Do you have a child with learning differences, behavioral challenges or special needs? Feeling overwhelmed, alone and frustrated? You aren't alone. Ronnie's Awesome List is proud to bring you Holly's List, a resource for Bay Area parents who need a little extra support to help navigate the best options for children and teens with Learning Differences.

Winston Prep, San Rafael
Ages 8-18, rolling admissions
Specialists: Neurodiverse Students- ADHA, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, CAPD, NVLD, ASD 1, 2E

Authentica, Corte Madera
small social group, girls only, ages 8-16
Specialists: practical skills for navigating the challenges of adolescence

Big Minds School, East Bay
Elementary & middle school. Opens Fall 2017
Twice exceptional students (gifted with LDs)

Compass High School, Belmont
High School
Specialists: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, ADHD, Anxiety

Core Education Academy, Concord
S.T.E.M. program for students 3rd - 8th grade, and educational therapy services for students K - 12th grade
Providing a hands-on, experiential learning environment, with cross-curriculum support for children who are creative, gifted, dyslexic, dysgraphic, have dyscalculia, ADD, ADHD, anxiety & other specific learning differences.

Fusion Academy, San Rafael & San Francisco
Middle and high school students for whom traditional classroom does not work
1:1 with small group Homework Café (No homework goes home.)
Full or part-time students. All subjects can be requested.

Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Specialists: dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, or general learning challenges.

My City School, San Francisco
Experience-based learning environment for middle school children for mild to moderate LD students who thrive in an environment that serves their kinesthetic, multi- sensory learning styles such as Dyslexia, ADHD, CAPD, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
Specialists: MS LD students.

North Bridge Academy, Larkspur
Elementary and Middle School
Specialists: language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia

Orinda Academy, East Bay
High school.
Our intentionally small community is here to get to know you and keep you from getting lost in the shuffle. We’ll support you as you find your learning style, find your people, and discover your very best self.

Star Academy, San Rafael
Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, Mild ASD, 2-12th
1:1 and small group specialists as well as push-in: OT, multisensory language and math, speech and language, social thinking, mindfulness practices
Small classes, art, music
May students remediate and return to home schools.

Stellar Academy, Newark
Grade 2 to 8
Specialists: Dyslexia

Sterne School, San Francisco
Upper Elementary and Middle School, college preparatory high school 
Specialists: language-based learning differences (dyslexia, dysgraphia), attentional differences (ADD), executive function

Terra Marin, Mill Valley
Elementary & Middle and High School
Specialists: social-emotional learning (SEL) 

The Burkard School, San Mateo
A small independent K-8 school for bright children who need extra support with self-regulation, executive functioning, and/or social-emotional learning in the classroom.

The Helix School, Mill Valley
Mild to moderate ASD, Will build to all grades
1:1 and small group
Specialists: OT, drama therapy, speech and language, math

Tilden Preparatory School, Sausalito, Albany, Walnut Creek
Middle and High School. Full or part-time
1:1 teaching, Financial aid available
Specialists: Executive functioning taught, For students who do not learn in classroom environments, Large percentage of students have ADHD

Other LD Schools

Featured AD/HD & LD Links             

Tri-Valley Speech Therapy, offering the "More Than Words" Hanen parent training program. This intensive 12-week program provides parents of young children (ages 2-5) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or social communication difficulties with practical tools to help their children communicate.

National Resource Center on AD/HD (A Program of CHADD and CDC) Spanish also. Research-validated information on ADHD.

www.wrightslaw.com  Special education law and advocacy for parents and professionals. Detailed legal info on rights of students with special needs. Pete Wright is a special ed attorney who has ADHD and dyslexia himself.

Study Tips for Students with ADHD, Community for Accredited Online Schools is a comprehensive accreditation resource that provides prospective students and families with the tools needed to make well-informed decisions about their education.

How to Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, This guide looks at the various challenges faced by autistic students, and their parents and teachers.

Understand the link between ADHD and sleep deprivation

Info for Teens & Tweens w/LDs &/or AD/HD

SAFE Voices, PEN.  Teens w/LDs &/or AD/HD

Teen/Tween Club for Teens Who Are Adopted.  (Especially for Teens of color.)  

  • Teen Leaders Meeting (Adopted Teens 15 – 18 years old).

  • www.JonathanMooney.com “Author, Public Speaker, Different. A young man once labeled “severely learning disabled” journeys across America....” Author: The Short Bus & Learning Outside the Lines. Brown University graduate.

AD/HD & LD Links

UC Davis MIND Institute

www.ldonline.org  Education and advocacy information for parents of students with learning disabilities.

www.ADDConsults.com  AD/HD & Girls & Women & Adults w/AD/HD, Terry Matlen's website includes several hundred articles & informal online support group chats for adults.

www.adhdcentral.com Terry Matlen is now also at Health Central as the AD/HD expert.

www.sensory-processing-disorder.com   Sensory Processing Disorder educational website. 

www.matrixparents.org  Marin and Sonoma County non-profit for parents re: special needs education, advocacy..  Incredible lending library of books, tapes, DVDs, reference books.
 
www.socialthinking.com  Michelle Garcia Winners' website re: her approach to social cognition deficits.

www.rfbd.org Audiobooks & texts on tape for students with visual impairments or reading disabilities.

www.chadd.org  National AD/HD education and advocacy organization.                                                

www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/WrittenExp.html  Written expression disorder.

www.emedicine.com/ped/topic2801.htm  Written expression disorder.

Recent NIMH brain imaging research shows 3-year delay in brain development.

Holly Seerley, MA, MFT is twice exceptional herself, gifted with ADHD. She is one of the SF Bay Area experts on ADHD and co-occurring conditions. A long-time volunteer as well as running a thriving private practice since 1979, she currently serves on the Star Academy Board of Directors (was President for 4 years) and the CHADD National Board of Directors as well as Co-Chair of the CHADD National Affiliate Advisory Board. She has two adult children, one who is a speaker on ADHD and LDs and has ADHD and dyslexia. She sees a wide variety of clients in her private practice, including for relationship therapy, individual therapy, childhood trauma resolution, as well as treatment and consultation for learning differences and ADHD. She can be reached at 415-383-665 or by email HSeerley@aol.com.

Updated: May 2024