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Has your child, or a child you know, recently been diagnosed with a learning disability or difference? Parents and guardians at DVFriends have firsthand experience with the challenges and emotions that come with this pivotal moment in a child’s educational journey. They understand the profound impact of such a diagnosis and are eager to share the advice they would offer—and the things they wish they had known—when they first faced this experience. Below are some valuable insights from those who’ve walked this path.

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1. “Trust your gut!”
   ​If you sense that something is wrong and your child is struggling in school, don’t hesitate to pursue it. The impact can go beyond academic performance and affect a child’s self-esteem and overall well-being.
2. Become an advocate for your child early on and don’t give up - on your child or on trying to find answers
   ​While most teachers want to help, not all have the training or resources to effectively support students with diverse learning needs.
3. Get help navigating the testing minefield
   ​Access to affordable, high-quality, unbiased psycho-educational testing is a major barrier to students receiving timely and accurate diagnoses and appropriate interventions.
4. Learning Differences can't be “fixed” or “cured,” but your child is not broken
   ​While this realization can be tough, accepting it helped parents and guardians better appreciate their child for who they are and recognize the importance of developing strategies to accommodate their challenges, while also focusing on nurturing their strengths.
5. There’s hope – there are schools out there like DV that may be a much better fit for your child
   ​Schools like DVFriends can make a profound difference in a child’s learning and well-being. Parents highlighted the strong partnerships that DV teachers and administrators form with students and families, which they see as critical to their child’s success. They praised DV teachers for meeting students where they are, developing strategies that work, and never leaving students or families to navigate the challenges alone.

Download the complete booklet, What I Wish I Knew When My Child Was First Diagnosed with a Learning Difference, HERE.

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• Specific Learning Disability

• Reading Disorder/Dyslexia

• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

• Executive Functioning Disorder

• Disorder of Written Expression/Dysgraphia

• Mathematics Disorder/Dyscalculia

• Auditory Processing Disorder

• Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder

• Memory or Processing Speed Challenges

• Non-Verbal Learning Disability

Contact Jim Miller, Director of Enrollment Management, in the Admissions Office for more information.

DVFriends Upcoming Admissions Events:
​All-Grades School Tour: Tuesday, November 19, 9:00 - 10:00 am
All-Grades Information Session: Tuesday, December 10, 8:45 - 10:30 am
​REGISTER HERE​

DVFriends Speaker Series presents:
​Andre Bradford, award-winning slam poet and author
​Kintsukuroi: Building with Purposeful Empathy
​April 9, 2025, at 7:00 pm (in person at DV's Paoli Campus)
All DVFriends Speaker Series events are free and open to the public.
​REGISTER HERE

​DVFriends is one of the nation’s best schools for bright students who learn differently. We welcome students in grades 1 to 12 with reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), math (dyscalculia), memory (long-term and working), processing speed, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges.

Our Quaker community recognizes and honors the potential of our students and the inherent worth of all people. DV teachers are specialists in a program that is responsive, academically challenging, and empowering. DV students embrace the courage to try, establish the confidence to reach farther, and build the resilience to succeed in college and beyond