kattoo13 wrote:
I know the cons of private school, but can anybody list some pros and cons of private school? My son is having a difficult time in public school, despite his IEP.
I was advised by his doctors at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, that he should be placed in an inclusion class for Aspergers children because he is in the "wrong learning environment." They said he needs to academically challenged and the teaching style should be geared towards his learning style.
I agree, but the only problem is, his school does not offer this. They only have the standard special-ed class with some pretty severely disabled kids and the regular classroom. My son is currently in the regular class, with accommodations. He is also pulled out for extra Math and Writing help.
I am curious to know what any of your experienced may be, regarding placing your kids in private schools. I did find this one school which is supposed to be one of the best in our area. They offer a program specifically for Aspergers kids. Also, does anybody know the process of having the public school pay for private school? Or is that just a pipe dream? Thanks.
Katoo13, you may need another IEP which includes all of your team even medical staff to determine why your son is having problems before you switch schools. And, get the doctor's opinion in writing to submit it to the district. I really think the best environment depends on the kid and the school. We know people who had their kids in private schools, but switched them to public because they lacked programs, resources and they didn't want the kid around the spectrum kids all day. It can really go both ways. It's important to pinpoint the root of the problem, then determine if the private, Asperger school can meet those needs. Or, if things can be changed in his current environment.
Also, if you ever want a public school to pay for a private school, get ready for a huge battle. When public schools were getting up-to-speed with Autism and didn't have any programs for our kids, they were more willing to do this. However, things have changed. If you want the public school to pay for the private school, you need to lawyer-up and start doing the background work. Public schools are not required to fund private education if they have an "appropriate" program to offer. "Appropriate" is the word that the school district will fight you on and the burden is up to the parent and their attorneys to prove otherwise. The fact that they've offered him accommodations means they can say, "We have an appropriate program." In the eyes of the law, it doesn't matter if the program isn't necessarily working. They don't have to have the "best" program or even one that "meets his potential." The law says the program must only be "free and appropriate" and a less-restrictive environment.
In some states, if you go to Due Process with the School District and lose, you are required to pay their legal bills. And, if you win, they are required to pay yours. So, you have to be 100% positive this is the way to go. If you lose, not only does the kid not get the placement, but you can end up $50,000 in debt as well.
Pros of Private: More dynamic curriculum, better student-teacher ratio, parents are more invested since they're paying, less riff-raff due to structure, more supervision.
Cons of Private: Unless it's an Autism/Asperger school, lack of resources, lack of OT/ST/PT, lack of social skills promotion, no alternative testing methods, less experience with disabilities in general, no backup plan of it doesn't work out. At least in the public system the kid can always got back to Special Ed until another solution is found.
04 Mar 2008, 6:39 pm
