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Learning for Emotional and Academic Development Program (LEAD)

The Learning for Emotional and Academic Development Program (LEAD) Program is a residential educational program offered at the Demonstration Schools for students who have severe learning disabilities and a moderate level of emotional distress. The LEAD program provides a milieu designed to support these students around their emotional issues, thereby increasing their ability to benefit from the specialized teaching and learning environment that the Demonstration Schools provide.

Admission will be carefully considered to ensure that students' needs are appropriately matched with the program. The intensity and duration of the student's problems in relationship to his/her learning disabilities and other environmental stresses (i.e. family/community issues) will be determining factors in admission.

This program serves students who have met Provincial Demonstration School admission criteria, but whose emotional status adversely affects their ability to cope with the school environment, e.g.:

• Students whose behaviour problems interfere with the learning environment;
• Students who have difficulty building and maintaining interpersonal relationships with peers and adults;
• Students who experience significant fluctuations in feelings and moods and may present as generally unhappy or sad.

This program is not designed for students who have severe emotional problems, e.g., those who present with:

• Assaultive behaviours towards self and/or others;
• Behaviours that would endanger and/or present risk to self or others;
• Major psychiatric disorder; or
• Mental health needs which require the support of a treatment program.

Applications should be prepared in the same way as any other application to provincial demonstration schools, with the addition of referral information which would substantiate the request for access to the LEAD Program.

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