Important information for parents of special needs children

[praccath]

After much research into inclusive Catholic schools for my daughter who has autism, I found this link:

fullinclusionforcatholicschools.org/

I pray it provides the answers and help many of us have been looking for! Click on the blue tab that says: “Inclusive Schools & Dioceses” to see if there is one in your area.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Catholic Schools, pray for us!

 

[Irishmom2]

Interesting site. Supposedly, according to the link, our diocese is inclusive, but our local school is not.

 

[mlz]

Thank you for sharing this! I have a grandson with special needs and he was refused in a Catholic school where he use to live so wondering if there might be something in the new area he moved to. As a convert to the Catholic Church AND a retired teacher (public schools) it baffled me that they would not accept my grandson in a Catholic School…this seemed so wrong. We stress how all life is important and then refuse to help those with special needs in education?! I do know that the bottom line is cost…it costs to help those with special needs. That is part of the package as Catholic educators if we embrace all life!
What a poor witness to think some schools don’t do this
mlz

 

[ArielRussu]

Thank you for sharing this! I have a grandson with special needs and he was refused in a Catholic school where he use to live so wondering if there might be something in the new area he moved to. As a convert to the Catholic Church AND a retired teacher (public schools) it baffled me that they would not accept my grandson in a Catholic School…this seemed so wrong. We stress how all life is important and then refuse to help those with special needs in education?! I do know that the bottom line is cost…it costs to help those with special needs. That is part of the package as Catholic educators if we embrace all life!
What a poor witness to think some schools don’t do this
mlz

With Catholic schools you have to be very careful about which one you send your children too, as any school, but Catholic ones in particular. The one the OP is referrencing looks great but Catholic schools tend, at least in my state, to be behind, education wise, than public schools. They are also not very accommodating, as you found out with your grandson, to children with special needs. All children are treated the same, no “special treatment” for those struggling. I have a friend who has special needs and the school just kept passing her on to the next grade so the previous grade didn’t have to deal with her again for another year. Her teachers also called her stupid and told her she wouldn’t succeed simply because she was a slower learner, acted younger and wasn’t able to pay attention as well as the other students her age Her story isn’t the only one I know of either. It’s very sad

On the bright side my friend proved all her teachers wrong when she was placed in a special needs school in her highschool years, took college level classes, the high school was in a college and students could take college classes as long as there high school credits were completed. Then, after working hard and having teachers who ACTUALLY helped her, her Catholic teachers never bothered too, she graduated valedictorian! She wants to be a special needs teacher and help kids like her as she knows what it’s like to be different and how cruel adults and children can be to those different than them.

This wasn’t very long ago either. We are in our early 20s.

 

[praccath]

Just a follow up to my original post, I found out that if you don’t see anything about special needs on the school’s website, call them and ask what services they provide.

 

[1990Domer]

Not surprised to see neither ur diocese or any schools in our area on there. My son also got turned down at several elementary schools. The one that took him was ill-equipped to handle any child with learning differences. The services from our county’s intermediate unit were a joke. And the education was subpar, as another poster wrote.

Pulling him and having him cyber-schooled was the best decision we made! With daily 1:1 tutoring, he quickly got to grade level (and a little above) in reading. He’s almost there in writing. He is on track to been well prepared for Catholic high school.