rawson-saunders.org

Our mission statement guides the admissions process at all stages:

The mission of the Rawson-Saunders School is to develop the full potential of children with dyslexia through an extraordinary educational experience.

 Application Process

The admission process identifies students who will benefit most from Rawson-Saunders' highly-specialized and individualized curriculum. Through the process outlined below, we get to know each student and his or her academic needs.

While we do understand that families may have more than one child with dyslexia, each child is an individual. Families who wish to enroll siblings must follow the new student procedures for each child.

Rawson-Saunders School admits students of any race, color, creed, national and ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate in the administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs or other school-administered programs.

Part 1 - Informal Inquiry

Basic information about Rawson-Saunders is shared with parents through a phone conversation, mailing, or fax.

Part 2 - Information Gathering/Parent Visit

During this time, the family learns more about our school and we evaluate the student and help determine what educational setting would best meet his or her needs. We gather paperwork that provides a framework for creating a student profile.  If appropriate, a parent conference and tour of the school are scheduled.

New students are accepted on the basis of current psycho-educational testing and previous educational records. The following paperwork must be submitted for a student to be considered at Rawson-Saunders:

• A psycho-educational assessment by a licensed professional in the field of educational assessment which will be used in building the student's educational profile.   For further information concerning testing, please contact the Director of Admissions.

• A current teacher questionnaire, obtained from Rawson-Saunders, and is mailed directly from the teacher to Rawson-Saunders.

• A copy of most recent report card from the current school year, including conduct grades and/or comments.

• A family questionnaire, which can be downloaded here or obtained from Rawson-Saunders. If the student alternates home settings, each home must complete a separate questionnaire.

• Additionally, reports from any other educational service provider who works with the student. This may include speech, occupational, or physical therapists; special education teachers; academic language therapists; or other tutors. If the student has an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) at his or her current school, please include a copy. 

A $125.00 application fee is charged to cover all sections covered in Part 2.
 

Part 3 - Student Visit and Final Decision

As part of the consultation with the student's family, it will be determined whether Rawson-Saunders School is able to provide the educational environment that will meet the student's needs. If so, the next step is to schedule a consecutive two-day student visit. The student will attend classes with a 'student buddy' from the class he or she would likely join.

The Admissions Committee usually meets within two to four days following a student visit to determine whether to admit the child. The decision will be based upon the paperwork listed above, feedback from the student and his or her family, feedback from the school faculty, and space availability. The family will be notified by the Director of Admissions. In rare cases, additional information may be required to complete the determination.

The student's family will be given the Rawson-Saunders Preliminary Student Information Form. This form is returned to the school with a non-refundable deposit to hold the student's place. 

Since class sizes are strictly limited, students may be accepted but placed on a waiting list. Placement information will be kept open and active for twelve months.

Part 4 - Student Placement

Upon admittance, a conference with the student's parents/guardians is scheduled with the Director of Admissions to review the enrollment packet and answer questions. Included in the packet is an enrollment contract which defines the tuition payment schedule.

Financial Information:

Please contact Director of Admissions at 512-476-8382

Rawson-Saunders tuition may be tax-deductible for your family as a medical expense.  Download information on this possible tax-deduction.

Payment options:

Yearly, semester or monthly installment plans are available.

Financial assistance:

Please refer to our Financial Aid page for information.  Rawson-Saunders School desires to be abtainable for all students and is constantly striving towards increased scholarship funding.

Sallie Mae offers low interest education loans. Rawson-Saunders is listed as "Austin Area School for Dyslexics", our name on our incorporation. Our school code is 60791900. Go to the Sallie Mae website for more information.