Cajal Academy Video Library

Watch the videos below to learn more about our unique program, or watch them all for a “Choose Your Own Adventure” Virtual Information Session

As parents to complex students ourselves, we know just how overwhelming it can be logistically and also emotionally to consider alternative educational settings for you child—especially while taking care of other family and/or professional obligations.

That’s why we put together this Self-Serve Virtual Information Session to make it easier for you to go directly to those aspects of our program that speak most directly to your questions and concerns. Of course, we still encourage you to sign up to attend one of our monthly Information Sessions either in person or online for a structured presentation, tour and Q&A session with our visionary Head of School and Co-Founder Cheryl Viirand, but hopefully these videos help start you on your journey, and plant a seed of just how different things can be when we apply modern neuroscience to education.

Check back for more videos coming soon!

Cajal Academy’s Neuroscience-Based, Exclusive Educational Model

Neuroscientific understandings have changed dramatically in the decades since traditional educational models were developed—and they leave lots of potential on the table while having what are often traumatic effects for students with high intellectual and creative abilities. We started over with the science and reengineered education from there; watch these videos to learn more about this foundational science and how it informs every aspect of student experiences at our school.

College-Ready and Life-Ready Skills for Innovative Thinkers

Cajal Academy Co-Founder and Head of School Cheryl Viirand hails from a family of twice exceptional thinkers and is Mom to two twice exceptional students who also have complex medical profiles—so the ‘driving question’ (to use our project-based learning terminology) behind our educational model’s design was how to give students agency over their own learning, social-emotional and physio experiences, thus preparing them to be successful not just professionally but emotionally as well.

Truth be told, when I made this video in the spring of 2021, I thought it highly unlikely that we’d be able to achieve this for my older son, given the medical complexities he had to manage. Happily, I was wrong! Watch “What I Hope My Teen Will Learn Before He Leaves High School” to learn about the blueprint we use for all our learners!

Standards-Driven, Multi-disciplinary Project-Based Learning

All Cajal Academy academic curriculum is delivered through deep dive project-based learning developing the super-sized executive function, social collaboration and self-care skills that are essential not only to professional success but to emotional success for individuals who inherently see the world in unique ways. Watch these videos to learn more about how our project-based learning framework supports student growth.

Virtual Info Session Series: Academic Programming

Step inside a student gallery to learn how our project-based learning works with sample student work

Social-Emotional Learning Tailored to Give Bright & Gifted Kids Agency Over Their Experiences

Social-emotional learning is a central focus of our program and is tailored to each child’s specific needs using the same Neuro- and Trauma-Informed Approach that underpins our learning disability interventions. Leveraging the research and expertise of our Director of Research, Steven Mattis, PhD, ABPP, we developed a first-of-its-kind social-emotional learning curriculum that gives students both the scientific understandings and the neurophysiologic skills necessary to leverage connections between the body and the brain to increase students’ cognitive access and emotional regulation. The result is that students learn how to achieve and maintain their own state of regulation, while also becoming more resilient in the face of challenges. Learn more about this exciting new approach.

Watch our Spring, 2021 webinar with Steven Mattis, PhD, ABPP, Cheryl Viirand, JD and Heather Edwards, MS-OTR/L to learn how our Trauma- and Neuro-Informed Approach differs from ABA Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other common school social-emotional approaches

College-Ready