The Learning Dilemma: Educating Your Child With Special Needs

Raising a child with special needs, regardless of their limitations, is challenging. Trying to find a program or school that meets all of your educational needs can be even more difficult. The public school system has specialized programs, but for some, exploring alternatives outside of the public school system might be the answer.

Does your child’s physical disability prevent him or her from excelling in daily school activities? Does your child struggle with daily writing activities or make excuses to avoid handwriting assignments? Do you have trouble paying attention in class? Does your child’s confidence seem to be slipping? Is your son constantly bullied by other students because of her disability?

This is how several local families solved those problems:

In general, the number 1 goal of a private school that specializes in special needs is to offer a comprehensive education program designed to develop the academic, social, and emotional competence of its students. These programs hope to allow your child to experience success without fear of failure or ridicule.

Private schools aim to provide a focused education for children with special needs that prepares them for all the benefits and responsibilities of adulthood. They hope to provide your child with the academic, career, and social skills needed to be independent, assertive, and contributing citizens of their communities.

Private schools offer the individualized attention that exceptional students require to achieve their educational goals. Schools like The Fletcher School and Dore Academy have been serving families with children with special needs in the Charlotte area for many years. Their programs are designed to fit each child’s needs as they develop. Philips Academy is a more recent addition to the educational offerings.

Margaret Sigmon, Head of The Fletcher School, says: “Our teachers are diagnostic teachers. Every day they re-diagnose where a child is and what that child needs. We call it ‘diagnostic prescriptive teaching’, which means that lesson plans are ‘It’s not done a week in advance. If a student doesn’t ‘get’ one day, the teacher re-covers the material the next day.”

At Fletcher, students are often encouraged to return to a regular classroom setting as soon as they are ready to be independent and successful learners. Given proper remediation in areas of academic difficulty and proper practice using compensatory strategies, this school feels that a child can make remarkable gains in academic achievement and develop the self-esteem and self-advocacy skills that enable many to experience success in regular classrooms.

Barbara Parrish, a founding member of Philips Academy, first asked the question “Wouldn’t it be great if Charlotte had a small school with a population of students with learning disabilities who are not going to college?” She helped make the dream come true by establishing Philips Academy, a small school that currently serves eight students who can stay in school until they earn their high school diplomas. Here, the goal is for students to learn to live independently and enter the workforce or a technology program at a community college when they graduate.

distance education

Sara Montgomery is an 11th grader from Davidson, NC, living with Asperger’s syndrome and cerebral palsy. Her disability makes writing by hand challenging, so she used an AlphaSmart (computer) in her neighborhood school’s classroom to write assignments. This made her feel uncomfortable and out of place in the classroom. Most of the students did not relate to Sara, making fun of her and making it difficult for her to concentrate.

“Sara’s self-esteem was rock bottom. She was being teased so much at school that she was pulling her hair, plucking her eyebrows and biting her nails to the core. She wasn’t doing homework or participating in any activities.” discussion in the classroom,” said Shirley Montgomery, Sara’s mother.

After being threatened by another student, Sara’s family looked for an alternative to public schools. They found the solution to her problem at Laurel Springs School, an accredited distance education school. Now Sara can attend a private school and excel in the environment that works best with her cerebral palsy. . . “Everyone told me that if Sara stayed home all the time she wouldn’t thrive. But it’s been the opposite. Sara is thriving. She loves working at her own pace,” says Shirley.

Distance learning is not your typical home school. It is a type of education in which students work alone at home or in an office and communicate with faculty and other students through email, electronic forums, video conferences, chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging, and other forms of computer communication. communication. One of the benefits of distance learning is the flexibility and delivery of student materials: he or she can read it whenever they want. Students, regardless of their academic level, can study, learn and complete assignments at their own pace.

According to Laurel Springs, another benefit of distance learning is close communication between teacher and student.

Most distance education students go on to college. Laurel Springs has a full staff of college counselors to help and encourage its students to reach higher goals.
Sara was able to learn at her own pace, without the distraction of being picked on by other children at school. Today, she is confident in preparing her for a college education.

Another online alternative is Garden Schools, a K-12 distance learning school that incorporates a private Christian school environment into a virtual education. Students interact with teachers and socialize with other students from around the world.

An online quiz from Garden Schools, titled “Is Distance Learning Right for Our Family?” at http://www.gardenschools.com can help you decide if distance learning is a viable option for your family.

A spiritual alternative

If you prefer your child to receive a solid education in a private school that derives its teachings from a religious position, then you should consider placing your child in a religious school.

Several local religious schools offer special needs help within their traditional school setting: a self-contained classroom with individualized education plans.

Mariashi Groner, director of the Charlotte Jewish Day School, says, “The wonderful thing about this concept is that because this class is included in our day school, the opportunities to integrate are many; every time a child shows they are ready to join a class for a specific topic or area of ​​activity is available. Also, the “typical” children in our regular classes have embraced these children as one of our own, a part of our family. What better lesson than love and unity can we teach? , if not this?

The Directed Studies Program at Charlotte Christian School offers educational therapy to students who are of average or above average intelligence, but who have specific deficits in perception and/or cognition. This intervention program uses techniques developed or adapted by the National Institute on Learning Disabilities (NILD). Students are seen twice a week. Tasks are assigned that stimulate visual, visuomotor and auditory processing, as well as the development of oral and written language. The specialist collaborates with the teacher and family to guide the student to become an independent learner.

Many factors will influence your child’s educational options, including the severity of your child’s mental/physical disability, your child’s age, the location of the program, and your family’s financial resources. But don’t let any of these factors discourage you from making the best decision. Most private schools offer financial assistance and, in some cases, special transportation may be available. As you research educational alternatives in the area, be sure to ask questions about all the resources available to your child.