Our students connect the dots differently
Other schools for complex learners define their cohorts based on their disabilities. We define ours based on their superpowers.
We work with a diverse group of students who have very high analytical reasoning and or creating thinking skills. This includes kids who have an array of learning, social-emotional and/or neurophysiological differences. These students tend to see the world differently and make connections that others wouldn’t make. That makes them not just potential future professionals, but potential thought leaders.
Our unique educational program reduces the challenges interfering with their ability to access their gifts, while developing the skills they’ll need to thrive in a future defined by their strengths. We do this through a ground-breaking, neuroscience-based and research-backed approach that isn’t
Find out more about our admissions criteria below, or start your application online to determine if your child might be a good fit for our program.
Strong reasoning skills
All Cajal Academy students have very high analytical reasoning and/or creating thinking skills. Typically speaking, our students will score in the 87th-99.9%ile on the verbal comprehension index, fluid reasoning index and/or visual spatial index on the WISC-V or a similar examination, however exceptions may be made where other aspects of the student profile are likely or known to suppress scores on those measures. This is a determination that is made by our neuropsychologist on a case-by-case basis. We do not consider processing speed, working memory or full scale IQ in our admissions decisions, as low scores in these areas often reflect anxiety, depression and/or gross motor coordination challenges, which are common challenges among the cohort of students that we serve. Students who do not yet have neuropsychological testing may request screening by our neuropsychologist during the admissions process, however families who intend to seek school district reimbursement are encouraged to request an evaluation from their local school district. We do not require a separate entrance exam. Admissions and programming decisions are made based on the data in each child's profile rather than the diagnostic labels they have been given and thus we do not require prior designation as gifted or twice exceptional.
Diversity of student needs
Having high intellectual abilities is, statistically speaking, atypical, and for many gifted thinkers this is paired with other atypicalities as well. We work with a wide range of these students and embrace their diversity. This includes students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia; expressive and receptive language processing disorders; sensory processing disorders; executive function challenges including ADHD/ADD; social-emotional challenges such as low frustration tolerance, anxiety, depression, trauma, social cognition difficulties and ASD; sensory processing difficulties; language disorders; chronic medical conditions and more. We have been extremely successful helping students with even the most complex profiles overcome hypervigilance to failure and prior academic trauma and the school-based trauma, task avoidance and/or school refusal that often follow. We are the first school in the world tailored to the needs of students with connective tissue disorders and their related co-morbidities.
A mixed age cohort, by design
Kids with the profiles we serve tend to more naturally find connection with kids who are older or younger than themselves than with kids who are the same age. Academically, many of our candidates over the years have been above grade level in some classes and below grade level in others—thus denying them appropriate learning partners within their same age peers. For both these reasons, Cajal Academy has a mix of ages within our program. All students learn the Connecticut state standards appropriate to their ability levels (with acceleration relative to grade level where appropriate) in age-based classes, and then come together with peers older and younger than themselves to apply those learnings to solve real world problems that make learning exciting and real. Along the way, younger students find mentors who can help them to chart the course and compassionately help fill social understandings, while older students build confidence and powerful leadership skills through the opportunities to mentor, guide and support their younger peers. These inter-age interactions develop core social-emotional skills that can then be applied with one’s same-age peers.
Motivated by community
Our approach leverages the power of the group as a powerful motivating and healing tool; for this to be effective, the child must feel a desire to be part of a connective community—even if they’re not sure how to go about that. Thus, ours is not an appropriate program for students who do not feel a desire for social connection. Core to our ethos of community is the precept that all students must feel safe in order to learn. We do not admit students who are physically assaultive towards staff or peers, have a history of being intentionally emotionally or physically hurtful towards others or who show sadistic tendencies. Students who repeatedly engage in bullying behavior towards others may be asked to leave.
Ready for our unique set of tools
In our admissions process, our clinicians will work with your child to identify whether our unique toolbox is likely to be effective for addressing their core needs. Where the student has a need that requires interventions outside the scope of our program, admissions may be deferred until such time as those interventions have been obtained. For example, the effectiveness of our self-regulation interventions will depend on the nature of the drivers underlying the child’s dysregulation, and also the child’s ability to assimilate and apply our strategies. Thus, our program will not be appropriate for students having certain thought disorders and/or mood disorders without appropriate pharmacological intervention. Similarly, we do not have the knowledge, setting or expertise required for substance abuse rehabilitation and therefore do not admit students having those needs. These concerns should be discussed with our Neuropsychologist in the admissions process.
