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Best School for Special Needs Kids

The Diener School

 

Jillian Copeland of Potomac couldn’t find the right school for her then 7-year-old son, who had sensory and language processing issues and developmental delays. So she started her own. 

A former teacher and owner of an educational consulting business, Copeland, now 40, used her connections to open The Diener School in Potomac in 2007. A staff of 27 part-time and full-time teachers and specialists works with 32 students, ages 5 to 12. All of the teachers have master’s degrees in special education, Copeland says. Tuition costs $33,900.

Most students, like Copeland’s son, have multiple issues. And many parents, like Copeland, have struggled to find the best school for their child. “There were very few choices for my son,” says Janelle Wright, a Potomac mother whose 7-year-old son has language difficulties. “The Diener School fills a niche. It’s not only a gift for the children, it’s a gift for the parents.”

This is the second year that Bethesda Magazine’s readers have chosen The Diener School as the best school for kids with special needs.

11510 Falls Road, Potomac, 301-299-4602
www.thedienerschool.org

Other top vote-getters: The Lab School, The Siena School, Ivymount School, The Katherine Thomas School

 

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