Dr. Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD, President and CEO
Imagine this: You're a parent who loves your child fiercely. You see their effort, their potential, and their light. But your child has complex cognitive, developmental, medical, and/or behavioral needs. And no matter how hard their school tries—and they do try—the system isn’t equipped to help your child grow the way you know they can. You see your child fall behind, not because they lack motivation, but because they lack the right individualized services and support.
So where do you turn when all you want is a place that sees your child the way you do—as capable, worthy, and full of promise?
For many families, the answer has been Kennedy Krieger’s School Programs. These specialized schools serving publicly funded students with intellectual and developmental disabilities offer a pathway to truly individualized education. Importantly, they also offer hope. They offer understanding. They offer a place where children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, complex medical and psychiatric conditions, and behavioral challenges are not only welcomed—they are celebrated.
What began modestly in the late 1970s with just a few students inside Kennedy Krieger’s initial building in East Baltimore---a building that housed inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and the early school program, has now grown into five specialized schools, serving nearly 500 publicly funded students from across Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Kennedy Krieger is now the second biggest provider of publicly funded nonpublic special education in Maryland. Our schools are officially approved and accredited by both the Maryland State Department of Education and the National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES).
Students come to our schools through referrals from their local school system’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) team, which includes their parents or guardians. Right now, we’re proud to serve students from more than half of the public school districts across the state.
At Kennedy Krieger, students ages 5 to 21 years receive more than academics. They receive instruction that nurtures their emotional, social, and behavioral growth in a space built around their individual strengths. They are supported by a transdisciplinary team that understands every student deserves a personalized approach—because no two children are the same.
“Our students typically require a multitude of services,” explains Dr. Linda Myers, Vice President of School Programs. “Almost every single one of our students has at least two clinical related services on their IEP—for example, speech and OT (occupational therapy) or speech, OT and counseling, speech and expressive therapies, etc. The more complex needs and level of service recommendation on the IEP is what frequently drives a more specialized placement.”
The result? Students not only thrive in the moment, but they are also prepared for life beyond school. Because at Kennedy Krieger, we don’t just ask how a child is doing in third grade—we ask who they’ll become in their thirties. We believe in inclusion for life.
This belief extends beyond graduation. Our CORE Foundations program, now serving over 60 adults in Baltimore and Rockville, helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities find employment, build independence, and participate fully in their communities.
Every child deserves a chance to reach their full potential—not just in theory, but in reality. Kennedy Krieger makes that fulfillment possible. We are proud to walk with families through some of their most difficult journeys and meet our students where they are. Together, we help them grow and thrive.
