The Katherine Thomas School

Overview

Since our founding in 1995, The Katherine Thomas School (KTS) has provided an exceptional educational experience for children with language and learning disabilities, Autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or other health impairments. We serve students, preschool through 12th grade, at our Rockville, Maryland day school.

The KTS mission is to enable students to reach their full educational potential through a multi-sensory, developmental, language-intensive curriculum.

We use a team model that includes highly-trained, energetic and experienced teachers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and physical therapists. We work together to find and utilize our students’ strengths to teach, support, and reinforce learning. We continually expand our services and programs to better serve our students and lay the foundation for them to successfully begin independent adult lives.

Student Life

FAQs

Are DPG conferences billed?

Yes. One half hour of the DPG meeting will be billed as a professional consultation. This may or may not be covered by private insurance companies. This meeting will replace a 1/2 hour of your child’s therapy that week and will not be charged as an additional fee.

Am I responsible for the full year’s tuition if I withdraw my child prior to the end of the school year?

It is understandable that changes take place within families and we want all of our students to complete the full year. However, because the budget of KTS is established and based upon the total enrollment of the school and the commitments made pursuant to the school year contract we require the entire tuition be paid regardless of whether your child completes the academic year.

If payment is not received when due, will my child still be enrolled?

Unless special arrangements are made, your child could be discharged from the school if payment is not timely. Before any child is discharged from the school, parents or legal guardians are informed.

Can I authorize automatic payment via my credit card for Related Services?

Yes. Many parents are authorizing payment this way because it is convenient and saves time. A specific form is available from the TLC Admissions or Finance Office to authorize payment via credit card.
Are Related Services reimbursable through my insurance provider?

Coverage for related services depends upon the insurance provider and plan. It is not likely that insurance will reimburse services, particularly in an educational setting. The school is not responsible for ensuring insurance reimbursement. We cannot change our delivery model based on insurance requirements or reimbursements. The only applicable insurance that TLC-KTS can accept is CIGNA for speech and occupational therapy. However, there are a limited number of CIGNA-credentialed speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists at TLC-KTS. If you have CIGNA, you must contact the TLC Director of Administrative Services at (301) 424 -5200, extension 147, before your child starts school, to discuss the preauthorization requirements. Speech and occupational therapies are not automatically covered by CIGNA.

Parents are responsible for submitting billing information to their insurance company with the understanding that all (if any) reimbursement is not guaranteed. It is the responsibility of the families to inform us if there is any information needed for your particular insurance plan (i.e., therapy notes). We will provide any needed documentation to submit to your insurance company. However, we cannot make changes after therapy was provided to accommodate insurance requests.

Are there payment options for tuition and Related Services?

There are four tuition payment options available to parents:

1. Parents may pay in advance each semester – the first-semester payment is due August 1 and the second-semester payment is due in December.
2. Parents may pay monthly with a credit card on file.
3. Qualified parents may obtain a Sallie Mae loan. Information is available from the TLC Admissions or Finance Departments.
4. Qualified parents may combine a Sallie Mae loan for a portion of the tuition and monthly AMS payments for the remaining tuition balance.

Do tuition and Related Services typically increase each year?

Increases in tuition and related services fees are determined by the Maryland State Department of Education through the state budget process. The increase varies from year to year. Normally, final decisions regarding annual tuition increases are expected by summer.

When can Related Services be changed or discontinued?

Our focus is related to the educational needs of the student. Student delivery models will be determined by educational needs. The amount of related service time is only adjusted when there is a change in the needs of the students. The changes in needs are determined as a result of the on-going assessment of the student’s skills and functioning. Any change in services is discussed by the related service provider and the team, which includes the parents. Related services cannot be reduced or discontinued for any other reason.

How are makeup sessions provided?

There are times when sessions cannot be provided at the scheduled time. Every effort is made to provide a makeup session as close to the missed session as possible. However, there may be instances when makeup sessions may occur either prior to (if clinician is aware of the student’s absence) or at some time after the missed session. Occasionally, a make-up session might occur on the same day as a regular session. This may result in varying service and billing amounts each month. The clinician strives to provide the designated therapy time as determined by the IEP/DPG for the school year.

How will Related Services be delivered?

The KTS model allows for flexible and creative delivery of services addressing the student’s IEP/DPG goals. Students receive related service therapies in a variety of ways and settings including individual, group, and consultation. Services can be provided within the classroom, in “pull-out” sessions, or in any setting that is related to the child’s goals. A child’s services may include a combination of any of these effective delivery models. The cost for related services is the same for all delivery methods.

Are KTS Related Services required if my child receives outside therapies?

Yes, outside therapies are not a replacement for related services at KTS. Although some students receive outside therapies, they are in addition to the KTS program. The academic success of the KTS student is a result of our integrated team model. In addition to targeting specific skills, the related services providers within the school setting enable students to access the curriculum by providing in-class support and by guiding students in generalizing emerging skills during their school day. The daily team collaboration promotes consistency and maximizes student success. KTS clinicians will coordinate and collaborate with outside providers at the request of the family.

What are Related Services and how are they determined?

Related services include speech-language and occupational therapy, physical therapy, and counseling. All related services, except speech-language, are charged separately from tuition on an hourly basis. Funded students will start with the related services indicated on their IEP. As part of the admissions process, the related service professionals will determine the service amount after a review of reports, evaluations, and the student’s visit. The related services determined by the team are critical to the student’s academic progress. They are a condition of the student’s acceptance and part of the signed contract. Initial related services for new students are discussed by the school/parent team at the 45-60 day review meeting to determine if the current amount of service remains adequate. Students who do not require any related services are likely to need a less restrictive school setting than what is offered at KTS.

What do the tuition and activity fee include?

Tuition and fees include your child’s classroom instruction by a certified teacher and teacher’s assistant, and the academic curriculum used in the school, including the areas of art, drama, music, and physical education. Additionally, the health specialist, consulting nurse, and psychologist, as well as equipment, materials, supplies, special activities, and technology used in the school are covered by tuition. Speech-language services dictated by the IEP/DPG are the only related services included in the base tuition. All other related services are in addition to the tuition.

Tuition and Fees

Thank you for your interest in The Katherine Thomas School for your child. We understand that there may be questions that you have about our program. To help, we have provided frequently asked questions with the answers below. If you still have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly for more information. We are here to make this process as smooth as possible for your family.