Does Private Schools assist in helping students with special needs? If so, how do they assist?

Question

I have heard that private schools do not have to offer services to students who have special needs like a learning disability as oppose to a public school which is required by law to assist students with special needs.

My question is, do private schools offer services to students with special needs like public schools offer to students who have learning disability? Why or why not?

Answer 1

It really depends on the private school. They are not required to by US law. Where I live, if a private school thinks one of their students might have a disability, they or the parents contact the local public school, and the public school does an evaluation at public expense.

They need to cooperate with the private school teachers for this. They need data from the private school, they will probably need to observe the student in their usual classroom, and the private school teachers need to attend the meetings where decisions are made.

Again, where I live, if a student has an IEP in their public school and the parent places them in a private school, the public school system hangs onto the IEP. The parent can give a copy to the private school. The private school can elect to follow it, elect to use some of it but not all, or choose to ignore the whole thing and do things the way that they want.

Most of the families I have worked with have chosen to keep their children in the private school after the evaluation, simply because they felt the teaching was more effective there. Some of them changed their minds later. Every kid is different, and the same setting doesn't work for all kids.

The truth is, most of the content in most IEPs can be executed in a general education setting if the teacher is willing and able. Public schools like it because it tends to come with money outside the local school budget and tax system.

But more and more schools are recognizing that kids tend to do better in a general education classroom, and moving them in that direction.  With some of the new movements in education, like differentiated instruction, for example, special education is getting less special!

Answer 2

well i have learning disabilies and went to a private catholic middle school from 2 years of kindergarden all the way throught 8th...im now almost 17.  The true answer is that private schools arnt acustomed to dealing with LD kids and so they send them over to public school system for testing and therepy sessions.  Accomodattion wise, private schools is not good.

Answer 3

Some are created specifically to help students with special needs. Denver Academy is one such school. Ricks and Logan are set up to help gifted children, many of whom are twice exceptional.

Answer 4

I went to a private school for LD kids and it

was a disaster. It was a dumping ground and

the principal told me they were not trying to do anything.

Answer 5

Some private schools do, some don't. It depends on the mandate of the school. As they are not funded by taxpayers, they do not have to conform to the regulations that govern public schools.

Answer 6

Private schools ARE suppose to help kids with special needs , like offer special ed services as mandated by IDEA law,

IF the school recieves federal and/or state funding.

Lots of private schools dont' want to tell you if they get this funding or not, because they don't want to help with special needs kids.

Call your state dept of education and ask if the private school gets funds from state or federal. If they do they ARE suppose to help with special needs.

Answer 7

if it is a private school for the diabeld and recieves public funds it does..

if it is a school like a catholic school that is paid for by parents tahn tehy generally don't-

the local puiblic school can provide additional services-usually after school.weekends or off campus-in my catholic school-kids who needed basic skills would go to a nearby bank for services (they had a classroom off to teh side)

In the USa-it is about separation of church and state--

public money not funding private business

if a private school was to offer special ed services-the parents would have to cover teh cost