Learning Disability Support Services
The Learning Disability Support Services at St. Ignatius College Preparatory is an academic, personal, and college counseling service for individuals with a variety of learning and/or attention problems. Included in the vision of St. Ignatius is the goal to help students reach their potential. The support services offered by the Counseling Program at St. Ignatius strive to empower students on their journey to become independent learners in the SI community.
Identification of Student with Learning Disabilities
- The Counseling Program for Students with Learning Disabilities & Attention Disorders provides services to those students who submit documentation that has been reviewed for its appropriateness and completeness under the guidelines set forth by St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
- Student is identified by teacher, counselor, parent or any individual who has contact with the student in an appropriate arena.
- Student is referred to the Learning Specialist for screening.
- Learning Specialist calls or writes student and gives them referrals for testing and the documentation requirements.
Once a Student is Identified
A complete and thorough psycho-educational report, as outlined in the Documentation requirements’ guideline sheet, is submitted to the Learning Specialist for review. The Counselor or Learning Specialist will:
- contact the student and parent(s) to arrange an intake meeting.
- explain the goals of the program and the services available to the particular student.
- contact the student’s teachers to explain relevant strengths and weaknesses in the psycho-educational report.
- arrange and facilitate all meetings with regards to the student’s educational plan.
- facilitate reasonable accommodations such as extended time on exams at St. Ignatius, as well as assist with the process of applying for accommodations on high-stakes testing (College Board Tests and the ACT).
Learning Disability Policy
- A learning disability does not necessarily preclude a student’s acceptance and/or continuation as a student at St. Ignatius.
- Parents are asked to make known to the school in the application process the nature of any known learning disability. This would enable the Counseling Department to work effectively with the student and teachers to maximize the student’s learning opportunities.
- Students are expected be able to meet the academic demands and complete the graduation requirements set forth by the academic community at St. Ignatius.
Note for Prospective Students: St. Ignatius is a school that offers the most challenging course of studies to its students. A learning disability adds to that challenge and great motivation is required to overcome the increased difficulty. Regardless of the student's learning disability, the student must be able to compete in a rigourous college preparatory enviornment. St. Ignatius may not be able to meet the needs of all students with learning disabilities. Severe learning disabilities that prevent students from reasonably succeeding at St. Ignatius while preparing for post-secondary education may want to consider a more comprehensive LD support program outside of St. Ignatius.
For more information, please contact Ms. Sarah Merrell.