Learning Center Special Education School

Update: We are currently accepting youth as day students, please call us for more information. (860) 635-6010 Ext. 340.

The Learning Center on the grounds of The Children’s Home is a private special education school approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education and serves both day and residential students from the surrounding area.  Our students respond to a positive nurturing environment and are able to attain academic success through placement in small classes with numerous opportunities for assistance from staff to address their emotional, behavioral or learning disabilities.

The Learning Center staff and students follow the principles of Positive Behavioral Support or PBS.  We are one of over a hundred schools in the state trained in the principles of PBS. PBS is a proactive, comprehensive and systemic continuum of support that provides an environment for all students to achieve social, behavioral and learning success throughout the school day. 

Our behavioral expectations are based on Respect, Responsibility and Safety in the school setting. The students are expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior in both the classroom and non-classroom setting and may have an opportunity to receive positive reinforcement for adhering to these expectations. Some of the rewards built into the school day include daily "Hawk Heroes", weekly "Homework Heroes", and opportunities to visit the school store or incentive cart. 

Behavioral data is collected and analyzed to address specific problematic behaviors that arise during the school year using the School Wide Information System (SWIS). This information is a valuable tool for the development of Behavioral Intervention Plans for students who are experiencing difficulty in the school setting. For more information about PBS, please refer to the website: www.pbis.org. 

The Learning Center summer program runs for seven weeks from July through the middle of August.  An extension of the regular school year, the summer session continues to deliver the required academic and related services required in the IEP. This program provides the consistent academic and emotional support required to prevent the student from regressing.