SLP/Social Emotional) of Complex Learners, and in 1999, The Wolf School opened its doors to three students in a single classroom.
Now located in its permanent home in East Providence, Wolf educates up to 74 children a year in grades K-8 from Rhode Island and Massachusetts. This extraordinary growth confirmed that the school filled a previously unmet need in the educational community.
Where every child is a learner
The Wolf School has dual approval by the Rhode Island Department of Education as an Independent School and a Special Education Program. The school follows the standards of core grade-level skills for language arts, math, social studies, and science. Our curriculum encompasses a rigorous blend of academic subjects and intensive Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Social-Emotional Support that addresses three major learning challenges: language processing/production, sensory regulation, and socially effective communication. The Wolf School Immersion Model© integrates Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and social-emotional support within the entire curriculum throughout the day in each classroom.
The Wolf School at a glance …
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Founded in 1999 to provide a unique educational environment for children who are complex learners with multiple learning differences.
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Special education certified in grades K-8 in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
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Approved by the State of Rhode Island Department of Education as an Independent School.
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Children come from public and private schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
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Enrollment of up to 74 children in eight classrooms with no more than 9 students per class in Lower School and up to 11 students per class in Middle School.
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Low teacher-student ratio.
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Individualized academic programming following grade-level expectations.
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Language-based learning environment with sensory processing supports and social thinking skills immersed into the academic curriculum.
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Learn more about our Student Profile and what Wolf can and cannot provide
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Read the Wolf School Viewbook to learn more
2-12 Indépendant School
Open Summer Programs
Free Video Resources
Webinars on Neurodiversity
Landmark is a coed day and boarding school for students in grades 2–12 with dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities (LBLD). These fall under the broader category of specific learning disabilities (SLD). We celebrate our students' differences by individualizing a program based on their specific needs. The Landmark approach empowers students to reach their academic and social potential. Each faculty member is highly trained and specializes in educating students with dyslexia and other SLDs.
9-12 Indépendant School
Open Summer Programs
Academic Year Workshops
Literary Center for Aspiring Writers of any age (HS-Adult)
At School One it is our job to reach every student. We designed our school on a personalized approach to learning five decades ago, and we’ve seen other private high schools follow our lead. Our teachers teach to the students, not to the test. They understand different learning styles and have worked with students needing a range of supports for learning differences.
OUR FACULTY & STAFF:
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want to make a difference for every student.
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teach what’s relevant, building on what students are passionate about and what’s important in the world and work together as a team to share best practices and address student needs.
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are supported by a full-time social worker and full-time special education coordinator.
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bring advanced degrees, success as practicing artists and real-world experience.
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love the School One community they help create. Most full-time faculty stay at the school for more than a decade.
LITERARY CENTER
The School One LitCenter is a dynamic community writing center serving adult writers and young authors, from beginners to professionals. We bring writing classes, publication opportunities, and special events to R.I. students all year long. With our flagship creative writing program, Write Rhode Island, we partner with public and private schools, the Rhode Island homeschool network, and public libraries.
Through our partnerships and collaborations, School One's LitCenter has created a vibrant and dynamic writing community in Rhode Island, where we have fostered a supportive and empowering environment for writers of all levels to thrive.