Trident Academy is a Founding Member of ALDS

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As the nation enters Learning Disability Awareness Month, Trident Academy in Mount Pleasant is excited to share that it is a founding school of a new education organization focused on collaborating and advocating for students with learning differences.

The Association of LD Schools (ALDS) is a new non-profit, private school organization including over 50 founding schools across the country and in Canada that serve students with learning differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and executive dysfunction. The organization is an opportunity for LD schools nationwide to have a formal opportunity to partner together, share resources and support one another to make a positive impact for all students with learning differences. As the gold standard for learning differences education in the Lowcountry for over fifty years, Trident Academy is proud to continue its traditions of collaboration, community, and growth by affiliating with ALDS.

“The dedicated and like-minded professionals participating in this association understand the ins and outs of educating students with language-based learning disabilities”, said Trident’s Head of School Betsy Fanning. “By joining forces with ALDS, Trident gains access to a wealth of resources, expertise, and a nationwide network of educators, further enhancing our ability to deliver a world-class education. We have no doubt that our students, teachers, and families will benefit from Trident’s participation in this association.”

ALDS is an outgrowth of partnerships formed among LD school leaders at an annual LD Leadership Retreat and a luncheon at the International Dyslexia Association’s annual conference. LD schools are frequently the only specialized school of their kind in their region, so the association will make it easier for schools and educators to find opportunities to connect and grow relationships to support one another and impact more students.

“At ALDS, our goal is clear: to foster an inclusive and empowering environment where schools dedicated to supporting students with learning differences can come together, collaborate, and flourish,” said Cheryl Cook, who recently served as the academic dean at Lawrence School in Ohio and is serving as the Association’s founding Executive Director. “My goal for ALDS is to figure out how we can help LD school leaders and educators connect with each other about their work and efforts to support learners. We are stronger together.”

A LEAD on READ podcast from the Windward School interviewing Cheryl and highlighting the work of ALDS was released this week.

All founding schools will have the opportunity to help shape the future of the association. ALDS’ founding board members are from the following schools: Spring Valley School (Birmingham, AL), Noble Academy (Greensboro, NC), Landmark School (Beverly, MA), The New Community School (Richmond, VA), Gulliver Prep School (Miami, FL), Westmark School (Los Angeles, CA), Hamlin Robinson School (Seattle, WA), and Windward School (New York City and White Plains, New York).

About ALDS: The Association of LD Schools (ALDS) is a formal community established to connect and support schools that specialize in education of students with learning differences (LD), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and executive dysfunction. As a formal 501(c)(3) non-profit, ALDS will be able to connect the community of LD institutions by dedicating both time and resources to organizing opportunities for interactive collaboration and reaching other schools sharing a common goal. Ultimately, ALDS will advance the movement of reaching more students and change the future of education for students who learn differently.
Learn more at: https://ldschools.org

About Trident Academy: Trident Academy is a K-12 independent school in Mount Pleasant that since 1972 has used the individualized, multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham approach to help transform the lives of students with dyslexia and/or other learning differences by rebuilding their confidence, preparing them to return to a more traditional school, and developing a foundation for life.
Learn more at: https://tridentacademy.com