Purpose
The Bedford School is a non-profit organization dedicated to the remediation of specific learning disabilities for children in grades 1-9. A learning disability is generally defined as a cognitive dysfunction, frequently hereditary in nature, characterized by the inability to deal with written symbols, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence and socio-cultural opportunity. Some of the characteristics include short attention span, distractibility, variability in performance, reading, spelling, writing or math disabilities, poor organizational skills, and slowness in finishing work. Some specific diagnoses include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), non-verbal learning disability and Asperger’s Syndrome.
The Bedford School is based on the idea that every human being should have the opportunity to become the very best person possible. For the child with the learning disability, this is difficult without proper intervention. He/she often becomes frustrated and gives up, resulting in feelings of inferiority and sometimes producing a weak self-image. At The Bedford School, students receive the proper academic remediation as well as participate in activities that help improve social skills and self-esteem. Once a child is prepared to transition to another educational environment, recommendations and assistance are provided to parents and the school as to the strengths, weaknesses, and needs of each student.
The goal of the school is to help each child maximize his/her potential. In addition, parents receive help in coping with the LD child in the family. These goals are accomplished through a teamwork approach, structured materials, and a dedicated staff.
Philosophy
We believe that students with learning disabilities can be diagnosed through proper testing. We believe that our role as educators is to provide a structured, positive environment that will foster emotional, physical and intellectual growth. We believe that our students can learn the fundamental skills necessary for coping successfully in our complex world.
One of our primary educational goals is to teach students to be organized in their approach to schoolwork. A consistent and structured environment encourages quality work from Bedford students. Once students are part of a structured environment, they are expected to fulfill responsibilities that gradually increase as self-concept, remediation, and age increases. We feel that it is necessary to employ the following fundamental procedures: