Choosing among special education programs for kids with disabilities can be difficult at best. One of the biggest choices parents of children with disabilities will ever make is the selection of a school. Nancy Stein, a speech pathologist at Variety Child Learning Center in Syosset, New York, prepared a list of questions every parent should ask when selecting a school for special needs children.
Can I visit the school and observe the programs for special needs children?
This is a must. You should be permitted to closely observe child-to-child interaction and the interactions of children with multiple staff members in different areas of the school.
Is there a team approach to special education?
An ideal school will have multiple professionals (such as speech pathologists and physical therapists) working closely with the special needs children and with each other, as dictated by the child’s needs. They will keep parents informed with regular meetings.
Where are the special education programs located?
Therapists run on a tight schedule; if classrooms are far apart or in different buildings, the travel time comes out of class time.
How much communication is there between teachers and parents?
All schools use parent-teacher meetings to convey information, but more communication is always better. Some schools encourage parents and teachers to keep in contact by using a notebook passed back and forth with the child each day. This is an important issue for parents of children with disabilities, because you want to be able to swing into action immediately if a problem begins to emerge.
Are the special needs children ever included with the general population, and if so, when?
Some schools keep special-needs children almost in “lockdown,” rarely allowing interaction with regular education students. Ideally, at least electives like arts programs and assemblies will be integrated, with academic subjects taught either in a dedicated special education classroom or with regular education students, depending upon the needs of each child.
Are integrated events well supervised?
Schools should provide extra supervision at these times in order to ensure that interaction stays positive and inclusive.
May I talk to a parent whose child attends the school’s special education program?
A parent’s perspective is a unique one, and talking to an “alumni parent” allows you to get a feel for both the pros and cons of the school’s special education program. Parents of children with disabilities “speak the same language” when it comes to being advocates for their kids, so connecting with parents who share your concerns will provide important feedback about a school’s special education programs.
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