Whether your child has a specific learning disability or requires a different approach to succeed, Hope Academy is the place that has the tools, techniques and trained staff that can turn learning from frustrating to fulfilling.

Although every special-needs child is different and every family is unique, there are some common concerns that link parents of challenged kids, including getting appropriate care and accommodations; promoting acceptance in the extended family, finding the right school, acclimation into the community, planning for an uncertain future and adjusting routines and expectations. Parents of children with special needs are often more flexible, compassionate, stubborn and resilient than other parents. They have to be. Hope Academy makes these things easier for parents.

Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy is home during the day to many special needs students. This is a school that provides individualized programming for special needs students within classroom settings.

Hope Academy values acceptance, diversity, compassion, and each individual’s uniqueness. Hope Academy helps students discover talents, cultivate strengths, conquer challenges, develop independence, and fulfill dreams.

Special needs students are called special for a reason. They are exceptionally matchless and out of the ordinary. Thus, they require a different approach to promote success within themselves and in society. Hope Academy creates an inclusive community which fosters academic achievement, skill development and social-emotional maturity. They meet the unique needs of students with a broad spectrum of learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges and complex medical conditions by providing an array of integrated services. They value partnerships among students and families, staff, public funding agencies, donors, and volunteers. Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy is recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as a state approved private, not-for-profit, non-sectarian school.

Hope Academy’s academic programs are flexible and highly individualized – the programs are designed to fit the child rather than the child struggling to fit the program. Hope’s school climate is one of inclusion, encouragement, positive relationships and recognition of student accomplishments.

With the development of assistive technologies, the field of special education continues to evolve, although its goal remains the same as it was from the beginning—to educate and integrate individuals with disabilities into society

The qualified staff of Hope Academy is trained to instruct students with various educational needs including, but not limited to:

Most children know, or are taught, at an early age, how to process information and develop an organized plan or strategy when confronted with a problem, whether that problem is social, academic, or job related. Others find such cognitive processes quite difficult. Learning disabilities have only recently been recognized as disabilities. This neurological disorder causes difficulty in organizing information received, remembering them, and expressing information and therefore affects a person's basic function such as reading, writing, comprehension, and reasoning. However, these students with learning disabilities can be taught effective learning strategies that will help them approach tasks more effectively.

Special needs children often have difficulty spelling correctly and have frequent grammatical errors which results in poor sentence stucture and poor penmanship. They are usually slow readers and sometimes have incorrect comprehension and poor retention. Confusion with math symbols are common, as well as difficulty with concepts of time and money. Realizing their inabilities result in low self-esteem which greatly affects their social skills. Students experience inability to organize time therefore unable to finish assignments on time, and they have trouble taking notes and following instructions.They might have impulsive behavior and disorientated in time.

There are many types of learning disabilities as one person varies from another. Some of the situations commonly found are dyslexia (inability to read), dyscalcula (inability in math reasoning), dysgraphia (difficulty with syntax), visual, and audio difficulties. Generally, a person with learning disabilities experience difficulties in study skills, writing skills, oral skills, reading skills, math skills, and social skills.

A good education is the most important thing we can give our children. A good education means ensuring every student learns and develops skills to succeed both in school and in life. And yet today’s public schools do not meet the learning needs of students with learning disabilities. It is time to recognize that each student has a unique learning profile that reflects his or her particular learning strengths, weaknesses, and affinities. Hope Academy designs their programs to enable students to realize their highest potential both during and after their enrollment. Hope Academy is blessed with an outstanding faculty, and it is their commitment, expertise, and perseverance that results in student success.

A select few schools serve students who have special needs that cannot be met by traditional or regular programs. Working with students with learning disabilities takes patience. Hope Academy is proud to say that they are making a difference.

Although many families choose to home school their children for a variety of reasons, some families, as well as educators and some researchers, believe that the proper educational experience for children with learning disabilities brings with it benefits that may be more difficult to achieve within the homeschooling environment. Behavioral and social skills, self-esteem and an increased level of academic learning are critical, and may be more easily incorporated in environments where peer to peer interaction is constant.

Learning how to interact, share and empathize with others is important for any child at all stages of development. The ability to appropriately convey affection, anger or frustration, and communicate effectively outside of the home is detrimental in helping a child with special needs become as independent as possible. The social interaction between children has a two-fold effect.

First, visual examples of behaviors (and consequences) strongly influence children, especially those with special needs. Children do what they see, and when an action brings rewards or consequences, it can become a useful motivator and learning tool.

Secondly, children without disabilities learn the importance of patience, understanding, empathy and compassion for those around them. Understanding others and building healthy peer relationships promotes positive self-images and self-esteem.

Children with learning disabilities may struggle with self-esteem issues. All children feel the need to 'fit in', and those with special needs are generally aware that they are different from their peers in some way. This can create isolation, inferiority and/or loneliness.

It is important that they are openly accepted by their peers - and encouraged to participate in everyday activities. Healthy and positive interaction within a classroom setting can bring about tremendous rewards. When a child no longer views themselves as different, but part of a group - a healthy self-image can blossom. This in turn creates confidence and should promote greater participation within the classroom.

Confidence is vital for academic success. The "I can do it" mentality encourages healthy competition, which can reinforce social interaction skills. Any child willing to participate is making an effort to learn and achieve. This increases their level of comprehension, and academic achievement should be evident.

Hope Academy cares about families and supports parents as equal partners and children reap the benefits.

There is a wide body of research that reveals the critical role parent involvement plays in children's academic achievement:

• Children thrive in the context of close and dependable relationships, love and nurturance, security, responsive interaction, and encouragement of exploration.

• Parent and family involvement help children transition to kindergarten and elementary school.

• Children who learn from their parents that literacy is a source of enjoyment may be more motivated to persist in their efforts to learn to read despite difficulties they may encounter.

• The more families support their children's learning and education progress, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education.

• Parent involvement impacts children's literacy development and overall student achievement.

• Parental involvement in school, home and activities is associated with higher student achievement outcomes.

Envisioning Expectations
We are not to place limitations on student’s capabilities. It is always in the interest of the student to 'develop new visions of what is possible' and strive to see these visions becoming a reality.
Enhancing Positive Contributions Seek to create opportunities for students to contribute positively to those close to them. This awakens a feeling of empowerment in the individuals especially if it includes their families, schools and communities.
Building On Strengths
Everybody has strengths, whether we know them or not. Finding out these strengths and building on them should be one of the key focuses. Another idea is often to find the weaknesses in a person and strive to turn them into strengths.
Acting on Choices
It is extremely important for families and their children to know that they have the right and the opportunity to direct their own lives. They are not confined to the limitations set by anyone else, but rather they can build self-determination by acting on their own preferences.
Expanding Relationships
As a confidence builder and to improve their quality of life, connecting with friends, teachers and others works to achieve this. It exposes them to other people, their strengths and weaknesses and their way of life - a greay way to build their world view of life.
Ensuring Full Citizenship
As part of their civil rights it is important for all parties to recognize that "less able does not mean less worthy". Despite their limitations or disabilities, everyone is entitled to participate in American Life.

Hope Academy understands the significance of parent involvement for children's academic success. Research shows that parent involvement is important. Hope Academy has a strong and established philosophy, ethos and approach to engaging and supporting parents and other family members of children with a range of Special Needs.

In this age of accountability, adequate yearly progress, and achievement gaps, we need to look beyond the traditional ways parents are involved—bake sales, classroom parties, or chaperoning events. Fundraisers have moved beyond bake sales as creative parents help cash-strapped schools look for every extra dollar to boost their budgets.

We see an ever-increasing need for parents to go above and beyond the call of duty. Hope Academy is in no way discouraging parents from the traditional ways to participate, they just encourage parents to begin to think outside the box and more importantly play a critical meaningful role. You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.

Hope Academy is in need of donations to help achieve their goals. With many projects planned they are seeking contributions to help execute these ideas. Non-profits rely on outside funding to finance their organizations and Hope Academy is no different.

Contributions from corporate sponsors to business services to financial will be used and appreciated to the fullest. These donations ensure that Hope Academy is able to retain talent and maintain the standard and the quality of the services they provide for their students.

Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy is proud to be recognized as a leader in the community as an advocate for quality "Special Needs Education". The following organizations have joined us in this endeavour by providing support.

Hope Academy thanks these organizations for their continued support and their gifts to the school.