Choosing between public and private schools for children with learning disabilities is a personal decision based on affordability and school evaluation. Private schools may cater to specific disabilities, but may not provide required support services. Public schools investigate and respond to testing requests for LDs, but may have issues with their programs. Consider the child’s wishes and evaluate the school’s philosophy before making a decision.
When parents have children with learning disabilities (LDs) they may face the question, given the ability to afford it, whether a public or private school provides the best learning environment for their children. This is a very individual calling and can be based on your ability to afford a private school as much as it is based on evaluating the merits of schools in your area. For parents with unlimited income, there are some schools that cater specifically to children with learning disabilities, such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Some find these schools easier for their children, because most or all of the students who attend them share common learning problems and there is less opportunity for social ostracization under these circumstances.
When private schools don’t specifically work with kids with learning disabilities, they can be great or not so good options. One of the disadvantages of private schools is that they are not required by law to provide support services to these students. To obtain these services, parents usually need to petition their school district, and it may be more work to coordinate the flow of information between two schools, rather than simply working with a single school that needs to provide LD support.
Private schools, while again highly dependent, may also lack departments or support services that can quickly identify the child with a learning disability. When LDs are not identified early, this can mean that poor performance in the classroom is attributed to the child who can be described as lazy, unwilling and troublesome. In private schools’ defense, many offer qualified teachers who are very good at identifying children with potential LDs and recommend that parents explore this across the child’s school district. Even if a child attends private school, public schools largely investigate and respond to testing requests for learning disabilities. These tests can take time to run, and also can require more time spent in a school for a child who doesn’t want to be there to begin with.
There are some who believe that private schools are inherently better than public schools at providing education and producing superior achievement and higher test scores. A 2005 US national study suggests that this is not the case, and that private and public schools have essentially the same rates of achievement, especially when comparing students of similar socioeconomic status and parental education levels. So the argument that a child will learn more or achieve more in a private school can only be true to the extent that a single private school is comparable to a single public school.
On the other hand, some people have issues with the way a public school runs its programs to assist children with learning disabilities. In elementary school, instead of learning with their class, students may be pulled out of the classroom for further instruction or support, thereby missing instruction which they then have to make up for. In middle and high school, students who can handle most of the mainstream classes are allowed to take a straight-up curriculum, which effectively prohibits them from taking electives until the first year of high school. Some schools try to compensate for this by offering students zero time in physical education, but not all students with LD are eager to take even more classes in school and be there for longer periods of time.
Some parents have very good reasons for enrolling a child with a learning disability in a private school. The school may have an excellent department that helps these children learn in a way that works for them, or it may have a philosophy that seems particularly suited to a child with certain learning patterns. The advantage in many private schools of students progressing at their own pace, a trend eschewed in many US public schools, can be attractive.
Important things to consider when evaluating private and public schools are how well their philosophies mesh with yours and the degree to which you think your child benefits from these philosophies. Another thing to look at is your child’s wishes. Children may be reluctant to leave a public school if they feel socially comfortable there, or they may be more anxious to leave if they have felt socially uncomfortable in that environment. Use the summer months or quick after-school visits to investigate schools with your child. Because many LDs aren’t identified until children are in the third or fourth grade, giving a child some input can help them become more participatory in the learning process.
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