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Empowering Medically-Complex Kids: Information Session and Open House

  • Cajal Academy, Inc. (map)

Join us on Zoom to learn about our first-of-its-kind program for bright and gifted kids with complex medical profiles!

Having complex, chronic medical conditions can impact all aspects of a child’s life-lived experience. From chronic pain and fatigue to variable cerebral blood flow and the neurochemical releases of hyperactive mast cells, hidden neurophysiological events can influence a child’s learning, social and emotional experiences in meaningfully different ways than those of the children around them.

Cajal Academy’s Zebras Program is the first in the world for children with connective tissue disorders, dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome and other complex chronic medical conditions having variable impacts on a child’s availability for learning, social and emotional experiences. The program was designed by an internationally-recognized neuropsychologist, gifted occupational therapist and mother of medically-complex kids (who was one herself) to integrate into an educational environment the strategies, coaching and expertise that can empower children to manage their conditions so they can thrive independently.

Cajal Academy’s Zebras Program is a “school within a school,” giving our students all the benefits of our innovative educational program as a whole, including:

  • intellectually-engaging and socially-engaged project-based learning with an emphasis on developing the critical thinking, collaboration and executive function skills that will enable our high-cognition kids to develop as thought-leaders

  • highly-individualized, data-driven programs that build up children’s low-lying skills to address their areas of difference—not just accommodate them

  • small group classes with inquiry-based peer learning—not passive lectures—and 1:1 academic support as needed

  • embedded, robust social-emotional curriculum with coaching in self-regulation and growth mindset

  • integrated therapies and expertise, including individual and small group occupational and physical therapies, as well as counseling, executive function coaching and social skills development from PhD-level psychologist and neuropsychologist

  • tight-knit community of kids who “get it,” with a carefully-fostered culture of sharing and supporting each others’ challenges

  • school-wide intranet and online portal to increase social engagement across our community of students, staff and parents

  • parent workshops and events to share the science of how children’s neurophysiology impacts their life-lived experiences

Cajal Academy serves children in grades K-12 who have verbal reasoning skills in the “very high” to “superior” ranges, including twice exceptional children and their bright and gifted typically-developing peers. We support kids with complex profiles, including learning, social, emotional, sensory, neuro-diverse and other neurophsyiological differences.

Join our Director of Programs and Head of School to find out more about this exciting program, and explore whether it might be a fit for your medically-complex child.

Please RSVP below to get your link to participate.

 
Earlier Event: March 18
Virtual Open House March 18
Later Event: April 16
Virtual Open House April 16