FamilyLight ^sm is very favorably impressed with this school.   First it is a coeducational boarding and day middle school  and high school for learning disabled students, coeducational as a day school with a boarding program for boys.  It is not a therapeutic school, although therapeutic support is available for otherwise eligible students who would benefit from outpatient counseling or therapy. It is not a school to correct negative behavior, although students who have behavioral problems secondary to a learning disability may be considered for admission.

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We include Brandon Hall in our listings and reviews because there is some overlap with the population of concern to FamilyLight ^sm.  Some Brandon Hall students  exhibit symptoms of Aspergers Syndrome.   Others may be very high functioning with other varieties of autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Some Brandon Hall students have had behavioral or adjustment problems in the past when their needs arising from their learning disabilities were not properly attended to, but are motivated to function appropriately in the Brandon Hall environment.  Some have been students at a therapeutic school and Brandon Hall is a transitional step toward returning home.   But none of these kinds of concerns define the school or student body and these students are not the majority.

Brandon Hall has both an elegant and impressive physical plant and a very competent caring professional staff.  Classes are small.  John Singleton, head of School and Merridee Michelson, Assistant Headmaster -- Internal Affairs and Director of Academics are two of the most competent and caring professionals we know.  

We have the highest confidence in this school. 

Official web site of Brandon Hall School

Merridee Michelsen, Ph. D., on Slow Processing

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Disclaimer: No  program review, no matter how positive, is a blanket endorsement. No criticism is a blanket condemnation.  When we express our level of confidence in a school or program, that is our subjective opinion with which others might reasonably disagree.  When we assert something as fact, we have done our best to be accurate, but we cannot guarantee that all of our information is accurate and up to date. When we address compliance with our guidelines, you need to remember that these are only OUR guidelines -- not guidelines from an official source.  We have also set the bar very high, and do not expect any school or program to be in total compliance.  It is not appropriate to draw a conclusion of impropriety (or even failure to live up to conventional wisdom) from our lack of confidence in a school or program or from less than perfect conformity to our guidelines.  Some will say we expect too much. Readers are responsible for verifying accuracy of information supplied here prior to acting upon it. We are not responsible for inaccuracies.

Last updated  7-19-2010