If you suspect your child has a learning difference

The first step is to contact one of Menlo’s learning specialists, ideally no later than the spring of your child’s freshman year, to discuss your concerns. We will solicit initial feedback from your child’s academic teachers, and if appropriate, write an evaluation referral to a trusted provider. Students who receive financial aid are eligible for testing assistance under the terms of their Menlo financial aid agreement. Please contact the financial aid office for more information. 

If you have already initiated a testing protocol, please let a learning specialist know as soon as possible so that we can work with your child’s evaluator and teachers accordingly. 

If your child already has a diagnosed learning difference

In order to ensure your child receives the appropriate learning accommodations, Menlo requests that families submit the following documentation the summer before their first day on campus (or as soon as such documentation becomes available):

• A copy of your child’s most recent comprehensive or multi-disciplinary psycho-educational, psychiatric, or medical evaluation. A summary letter of diagnosis is not an acceptable substitute.
• A copy of your child’s most recent accommodations plan (except in cases where Menlo will author the first such plan).
• If you have questions about whether or not documentation meets Menlo’s standards, please contact a Menlo learning specialist.

Menlo will use the documentation you provide to partner with your family to compose a Student Support Plan (SSP). Every student—whether your child is new to Menlo or a current student receiving their first diagnosis—must have an SSP in order to receive accommodations. The SSP, described in more detail below, enables Menlo’s Learning Center to share your child’s accommodations with their classroom teachers and companies that administer standardized tests.