UPDATE: 2017-2018 Registration
Registration is now closed for 2017-2018 and we are busy preparing for the new program year. Please contact us if you’d like to be placed on our waitlist for next year. Registration is still open for LP Online™, hosted by our affiliate-partner, Down Syndrome Foundation, (Orange County, CA). LP Online™ is an online learning community that complements our onsite Learning Program™ sessions. Please see below for more information about LP Online™.
The Learning Program Boston (LPB) is an educational program committed to helping students with Down syndrome succeed. An affiliate-partner of the Learning Program™, a nationally-recognized model for parent-focused intervention developed by the Down Syndrome Foundation (Orange County, CA) this program is grounded on evidence-based approaches to teaching students with Down syndrome established by world-recognized leaders in cognitive research. Our program serves as a platform for sharing instructional strategies, resources and activities to improve academic outcomes for students with Down syndrome, equipping families with the knowledge and tools to work effectively at home and at school.
Overview of the Learning Program
Our program utilizes a three-pronged approach to teach, mentor and coach.
- Teaching: academic workshops for parents and caregivers feature developmentally appropriate instructional topics that build upon each other sequentially.
- Mentoring: wraparound workshops help parents and caregivers create a positive educational environment at home and develop a collaborative working relationship with their school team.
- Coaching: coaching sessions provide hands-on instructional modeling to help parents & caregivers work directly with their student.
For Families in New England
We offer an Elementary Program (Grades K-5) and a Middle School Program (Grades 6-8).
Elementary Program Academic Workshops are comprised of Levels 1 to 4 and are 
focused on developing foundational learning skills in reading, writing and math. Parents and caregivers attend monthly adult-only classes on a Saturday morning from September to June. Coupled on the same morning are our (optional) Wraparound workshops. Elementary families also attend Curriculum Days for hands-on coaching with their student.
Middle School Program The Wraparound Workshops form the core of this program and
parents and caregivers attend monthly adult-only classes on a Saturday morning from September to June. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to drop-in on any Level 1-4 Academic Workshop for a “refresher” as needed. Middle School families also attend Adventure Days with their student. These are supported events, held at different locations within the community and are structured to help parents support their young adult develop skills for independent living, self-regulation and self-advocacy.
For more information about any of our classes, please contact us.
Note that we have a limited number of seats in our program and are running year-long waitlists for all our classes. If you’d like to be added to our waitlist, please email us and include your contact information so we know the best way to get in touch with you. We will let you know when we have an opening for your family.
For families in our program seeking additional assistance, we offer individual or small group tutoring based on the guiding principles of the program. We also work with special education parent-groups to share instructional strategies and best practices for instructing and including students with Down syndrome. For more information about tutoring and additional support for families, please contact us.
Click here for a printable brochure.
For Families Outside New England
For families unable to attend our classes in Boston, please check here to find a Learning Program in your area. We currently have affiliate partners in over 20 locations nationally.
Alternate Online Option
LP Online™ is an online educational community, hosted by our affiliate partner, the Down Syndrome Foundation (Orange County, CA) that utilizes webinars to replicate the parent workshop portion of our face-to-face onsite program. Participants join live workshop sessions in real time or can access recorded sessions later at their convenience. LP Online™ extends the Learning Program to families who do not have an affiliate partner in close geographic proximity and/or who are unable to enroll in their local Learning Program due to conflicts or extended wait lists. LP Online™ serves families from all around the world, and provides an opportunity for participants to engage with an extended Down syndrome community on educational best practices.
Interested in purchasing books and materials? Order Learning Program books & materials here.