Admissions
Choosing a learning environment is one of the most important decisions your family will make.
Our admissions process is designed to understand your child—not simply review paperwork.
We take time to learn about your child’s strengths, interests, support needs, learning profile, and your family’s goals to determine whether The Positivity Spectrum Center is the right fit.
Because finding the right educational environment and building the right supports can change a child’s life.
The Positivity Spectrum Center Student
The Positivity Spectrum Center is designed for neurodivergent learners who are capable of learning and growing but whose needs, strengths, or learning profiles are not being adequately supported by a traditional school environment.
Our ideal learner may be autistic, ADHD, twice-exceptional (2e), or have a PDA profile—and may have a combination of these characteristics. Diagnosis alone does not determine whether a student is appropriate for our program. Instead, we look at the whole child.
Our target student may be a child who:
- Is bright, curious, creative, or academically capable, but struggles to demonstrate that capability in a traditional classroom.
- Has experienced school avoidance, burnout, anxiety, shutdowns, meltdowns, or significant distress related to the demands of a traditional educational environment.
- Requires substantially more individualized instruction, flexibility, or environmental accommodations than a traditional classroom can reasonably provide.
- Has significant sensory processing needs that interfere with their ability to learn or participate in a conventional school setting.
- Learns differently and benefits from interest-based, experiential, project-based, or highly individualized instruction.
- Has ADHD, autism, or another neurodevelopmental profile that affects executive functioning, attention, communication, emotional regulation, or social participation.
- Is twice-exceptional, meaning they demonstrate significant intellectual, academic, artistic, or other strengths while simultaneously experiencing disabilities or support needs that can mask those strengths.
- Has a PDA profile and experiences traditional demands, expectations, and perceived loss of autonomy as particularly challenging.
- Has had an IEP or 504 Plan but continues to struggle despite appropriate accommodations and interventions.
- Has experienced multiple school placements, disciplinary issues, chronic absenteeism, or repeated school failure because the environment was not meeting their needs.
- Needs a place where regulation comes before compliance and where adults seek to understand the reason behind a behavior rather than simply trying to eliminate the behavior.
- Is capable of meaningful academic progress but needs a different path to get there.
For Families:
Ready to Join Our Community? We believe finding the right educational and community environment for your child should feel like a partnership—not another hurdle to navigate.
Our admissions process is designed to help us get to know your child, understand their unique strengths and support needs, and make sure The Positivity Spectrum Center is the right fit for your family.
Step 1: Tell Us You’re Interested
Start by completing our Interest Form. This lets us know you’re interested in learning more about The Positivity Spectrum Center, our programs, and what we offer.
Step 2: Complete Your Application
If you decide to move forward, you’ll complete our application and provide the requested documentation. Our admissions team will carefully review each application and reach out with any questions or next steps.
Step 3: Meet With Our Admissions Team
This is our opportunity to get to know you and your child beyond paperwork and evaluations. We’ll talk about your child’s strengths, interests, learning style, challenges, and support needs. We’ll also answer your questions and discuss how our program may be able to support your family.
Our goal isn’t simply to determine whether your child is a “fit” for us—we want to determine whether we are equipped to be the right environment for your child to learn, grow, and thrive.
Step 4: Receive Your Admissions Decision
Following your admissions meeting and our review of the information provided, we’ll notify you of our admissions decision and discuss the next steps for enrollment.
We know choosing a new educational environment is a big decision. We’re here to answer your questions, listen to your concerns, and make the process as transparent and supportive as possible.
We can’t wait to learn more about your family and explore whether The Positivity Spectrum Center can become your child’s next place to learn, connect, and belong.
For Schools:
A Different Path for Learners Who Need More
Does your district have a student who would thrive with more individualized support and our proprietary Different By Design program?
We know educators are doing everything they can to support an incredibly diverse group of learners with limited time, resources, and an increasingly complex set of needs. We also know that even the most dedicated school team cannot provide every service, environment, or specialized approach that every student may need.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students are entitled to an individualized education designed to meet their unique needs. In practice, creating that individualized program can involve a complicated matrix of services, supports, accommodations, specialized instruction, and curriculum.
Sometimes, a student needs something that simply isn’t available within their current school environment.
That’s where The Positivity Spectrum Center can help.
Our Different By Design program was created for learners who don’t fit neatly into traditional educational models. We provide individualized educational and clinical support designed around the whole learner—including their strengths, interests, learning profile, sensory needs, and areas where additional support is needed.
We would love the opportunity to partner with your district to explore whether out-of-district placement at The Positivity Spectrum Center could be an appropriate option for a student you serve.
Our team can work collaboratively with school districts, educators, and families throughout the placement process to help ensure continuity of services and a thoughtful transition for the learner.
How to Get Started
If you have a student who you believe may benefit from a more individualized educational environment, reach out to our team. We would be happy to learn more about the student’s needs, answer your questions about Different By Design, and discuss whether an out-of-district placement may be appropriate.
Every learner deserves an educational environment designed around who they are—not one that asks them to change who they are to fit the environment.
Please note: Students seeking out-of-district placement are still required to complete our standard admissions process. This allows us to get to know the learner and determine whether The Positivity Spectrum Center and Different By Design can appropriately meet their individual needs.