In addition to the Bellick Family Speaker Series, which has brought national and local experts to Chicago to speak on a variety of LD-related topics, we have also leveraged the considerable strengths of our staff to provide professional development to area schools, and presentations on LD issues to parents and community members.  Some of the schools we have presented at include Beacon Academy, Baker Demonstration School, Near North Montessori School, St. Ben’s, and Woodlands Academy.

We have partnered with Dyslexia Action Group of Naperville to provide Assistive Technology instruction to students, as well as presentations to parents and LD professionals.  Staff have presented at Learning Disabilities of America, Gow Leadership Conference and more.

Most recently, we have launched the Joanne Steinback Educator Training Institute to better share our knowledge and expertise in the field of learning disabilities with more of Chicagoland’s teachers. As a Wilson® Accredited Partner, Hyde Park Day School is licensed by WLT to provide professional learning, including courses and certifications, to school districts and teachers in the highly respected Wilson Reading System® (WRS) program. Our multisensory math workshops are a pillar of the institute, helping to bring multisensory math techniques to students in schools all across the area through intensive teacher training initiatives.

Hyde Park Day School also recently became a founding school of a new education organization focused on collaborating and advocating for students with learning differences. The Association of LD Schools (ALDS) is a new non-profit, private school organization including over 50 founding schools across the country and in Canada that serve students with learning differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and executive dysfunction. The organization is an opportunity for LD schools nationwide to have a formal opportunity to partner together, share resources and support one another to make a positive impact for all students with learning differences.

The Joanne Steinback Educator Training Institute at HPDS has trained 145 practitioners in Wilson® Language Training and multisensory math in 2023, and nearly 600 practitioners since the program began.