Special Education School Admissions
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Choosing the right school is a big step. We’re here to guide your family through every step of the journey. Finding the right school can feel overwhelming. Every family’s journey is unique, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. We’re here to guide you through each step of the Talk School admissions process, from your first conversation to enrollment.
Therapeutic School Enrollment, Start to Finish
From your first hello to a decision.
Here is the full path, step by step. Your admissions guide, Daniela, is with you the entire time. Reach out anytime.
Download the Full Talk School Admissions Guide
Initial Inquiry Tour
Start with a conversation and a visit. Come see The Talk School in person, meet our team, and experience our school firsthand. A tour is a great first step in learning more about Talk and discovering whether our program may be the right fit for your child. When you’re ready to take the next step, you can complete an Application for Admission.
Screening
Share your child’s information with us. You’ll provide the documentation we need to learn more about your child and their individual needs. Once our team has reviewed the information and determined that a screening would be appropriate, we’ll reach out to schedule a 30-minute screening. When appropriate, both you and your child will participate in the screening.
Placement Evaluation
If your child moves forward after the screening, the next step is a one-hour placement evaluation. This evaluation is scheduled once all required documentation has been received, typically at least two weeks in advance. It gives our team the opportunity to learn more about your child’s individual strengths and needs and determine how The Talk School may best support them.
Trial Placement
Your child gets to experience Talk School firsthand. Your child will spend three to four days with us on a graduated schedule, giving them time to settle into the classroom, meet potential classmates, and become comfortable in a new environment. Families who have a traveling aide may request approval to have their aide participate by contacting Daniela Cerullo. If a family does not have a traveling aide, Talk School can provide a 1:1 aide for the trial placement for an additional fee. This gradual approach can be especially helpful for children who may feel anxious or uncertain about change.
Evaluation Report (optional)
If you would like a written evaluation report, it is available for an additional fee. Please let Daniela know by the end of the placement evaluation if you would like to request one. The report will be prepared within two weeks following the trial placement.
The Admissions Decision
After the trial placement, our team comes together to review your child’s experience and determine whether Talk School is the right fit. Daniela will contact you within five business days to share the admissions decision. If your child is accepted, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter along with clear next steps to guide you through enrollment.
Finding the Right Placement
If we determine that Talk School may not be the best placement for your child at this time, Daniela will contact you by phone within three business days to discuss the decision and share our team’s feedback. We’ll provide specific information about your child’s needs and, when appropriate, what may help them become classroom-ready. Our goal is always to help your child find the setting that best meets their needs and allows them to learn, grow, and thrive—whether that’s at Talk School or elsewhere.
Download the Full Talk School Admissions Guide
The Talk School Funding
Getting funding can be a complicated process, but we’re here for you every step of the way.
While some parents pay out of pocket, placement can also be funded through your local school district — often after a formal evaluation, and sometimes through a legal or due-process step. It’s frequently the result of a district process rather than a simple choice to enroll and pay. Tuition depends on your child’s individualized plan, including one-to-one support and transportation. When you’re ready, our admissions team will help you understand what applies to your situation.Additional funding options are available to some families and can be discussed privately with our admissions team.
If you’re ready to discuss the enrollment process, reach out.
Why Families Choose a Full-Day Therapeutic School
Talk isn’t a school with a little therapy added on, it’s a full day built around your child.
Up to 10.5 hrs
students per classroom, with 1:1 support woven through the day
9.5–10.5 hrs
hours of speech and language therapy every week
11 months
months of school each year, to limit summer regression
2–4 hrs
hours of in classroom occupational therapy weekly.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the admissions process
How long does the admissions process take?
It varies, mostly because the pace depends on how quickly your child’s records arrive and how your district’s process unfolds. Once we have documentation, a placement evaluation is typically scheduled at least two weeks out, the trial placement runs three to four days, and you’ll hear our decision within five business days after that. Daniela can give you a realistic timeline for your family’s situation.
What if our school district won’t fund the placement?
District funding usually follows a formal evaluation, and for some families it takes advocacy, legal support, or a due process step to get there. That part of the road is genuinely hard, and it’s the part families most often feel alone in. Our admissions team can explain how the process typically works and what other families have navigated, so you know what you’re walking into.
What documentation will we need to provide?
We’ll ask for the records that help us understand your child, which generally means recent evaluations, a current IEP if there is one, and reports from any speech, occupational therapy, or psychological services. Daniela sends the specific list once you’ve started an inquiry, so you’re never guessing at what’s needed.
When should we begin the admissions process?
Earlier than feels necessary. Availability varies by age and classroom from year to year, so starting the conversation well before you need a placement gives your family the most options. Even if you’re only beginning to explore, a tour is a low-pressure first step.
What happens if Talk isn’t the right fit for my child?
We’ll tell you directly, and we’ll tell you why. If our team decides Talk isn’t the right placement right now, Daniela will call within three business days to talk it through, share what we observed, and where we can, point you toward what might help your child become classroom-ready or which setting may serve them better.Every specific in these is pulled from the seven steps already on the page, so nothing here can be contradicted later. The two that would sharpen most if Kristen ever does weigh in are the total timeline and the document checklist — both currently route to Daniela instead, which is defensible on an admissions page anyway.
