Empowering students with language-based learning differences

Siena Blog



The Siena School Blog
Discover, Learn, Celebrate, and Empower
Welcome to Siena's blog, your source for helpful, cutting-edge resources tailored to teachers, parents, and other advocates in the learning differences community. We are dedicated to providing a wealth of curated knowledge spanning various topics, ranging from dyslexia advocacy and awareness to classroom teaching strategies, heritage month profiles, and social and emotional health.
College Prep Begins in High School

Without the guidance of teachers and the Siena community, I wouldn’t have developed the skills and tools necessary for success. - Ozzie, Siena Class of ‘24
A high school curriculum tailored to LD students’ needs is especially important in offering an academically rigorous, supportive learning environment.
We’re taking this opportunity to highlight what Siena offers as part of our regular high school curriculum—such as counseling, test preparation, and overall college readiness—to best prepare our students for their next academic step.
Siena’s high school program at our campuses in Silver Spring, MD, and Oakton, VA, focuses on our mission and supports our high school students and families in various ways.
Preparing High School Students for College and Future Careers
A cornerstone of Siena’s high school curriculum is the multi-year college counseling program and dedicated college counselor and internship coordinator. These deliberate curricular choices guide students through all four years of high school to break down the process of applying to and then attending college.
Highlights of our scaffolded program include:
- Specializing in sciences, arts, or other areas of strength to pursue a particular field of interest in a deep, thoughtful, and rigorous manner
- Exploring potential colleges and majors and making the most of visits from college reps
- Participating in a robust internships program that allows students to follow a field or job opportunity of interest for each year of high school
- Following a structured application timeline with individualized support at each step
- Preparing for standardized tests and guidance on how to help students stand out in their applications
- Writing and revising college application essays as part of class
- Receiving merit scholarship offers (Most recently, Siena's Class of 2024 was offered $6,704,800 over 4 years in merit scholarships by the various colleges they applied to.)
- Guidance on selecting a supportive learning center at the college level
Such intentional design embeds opportunities for students to explore the interests they are most passionate about in high school. In addition, this develops their overall college preparedness, ranging from how to approach a writing assignment to requesting accommodations and using faculty office hours.
By the end of 10th grade, I [...] had developed strong relationships with both my teachers and peers. This made it easier for me to manage my workload with all the support around me and it made me stretch myself into other opportunities offered by Siena. - Jude, Siena Class of ‘24
College Prep and Admissions Resources
Families wanting to ensure college preparedness can review some recent articles on current college admissions trends, such as:
- Campus to Career Crossroads (2024)
- College Data (2024)
- College Matchpoint 2024
- College Matchpoint 2025
- Passion Prep (2024)
- Top Tier Admissions (2024)
These and other resources typically outline some key skills colleges look for in their applicants, such as collaboration, social awareness, and leadership.
Dyslexia Resources for Families
Families in the LD community can read some recent blog posts about dyslexia, including Dyslexia Reading and Podcast Recommendations and Building Confidence in LD Students.
The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12).
Making the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences

Advice for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Conferences are incredibly important to develop a communicative relationship with your child’s teachers. Remember that the goal of each conference is to help your child be successful in and out of the classroom. Conferences are a powerful occasion for meaningful communication with your child’s teachers to review students' assessments to date and answer questions about the rest of the year.
You may only have 10 minutes with each teacher, so being on time and well prepared for the conference is vital. Be sure to ask lots of good questions, encourage your student at home, and remember that you are an important part of the educational equation to help your child get the most out of their educational experience.
Let Siena help you get the most out of conferences with your child’s teacher with these tips and questions:
Prioritizing
Try and prioritize topics to address with each teacher before you go to the conference, since time is so limited. We recommend writing down a list of questions to go over during the conference. To think of some questions, talk with your child before the conference. Explain that this meeting is to help them and to not worry about the conference. Ask your child:
- What are your strongest and weakest subjects?
- What subjects do you like the most and least?
- Is there anything specific you’d like me to ask your teacher?
Asking and Listening
During each conference, listen carefully to what the teacher says. Write down key information you’d like to remember or questions you want to ask at the end of the conference. If you don’t understand something the teacher is talking about, like an educational term or an explanation of a school policy, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
It is important to understand what your child’s teacher is telling you. If there is a problem that needs addressing, ask your teacher to work with you to create an action plan that may be implemented in the classroom and at home. Here are some questions you may ask each teacher:
- What is an important goal for [child’s name] in your class? How have you communicated this to them?
- If there was one tool or strategy you wished [child’s name] used, what would it be? What can be done in class and at home to encourage this tool and/or strategy?
- What should we do to support you at home?
You may also ask teachers what authentic assessments they are providing in their classrooms. Authentic assessments are assignments that give students multiple ways to demonstrate proficiency and real world applications for their skills apart from traditional tests and quizzes.
Talking with Your Child
Following the conference, discuss what you learned with your child by emphasizing positive points and being direct about problems. Make sure to follow through with what was discussed during the conferences at home, especially if an action plan was created.
Here are some questions you could ask your child after meeting with their teachers:
- How often do you feel in control of your own learning? How can I help you better feel in control?
- Do you feel organized at school and at home? If not, how can I help you?
- Is there anything you wish we would know about how you’re doing in school? Can we talk about ways to help?
Siena Blog and Resources
For additional relevant information from The Siena School blog, see our Parents and Community category, as well as previous posts about tech detoxing for teens in school and common language in LD education.
The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12).
Common Acronyms in LD Education: Understanding the Language

Every professional field has its own lingo, and special education is no exception. As part of Dyslexia Awareness Month 2023, Siena is pleased to offer a short, useful guide to terms that parents will read and hear often as they navigate their child’s education.
Terms such as LD (Learning Differences), IEP (Individualized Education Program), LBLD (Language-Based Learning Differences), and SLD (Specific Learning Disability/Disorder) are common. Parents could hear these often when first connecting with an admissions representative or learning specialist, as well as when going through testing, the IEP process, and discussions with friends and neighbors..
Parents new to the LD community might be wondering about understanding the process and language around an LD diagnosis as they take the appropriate next steps.
Common Terms in the LD Community
Acronyms in the LD community are a useful shorthand for frequently used terms that are integral to the process. This helps make conversations more fluid and understandable during key times, such as:
- neuropsychological evaluation,
- IEP consultation,
- meeting with teachers or administrators
- school admissions materials, and
- discovery call or tour with an admissions team member.
Parents might talk with various specialists, school administrators, advocates, and so on, and having a shared language means having a shared understanding during such an important time. Here are some commonly used acronyms in LD education:
Testing and Diagnosis
Twice Exceptional | |
504 Individual Education Plan | |
ADHD | Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder |
Auditory Processing Disorder | |
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder | |
EF | Executive Functioning |
GT/LD | Gifted and Talented/Learning Difference |
LBLD | Language-Based Learning Differences |
Orton-Gillingham reading method | |
OHI | Other Health Impaired |
Multisensory Math | |
SLD | Specific Learning Disability |
SLI | Speech-Language Impairment |
SLP | Speech Language Pathologist or Structured Literacy Program |
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test | |
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children | |
Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery |
Accommodations and Supports
AT | Assistive Technology |
DC Capital Area Branch of the International Dyslexia Association | |
ESY | Extended School Year Services |
International Dyslexia Association | |
Individualized Education Program | |
Learning Disabilities Association | |
OT | Occupational Therapy |
Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources |
Dyslexia Resources for Families
- Frequently Used Acronyms in Education — Great Schools
- Common Acronyms For Special Education — Plainfield (IN) Community School
- EDFacts Acronym List (downloadable PDF) — US Department of Education
- Parent Resource Center — Weinfeld Education Group
Families in the LD community can also visit Siena’s resources page, student profile, and glossary of terms for additional help. The Siena blog has several posts for parents and community, including ones about the importance of early dyslexia diagnosis and intervention and building confidence in LD students.
The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-11).
Why Is Early Intervention Important?

Early Intervention for Learning Differences
When understanding students’ learning differences, the earlier a diagnosis comes, the better. There can be a lot to think about and research, so let Siena help you get started with the process of understanding why it’s crucial to address dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other language-based learning differences as soon as possible in a child’s life.
Ultimately, early adaptation and accommodation can lead to early attention for students who need it.
Learning Differences, Early Intervention, and Self-Confidence
If a specific LD diagnosis comes in a student’s early elementary years, for instance, then the ideal time to start finding a specialized program or school is right then. Early identification of dyslexia or another language-based learning difference helps families identify their students’ specialized learning needs and begin adopting strategies for success. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities,
In young children, brain networks for information processing are still being formed, which means that early experiences, and interventions, can have a greater impact on students when they are young. Early screening can result in children receiving extra help sooner and prevent them from falling behind.
Early academic support typically accompanies early social-emotional awareness and self-confidence. As this Child Mind Institute blog post stresses,
[W]orking with children with learning disabilities should be as much about addressing self-concept and self-confidence as it is academics and learning strategies.
Assuming you have gotten your child an evaluation, seen that a plan of support and remediation has been set up for them at school, and checked in regularly to ensure it’s being implemented, you can focus on helping bolster their confidence both in and out of the classroom.
As specific learning needs are identified at kindergarten or early elementary ages, students will begin gaining the self-confidence, structure, and learning strategies that will carry them through their educational journeys.
Recognizing the importance of early diagnosis and prompted by the success of 3rd grade at Siena Northern Virginia, Siena will be adding a satellite campus in Silver Spring for grades 3-4 beginning with the 2024-25 school year. With this upcoming addition of Grade 3 as an option for families, Siena will continue to refine its students’ elementary experience with necessary early intervention, lessons in self-advocacy, and multisensory reading techniques.
“The earlier we can intervene and provide students with an appropriate and welcoming learning environment,” Siena Silver Spring Head of School Katie Douglas adds, “the more time they will have to let their passions and talents shine.”
Resources for Early Dyslexia Intervention
There are ample resources for families seeking early diagnosis and intervention for children with learning differences:
Recognizing and Diagnosing Learning Differences
- Early Signs of Learning Challenges and How To Help Kids With LD Build Confidence (Child Mind Institute)
- Early Childhood Intervention Makes a Difference (LDA)
- It Took Me Too Long to Decode My Daughter’s Dyslexia and Who Can Diagnose LD and/or ADHD (Reading Rockets)
- How to Recognize Signs of Potential Learning Disabilities in Preschool (Edutopia)
- What to Do If Your Child is Falling Behind in School and Learning Disabilities & Differences: What Parents Need To Know (Healthy Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics)
- The LD Checklist: Recognize and Respond and Why Early Screening (National Center for Learning Disabilities)
- Why is Early Intervention So Important for Kids with Dyslexia? (National Center on Improving Literacy)
National and Local Organizations
- Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center
- International Dyslexia Association
- National Center for Learning Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities Association of Virginia
- Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County
See also Siena’s Resources page for additional organizations and links regarding dyslexia, ADHD, parent support, and much more. School counselor Haley Scranton wrote a blog post on confidence and learning differences as part of Mental Health Awareness Month 2023.
Overall, early diagnosis of dyslexia or another language-based learning difference can put students on a path to a supportive learning environment that meets their academic, social–emotional, and self-esteem needs.
Siena’s mission-focused innovative dyslexia education is designed for students in grades 3-12 with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.