Related Learning & Clinical Services
At Quad Prep, related learning and clinical services are offered individually, in small groups, and integrated into our classrooms and social periods.
In our Lower School, services are provided both in small group and individual sessions, as well as integrated at other times through the school day. Students work with a range of teachers and clinicians in targeted, integrated instructional groups in and outside of the classroom.
As students approach 5th grade and near the transition into our Upper School division, the emphasis of services often shifts to focus on functional, context-based competencies that will prepare them for experiences in a variety of environments. As students mature, Upper School services are largely integrated into academic seminars and elective classes in order to provide natural opportunities for skill-building.
Services in the Lower and Upper School programs are sometimes combined to build and integrate skills. For example, an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist may lead a combined social learning and occupational therapy group, which we call CoT.
Clinical Services Offered
Counseling
Every student is assigned a counselor who serves as the point person for families and provides individual counseling if needed. In addition, counselors develop school-related goals with students and proceed to directly teach strategies to use in the classroom. In turn, counselors directly integrate into classrooms and work with psychosocial teachers to enable the generalization of the skills taught in counseling. Together, they serve as in-the-moment coaches.
Our Quad Prep counseling team is composed of licensed doctoral-level psychologists, licensed mental health counselors and social workers, post-doctoral fellows in clinical psychology, and graduate-level students pursuing higher-level degrees in these fields of study.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is provided in an individual, group, or integrated context. Our team of occupational therapists works closely with classroom-based staff in all divisions to seamlessly integrate sensory-skill building into daily activities and the environment.
Read more about some of our occupational therapy technologies in Quad Prep Magazine.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy is provided in 1:1 or small group sessions, depending on each child’s individual needs. Our team of speech-language pathologists largely provides intervention targeting language-based learning challenges and social pragmatic language development throughout the school day. Our speech-language pathologists also integrate into academic or elective classes to support and develop these skills across contexts.
Social-Cognitive Teaching Framework
All Quad Prep students receive social-cognitive intervention in tandem with the academic curriculum, either in a social learning group or in an integrated manner within the classroom. Faculty receive ongoing coaching and professional development from Social Thinking® Training and Speakers’ Collaborative. They use this methodology to inform best SEL practices and further develop students’ social-cognitive learning.
Social Thinking®, developed by Michelle Garcia Winner, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a teaching platform implemented to support social competencies of individuals from preschool through adulthood. The methodology is reflected in a variety of curriculum and instructional tools published by Think Social Publishing, Inc.
The Social Thinking® Framework supports the development of social competencies by:
- Establishing a common vocabulary to discuss social information
- Breaking down abstract social concepts into conceptual, teachable formats
- Addressing fundamental social knowledge, such as understanding another’s perspective, the hidden rules of social communication, and developing social attention, among other important lessons
- Helping children and adults navigate the nuanced world of social interaction
Social Thinking® Dynamic Assessment Protocol
An extension of our social-cognitive teaching framework, we use this informal tool to ensure that each social learning group includes students who are well matched in terms of social radar and social cognitive goals.
Learning Support
Our learning specialists work with students to address lagging academic skills due to specific learning disabilities or gaps that can co-occur with twice-exceptionality. Most commonly, students may receive learning support in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math.
Most of our learning specialists are trained and/or certified in the Orton-Gillingham methodology, including Wilson Language Training, among other evidence-based approaches, for targeted reading intervention as needed; all of our Lower School learning specialists are trained to provide math support and intervention, including explicit training in Marilyn Zecher’s Multisensory Math approach. All learning specialists are trained to provide writing intervention, including The Writing Revolution/Hochman Method©. Students can receive learning support individually or in a small group and may attend a core academic class with a learning specialist if needed. Our flexibility allows all learners to reach their potential and make academic gains.
Innovative Technologies & Groundbreaking Programs
Read more about the innovative technologies we use in our occupational therapy sessions and the groundbreaking learning support program we've created in Quad Prep Magazine.
A not-for-profit independent college preparatory school, Quad Prep’s rich and robust curriculum engages, challenges, and inspires students at all levels, K–12, through our Lower School and Upper School programs.