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About Us
What’s the Right School or Program for My Son or Daughter?
Dobson Educational Services can help your family find the most appropriate placement – the “right fit” – by interpreting and clarifying your child’s needs, and by guiding your family through the complex process of searching for and choosing the right school or program. 
We work with families considering private elementary, middle and high schools, and post-secondary programs. We also work with children who have learning disabilities or other special needs, and with children in crisis situations.
Our sole interest and guiding principle is - what is best for this young person and for the family? We are completely independent and receive no compensation from schools or programs we recommend (see our Principles of Good Practice). Commitment to this independence ensures that we will provide advice based solely on what is best for your son or daughter. With our extensive, first-hand knowledge of schools and programs, we can offer choices that may be unfamiliar to you, but could be just what your son or daughter needs.
Generally, families seek our help at a time of transition in a child’s educational life, such as:
• Beginning school
Kindergarten or earlier.
• Moving to a new area
Philadelphia, New Jersey, and the mid-Atlantic region offer an exceptionally rich, diverse mix of educational options. As members of the IECA, a national network, we can also help if you are moving to another part of the country.
• Changing from a public to an independent (private) day school
Each independent school has a unique history, mission and culture, often not apparent in a brochure or web site. We know these schools and have a good sense of when they might be an appropriate choice. Many are described in our Schools/Programs Visited.
• Selecting a boarding school
Boarding schools offer a wide world of educational and personal opportunities for students, with an extraordinary range of size, location, academic demand and special activities and programs. We stay current with these schools with regular visits and are a member of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS). See Schools/Programs Visited.
• Responding to special needs
Learning issues such as ADHD or dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, emotional and behavioral difficulties, addiction issues, and psychiatric disorders can seriously impede a child’s progress and success. Both locally and nationally, we know of established, successful programs offering solutions for all these presentations. For a full listing, see Schools/Programs Visited.
• Looking for unusual educational options
A wealth of opportunity exists for unique personal and academic enrichment, including summer programs, semesters abroad, semesters at sea, wilderness programs, arts experiences and community service. For examples, browse our Helpful Links.
