Built for the way your student’s brain works
Edison High School serves students with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory and visual processing disorders, executive functioning challenges, ASD, and nonverbal learning disorders — in grades 9–12, in Portland, Oregon. If your student hasn’t found their footing in a traditional school, there may be a very good reason for that.
Does This Sound Like Your Student?
Your student works hard. They might work harder than most of their classmates, and still feel like they’re behind.
They might be smart and capable in some areas and completely stuck in others. They may have heard “they’re just not trying” more times than you can count. They might be withdrawn at school, anxious before tests, or exhausted by the end of every day in a way that seems out of proportion with what they did.
This isn’t a motivation problem. It isn’t a character problem. It’s a fit problem. Traditional High Schools are designed for one kind of learner. Your child is a different kind of learner. Edison was built for them.
Students come to Edison referred by parents, school counselors, tutors, therapists, and pediatricians. Many have had accommodations or IEPs that helped — but not enough. They need something more than accommodations. They need a school designed around how they actually learn.
Learning Differences We Support
Edison serves students with a range of documented learning differences. Each of our students is different — most have more than one area of challenge — but these are the conditions we work with every day.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Students with ADHD often have difficulty sustaining attention, managing impulses, or regulating activity levels. In a traditional classroom, these challenges can look like disengagement or defiance. At Edison, we build structure that works with — not against — how these students function, including smaller classes, clear routines, and teaching strategies designed for attention variability.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia affects how the brain processes written language, making reading and spelling harder than they should be for otherwise capable students. At Edison, we use research-backed approaches that support phonological processing and reading fluency, without making students feel singled out for needing them.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia affects a student’s ability to write by hand — impacting spelling, letter formation, and the physical act of getting words on paper. We give students tools that work around this barrier, including assistive technology and appropriate accommodations, so written expression stops being the obstacle.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a math learning difference that affects how the brain processes numbers, symbols, and spatial reasoning. Students with dyscalculia are not “bad at math” — they process numerical information differently. Our teachers understand that distinction and teach accordingly.
Auditory & Visual Processing Disorders
These conditions affect how the brain interprets what a student sees or hears — not whether they can see or hear, but how that input gets processed. Students may mishear instructions, struggle to follow fast-paced speech, or have difficulty reading charts and spatial information. We adapt how we present material and give students strategies for working with their processing style.
Executive Functioning Challenges
Executive functioning affects a student’s ability to plan, organize, manage time, and regulate their own behavior. It’s the internal system that most high school environments assume is already working. At Edison, we treat executive functioning as a teachable, developable skill — not a fixed limitation.
Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NVLD)
Students with NVLD tend to have strong verbal abilities but significant challenges with visual-spatial processing, motor skills, and reading social cues. They often do well with rote tasks but struggle with anything that requires integrating information across categories. Our team understands the specific ways NVLD shows up in a high school context and adjusts instruction accordingly.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
About the Application Process
Nearly all enrolled students have a current evaluation documenting their learning differences. This documentation helps us understand your child’s specific needs and make sure we’re the right fit before anyone commits to the process.
If your child is still in the middle of an evaluation, or if you’re not sure what documentation you have, reach out to us. We’re happy to talk through where you are and what the next steps might look like. The first conversation is just a conversation.
Questions We Hear from Parents
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What learning differences does Edison support?
Edison serves students with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders, executive functioning challenges, ASD and nonverbal learning disorders. Most of our students have more than one area of challenge, and our approach is built to address overlapping needs.
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What if we're still going through the evaluation process?
Reach out anyway. Many families contact us while they’re still in the middle of an evaluation, and we’re happy to talk through the timeline and what documentation you’ll eventually need. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you make the first call.
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How is Edison different from a public school IEP program?
An IEP provides accommodations within a standard school environment. Edison is a different kind of thing entirely: a full high school program designed from the ground up for students with learning differences. Small class sizes. Teachers trained specifically for this population. A curriculum built around these students. It’s not accommodation — it’s specialization.
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How is Edison different from a private school that has a resource room?
A general private school with a resource room is a school that added support services. Edison is a school that was built as a support service. Every teacher, every class, every schedule decision, and every program at Edison starts from the assumption that students learn differently. That’s a meaningful distinction.
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What does "individualized support" actually mean at Edison
It means your child’s teachers know their learning profile. It means their accommodations are built into every class, not arranged through a separate process. It means class sizes average nine students so no one gets lost. And it means our counselors, Learning Specialist, Reading Specialist, and Transitions Specialist are all part of a coordinated support system.
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How many students are in a class at Edison?
Classes average nine students. The overall school has approximately 134 students, and each grade holds up to 36.
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What if my child has more than one learning difference?
That’s normal. Most of our students have more than one area of challenge. Our teachers are experienced with students who have overlapping diagnoses and complex learning profiles. We don’t look for a single label — we look at the whole student.
