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Teaching Students with LD and ADHD

Public or specialty private schools for NLD kids?


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Joined: Nov 21, 2007
Posts: 2
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Posted Nov 21, 2007 at 4:31:35 PM
Subject: Public or specialty private schools for NLD kids?

We have an 11 year old son who was diagnosed with having a nonverbal learning disorder last year. We weren't sure what it really was until recently when I found alot of info online and some great books. He is currently attending a public school who is now making some adjustments to his daily schedule, homework and testing. We just wonder if once he gets in middle school (he's currently in 5th grade) if it will be too much for him despite the modifications the school is apparently willing to make. There are a couple of schools in the area that work specifically with kids with nonverbal learning disorders but they cost about $10,000/year. We'll move in this direction if the public school system doesn't work but it just frustrates me that we are paying taxes for a school that may not work for our child. Has anyone had any experience with this situation: Public vs private schools for your nonverbal learning disorder child?
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krandall
Joined Jun 19, 2003
Posts: 2

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Posted:Jan 07, 2008 2:16:09 PM

I have two NLD kids, and at the middle school level we had to make the same decision. We were able to find a local charter middle school with small class sizes (17 to a class) and a really nurturing supportive staff. This saved us from having to fight the district for an out of district placement. (my older one was in the district middle school for 6th & 7th grade and it become more and more difficult to meet his needs)

For high school, we found a small supportive agricultural HS that has been a good fit for our older son. The younger one really needed something more specific to his needs, and attends a VERY small private special education HS at public expense.

$10,000 per year is way on the low end, price-wise, for a special education school... around here, they run from $25,000-45,000 for day schools. (even the private NON-special ed schools are in the $25,000 per year except for parochial schools) But remember, even if a district can't meet your child's needs in-house, they are required to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education. This means that if they can't meet his needs, they have to pay for him to go to a school that can.
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