Profile of a Siena Student

Student Profile

The Siena School prepares bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, to become confident, curious learners who understand their personal strengths and gain the tools and strategies to excel. 

The Silver Spring, MD, satellite campus will cover grades 3–4.*

The Silver Spring, MD, campus covers grades 4–12 (grades 5-12 in 2024-25) 

The Oakton, VA, campus covers grades 3–11.**  

*Siena Silver Spring's satellite campus will open for the 2024-25 school year. Learn more here.

**To continue growing Siena Northern Virginia and to ensure our students' continuity of education, we plan to add Grade 12 in 2024-2025.

Siena’s programs are designed for students with mild to moderate needs who experience a discrepancy between their intellectual abilities and academic achievement in one or more areas such as reading, writing, oral expression, or math. 

Learning needs are the focus for our students, and Siena’s curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of students who have one or more of the following primary diagnoses*: 

Dyslexia

SLD (Specific Learning Disability or Specific Learning Disorder)

With impairment in reading 

With impairment in written expression 

​Expressive Language Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder

 

*Many of our students have a secondary diagnosis of executive function weakness and/or mild ADHD. 

Siena’s specific teaching model and curriculum may not be suitable for all students who learn differently. Although each application is assessed individually to determine whether Siena is able to provide the student with an appropriate program, students with the following learning profiles are better served by other schools or programs that have the expertise to meet their specific needs:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder;
• Nonverbal Learning Disorder;
• Intellectual disabilities; or
• Complex social/communication challenges requiring direct speech and language services.

If you have questions about whether Siena can support your child’s learning profile, please contact the admissions office to set up a discovery call or schedule a virtual school tour. 

Siena’s commitment to diversity is consistent with our focus on serving students with diverse learning styles. Siena encourages applications from students of all backgrounds. Only by maintaining a diverse school community can we provide the richest possible learning experience for our students. The Siena School applies all policies and procedures, including admissions, equally to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.