A generation ago there were not too many public or private school options for kids with learning disabilities. However, at the present time parents have a range of choices. Each one has its pros and cons.
Option 1: Public School
Pros: The first step is to request an IEP for your child. This will give the kid access to psychologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and other experts that can help your child on a weekly basis. Plus they will get special accommodations for standardized testing. Best of all this comes free of charge.
Cons: Not all Osceola schools have the resources for all the student needs. So some kids will fall through the cracks. Plus some Osceola schools are overcrowded so your kid will not necessarily get the attention that they need.
Option 2: Private School
Pros: Most private schools have more field trips, hands-on learning experiences, and smaller class sizes. This type of learning is a better format for some learning disabilities. There are at least two scholarships to help parents of learning disabled students afford private school. These include the Family Empowerment Scholarship and the McKay Scholarship. These scholarships cover 50-100% of the cost of tuition of most private schools in Osceola County.
Cons: Private schools don't tend to have audiologists, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, etc. Most insurance companies don't cover treatment for learning disabilities. There are some non-profits that help with the cost of these activities. But they are usually limited to one or two practices. So parents need to ask each place if there is a non-profit to help with the cost.
Option 3: Private School Geared Toward Kids With Learning Disabilities
Pro: The teachers are trained to teach kids who learn differently. So most of the kids will receive the type of instruction that they need to learn. Plus the students aren't targets of bullying or harassment due to their learning style.
Cons: These types of schools cost anywhere between $40,000-$100,000 a year. The scholarships mentioned above do not even come close to covering the cost of these schools.
