Greetings From Our Director

Welcome to our Brehm family! We are the only boarding school in the Midwest specifically designed to meet the needs of students with complex learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder issues. We are not a traditional, English-style boarding school. We are based on a family model.

Our philosophy is that our students' issues affect the whole family, not just the child. Each member of the family is impacted by the struggles of students with LD/ADHD issues. Parents become overwhelmed, first due to the issues which impact family life and second due to a lack of understanding by school systems, extended family members, and society in general as to the needs of the child and the demands on parents.

Brehm's model of intervention focuses on the "whole child." We focus on the academic, social, and emotional needs of the students and the family. Our dorms are organized for family living and function as independent family units. Our social skills training program is centered in each dorm because our students need to learn how to function as a productive and contributing member in the dorms and at home. It is usually at home that our students vent their daily frustrations because that is a safe place for them to do so. We recognize this as a survival behavior.

Our students often develop survival behaviors because they protect themselves against a perceived hostile world where they are failures. These behaviors, which are often negative in action or attitude, are the students' way of surviving. Our task is to directly teach students the social skills of how to say they are angry without getting in trouble for it. They can do that by developing appropriate communication skills (social skills), knowing what they are successful at (strengths) and knowing what strategies they need to be more successful. They need an opportunity to belong to a peer group which is not judgmental but supportive. They need adults who understand their struggle and are willing to work with them to develop the skills to be successful socially and academically. Emotional healing occurs in the process of the hard work with support.

Support and understanding for the child take a major burden off the parents. In a boarding situation, homework, chores, time management, organization skills, study skills, etc., are more manageable because all the peers have the same expectations. Participation in activities with peers is contingent on performance in problem areas. Focus on the issues in our environment is not a stigma because all students have similar issues. The primary focus is on strengths which are utilized to teach the student how to compensate for weak areas.

If your child has a need for a positive peer group; greater structure on a daily basis; more direct instruction in social skills; greater remedial efforts; and a traditional high school academic experience, where he or she can still be successful without a watered-down curriculum, you need to check out a boarding school. If you as a parent need to be able to have a normal family life and reclaim your family life because of lack of support, you need to check out a boarding school.

We deal with families. We recognize the stress and issues. We strive to provide normalization. We want our families to enjoy their families. We wish you well on your search. Give us a call about our program or other resources in your area. Maybe we can help.

Yours truly,
Richard G. Collins, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Richard G. Collins, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized leader in the field of education for students with learning disabilities. He has taught at the college level and was Lab School Director at Lesley College. He co-founded a day program for LD/BD students in Boston and established and administered an alternative school in St. Louis. He consults on the development of schools for students with learning disabilities and also works with private and public schools on a variety of specialized areas.

In addition, he serves on several boards of professional organizations. He is a site reviewer for ISACS accreditation of schools. He has also reviewed programs for the US Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards.