[quote=AN]
WRT OP, I think it really is school depending when it comes to special ed kids. Sometimes, it might even be teacher dependent. So, don’t assume that just because the whole district on average score high that they cater to special ed kids. Do you research on the actual school and even the teachers.[/quote]
+1000
API scores are not the be-all/end-all. I recently moved my kids from a high API school to one that looks terrible on paper. But the school they’re at has the teachers/services for my kid’s needs. It was very teacher/program dependent.
A lot will depend on the actual needs of the kids. A friend has an autistic son – the special ed teacher at the school we left is exceptional with kids with autism and on the spectrum. So for her – our old school was the best fit. It’s child/needs dependent as to what the best fit is. Another friend left the school we moved to because it was *not* a good fit for her son’s (emotional) special needs.
You have to look at a school/teacher/program SPECIFIC to YOUR child’s needs. Special Ed encompasses a very broad spectrum of services/accommodations. What works for one child’s issues doesn’t work for a different set of issues. Special Ed is everything from autism, spectrum disorders, ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, emotional issues (anxiety, etc), physical needs like diabetes, speech issues, deafness, blindness…. The needs all require a different solution. Different schools, different programs, different teachers, will be the right fit for you child’s needs.
Special needs can be so broad. Talk to parents of kids with similar issues. Find out what they liked/didn’t like about the schools they’re at. Ask them to put you in touch with other parents to broaden your data sample of what’s out there.
