IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. It is a document that describes the special education and related services your child should receive. This includes established goals and objectives developed specifically for your child to meet and his address his current needs. Your child’s placement in special education and related services is based on his/her IEP. An IEP is developed by your child’s IEP team which consists of a group of highly qualified individuals, which may include:

• Educators familiar with your child and his/her needs
• Professional testers, e.g., speech pathologist, occupational therapist
• Your child’s classroom teachers
• Your child’s friends or advocates
• You and, if appropriate, your child

No. Before your child can enroll in The Children’s Guild: Transformation academy, you must contact your child’s current school to request an IEP team meeting. The IEP team will determine if your child would benefit from a school like The Children’s Guild. The final decision and approval would come from your local school system.

We accept students from DC and Maryland. If the travel distance is a concern, you must receive permission from your school system.

Some schools do, however your child may benefit from a more structured, therapeutic environment. Students from DC and Maryland. If the travel distance is a concern, you must receive permission from your school system.

The actual enrollment process can take just a few days; however, it can take a few months for you, your IEP team and the school system to determine that The Children’s Guild is the best educational environment for your child.

The Maryland Disability Law Center, the protection and advocacy system for Maryland, published a handbook called “Special Education: Rights and Wrongs,” which describes your legal rights and the rights of your child regarding the special education for your child. 

The goal of special education is to provide an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment in which your child’s need can be met. This means that, as much as possible and in accordance with your child’s needs, your child must be educated with nondisabled children, and the school system must try to meet your child’s needs in a satisfactory way. The more a child’s education occurs only with other students with disabilities, the more restrictive the placement. In simpler terms, if a student is able to return to a least restrictive environment after being at The Children’s Guild, they are usually returning back to a public school near their home. They may return to a special education class within the school or back to a general education class environment.

Yes.

No. Your child’s tuition is paid for by the approving school system. You are not obligated to pay for this at all.

The Children’s Guild schools serves students ages 5 to 21.

The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy has ongoing enrollment throughout the year.

Contact Sarah Davis, Referral Development Director, at 410.514.0181 (cell) or email her at [email protected].