Come & See The Difference

Our mission is to maximize the potential of the child with learning disabilities through excellence in education.

We originally opened our doors to 10 students at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Emmaus, PA in 1983. Six years later, we moved to our current seven-acre home in Lower Macungie Township.

Our students are intelligent children who learn differently from their peers and therefore need specialized instruction in a small classroom setting. Students may be diagnosed with a language-based learning disability like dyslexia, which affects reading; dysgraphia, affecting writing; dyscalculia, affecting math. In addition, they may demonstrate difficulty with executive function skills, attention, and focus due to ADHD.

Our K-8 classrooms are characterized by researched best practices in teaching students with learning disabilities.  Our teachers are trained in the latest instructional approaches so that students learn the skills and strategies to help them become successful and confident learners. Class sizes are limited to no more than 8 students per class.

Core Curriculum includes Mathematics, Reading & Language Arts, Science, STEAM, Social Studies, Art, Physical Education, Executive Skills, Library and Media Skills, Speech & Language, and Guidance classes to support social-emotional learning.

We are accredited by Middle States Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools, and have maintained our accreditation for over 30 years. MSA is a rigorous level of accreditation and involves extensive research and development in order to maintain our standing.

We recognize that each mission-appropriate student brings an element of diversity to our school simply by being a student who learns differently. We believe that everyone’s life experience and background add valuable perspective to our learning community and that our community is stronger because of the differences represented by our students, faculty, staff, and families. The Hillside School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its educational, admission, financial aid, and hiring policies. Questions regarding this should be directed to the Head of School.

Students We Serve

Our Focus

In traditional environments, mission-appropriate students are not able to achieve their potential and may have anxiety related to academics.

Determining a Child’s Fit with Hillside

Our focus on students with “specific learning disabilities” means that students who are a good fit for The Hillside School may have one or more of the following diagnoses:

• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia
• ADHD
• Dyspraxia
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Expressive or Receptive Language Processing Disorder
• Executive Functioning Disorder
• Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Disorder
• Non-Verbal Learning Disorder

Typically, when students initially enter Hillside, they show weakness in one or more of these areas: 

• Reading
• Writing
• Math
• Spelling
• Working Memory
• Executive Functioning
• Receptive and Expressive Language
• Processing Speed
• Work Pace
• Inattention

If you believe your child may benefit from a Hillside education, please complete the inquiry form to begin the conversation with the Head of School, Jason Seggern.

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