About the Nonprofit
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Our mission is to provide a nurturing yet challenging environment for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade with learning differences that supports academic and social needs and inspires minds for a lifetime.
The Diener School’s unique outlook began with Jillian Copeland’s personal journey as she searched for a school for her own son with unique learning challenges. After surveying the Washington D.C. area, Jillian determined that the metropolitan area lacked a program that would offer a solid academic experience while, at the same time, providing students with meaningful and practical social and developmental growth. With a strong educational background and particular expertise in the special needs arena, Jillian studied past and present research and worked with educational and developmental experts to create the “Diener Pyramid of Learning for the Whole Child,” a comprehensive structure of learning that became the foundation of The Diener School and its success.
The Diener School opened its doors in 2007 with just 5 students and since then, has impacted the lives of hundreds of children with learning differences. Over the years, we have grown with a purposeful vision of supporting students while staying true to our mission. In 2020, we developed a robust middle school program and expanded to 8th grade! This year is another “big” year for us as we are celebrating our 15th school year serving 68 students in grades K-8th.
The Diener School is a one-of-a-kind school, grounded in providing a high-quality education that considers the whole child. Diener recognizes each individual child when addressing learning needs and creating customized growth opportunities. Diener combines evidence-based teaching methods and small group instruction with collaborative therapeutic supports. Our classrooms include individualized support for our students to develop and thrive academically while building a stronger understanding of internal cues, flexibility, and organization, as well as meaningful instruction in social thinking.
