Why do school districts prefer sending emotionally disturbed students to a school for emotionally disturbed?

Question

students rather than just have them on homebound instruction? especially if they don't have behavioral problems? and it is more expensive to send them to a special school than for homebound instruction.

Answer 1

Yes it is more expensive to send them to a special school than for homebound.  Just look at the cost of transporting them, if nothing else.

However, sending them to a special school is typically more beneficial academically for the child and s/he is closer to dealing with the problems that occur in regular school.  By federal law, students must be provided instruction in the least restrictive environment possible.   Attending a special school is considered to be less restrictive than a homebound setting.  Some students, however, do not get the opportunity to attend special schools.  This occurs mostly when serious bodily injury occurred, a riot/fire was started or if criminal charges keep the student locked up or under house arrest.  (For example, a young man with a learning disability pulled a knife at school on another student.  Part of his court docs said he could not attend public school for 18 months.   Homebound was his & the school's only option.)  Parents who do not wish for their child to attend a special ed. school can refuse it and go straight for homebound instruction or choose to enroll the student in another district.   Rare, but it does happen.

Edit-  This may be the school's only option.  If they send a child directly to homebound they opening themselves up for a lawsuit.  They are saying they can not provide protection for him and are unwilling to provide for a residential program in another town or state.  Hopefully, the school that will receive this student has a proactive staff that has dealt with these sorts of issues before and can provide adequate protection and relief for him.  The number of kids like him are growing but the numbers are really small.  It is extremely difficult to work these kids out of their "shell" without significant meds and behavioral therapy being utilized.  Hopefully, the parents are doing this.

Answer 2

Yikes. My district would never do this.  The law says that students must be educated in the "least restrictive environment".  We have students who are emotionally disturbed going to the regular school, but many times in special classes.

Answer 3

I agree with many of the points made by some of the other people who have answered:

-Homebound Instruction is not a permanent thing.  It is provided (at least, in all of the districts in which I've taught) as a short-term solution for a student who has a short-term problem/reason for not being in the school setting.

-It is important to consider the least restrictive environment for the student.  

-A student with Asperger's Syndrome does not, necessarily, qualify as a student with an emotional disability.  In my experience, students with AS are more appropriately placed using the term Other Health Impaired (OHI)

Something that occurred to me when reading your post, however, is that, by Federal Law, the school district is required to provide for your child an appropriate classroom setting.  If they do not have a classroom setting that is appropriate, they are required to create one or to assist in paying for your child to attend school somewhere where there IS an appropriate setting.

If you feel that your child is inappropriately placed, you need to speak with his/her case manager, teacher, etc. and express that.  You should follow this up with a letter to the teacher, case manager, principal, etc.  Put it in writing and distribute copies to enough people to make them uncomfortable enough to, hopefully, reconvene your child's IEP committee. If your child sees a therapist, specialist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc. outside of the school setting, tell them of your concerns and get their opinion and input, as well.  If they agree with you, ask them to put it in a letter to you, and mail that to all of the above-named people at the school, as well.

It may be that they have to send your child to a different school to find a more appropriate setting - sometimes even outside of the district.  And, some districts will disagree with you and not do anything unless you threaten to take them to court.  If the only way to get results is to take them to court, you need to be prepared for a long, hard fight.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

because the emotionally disturbed go to emotionally disturbed schools, lol jk, its so they can taake a break from everything, completely, b/c if the parents cause it they need a break from them too

Answer 5

I think this depends completely on the school district.  The county in which I work sends NO children to 'other' schools, other than deaf or blind students whose parents request they attend our state school for the blind or deaf.  We do have a school which is designed as a therapeutic intervention  and houses students with a variety of issues on a short term basis.  This population at any given time most likely will include some students with emotional disturbances.  However, unless they have been put out of their home school on a drug or weapons charge, it is intended to only be a short term respite facility.

Answer 6

every child is entitled to a free and appropraite education.

Children-especially those with behavioral and neurological problems (such as aspergers) need social interaction to learn how to work with peers and others.

A person with depression/anxiety may be better served with a classification of Other Health Impaired instead of behavior disorder-there also needs to be better differntiating between a conduct disorder where the students are acting out and emotional disability where a student needs a supportive environment for his emotional needs-not behavior needs

Answer 7

Because sometimes the parents are not best qualified to teach, especially with emotionally disturbed students....it is what it is....

Answer 8

I know you said that tutors come out and teach the child and not the parents being the teachers, but do the parents have to be at home while the tutor is there? And for how long is the tutor there?

Maybe it's an issue of the parents lacking the availability to care for the children when they are at home, (parents may be working.)

With your particular case (child with asperger's syndrome plus emotional problems) maybe they would be better off at a school for Autistic children if there is one in the area. That school would probably have a better idea of how to help the student.

Answer 9

Because then the minuets change. I had to put one of my students on homebound and because of this we had to have an IEP to change his minuets because the tutor only went to the house for an hour a day. It's not like they get a full day of education.

Also, legally you have to do what is known as the least restrictive environment. You can not place on homebound until a special school has been tired because homebound is considered more restrictive then a special school.

Answer 10

Home bound instruction should not be used any longer than necessary and not considered the individual education plan for a student with special needs.  You may want to consider having the student evaluated for a change in class setting during the next IEP meeting, or sooner if necessary.  Aspergers is within the autism spectrum of disorders.  If you have that diagnosis, make certain the school system is aware of that fact.  Sounds like the current classification for the student is EBD, emotional behavior disorder, and these students are placed together due to the special psychological needs each faces.  If the student in question is placed in the Learning Disabled, Mildly Intellectually Disabled, or Moderately Intellectually Disabled class, more attention may be placed on a setting where skills can be obtain rather than behavior modification addressed.  Speak with the school counselor about a change in the student's special education needs.

Answer 11

Hi - There are a lot of good answers regarding least restrictive environment here. Kids are legally required to be educated with peers if at all possible. A school setting also offers more educationally than homebound education is able to. Most home tutoring situations I've heard of are minimal and aimed at basic skills only.

But my opinion, from the little you say here, is that this child with Asperger's should not be sent to the kind of school you describe. The anxiety problems you describe are probably secondary to their Asperger's and the social disconnection and stress it creates. I'm not convinced that settings for kids with primary emotional or behavioral disorders would be equipped to provide the specialized instruction needed to help a child with Asperger's. And the child would not necessarily have the social smarts to deal with students who were violent or emotionally disturbed, with potentially serious consequences.

I have nothing against kids with emotional issues. But my daughter has Asperger's and severe anxiety, and I would homeschool her in a second before I'd let her go to a school that was targeted for emotionally disturbed / disruptive / potentially violent children. It would be all wrong for her.