Learning Support and Accommodations

The Learning Support Department serves the entire Seattle Academy community by providing support to the diverse learning needs of students and guidance to families and faculty on a wide range of topics including learning differences, giftedness, stress and anxiety, and adolescent development.  Additionally, we assist students and faculty with classroom and testing accommodations, tutor referrals, and academic support/recovery plans for students with or needing psycho-educational evaluations, or who have missed school due to injury, illness, or travel. We also offer a Study Skills class for students who would benefit from high frequency, individualized support.

As part of the school’s commitment to diversity, the Board has committed that a minimum 25% of the student population be students with learning differences including Giftedness, ADHD, Specific Learning Disabilities in Reading (Dyslexia), Writing (dysgraphia/dyspraxia), Math (Dyscalculia), and ASD who are supported by our 16 member Learning Support department.  

We believe that student potential can come in a variety of combinations with students excelling in some areas but needing support in others. We want a learning environment where students are surrounded by people who don’t think the same way they do to help prepare them for the real world where they will be working with people with a wide range of abilities and approaches to working. 

All students at Seattle Academy are expected to take a full load of college preparatory classes in the 5 core academic areas of English, History, Science, Math, World Language (unless they have an accommodation for a Foreign Language waiver). We are able to accommodate students in accessing their curriculum, but we do not modify assignments or assessments in a way that would fundamentally alter the curriculum. We model our accommodations process on best practices recommended by AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability) and support students in learning to advocate for themselves in a developmentally appropriate way. We have a full-time Learning Specialist in the Middle School and a dedicated Accommodations Manager and Accommodations Coordinator in the Upper School to support students and their families in accessing their accommodations. See our accommodations process for more information.