INCLUSIVE FAMILY
Finding the Perfect
Fit for Education
How to pick the right school
for your child with special needs
BY JACQUELINE RENFROW
How can an educational
consultant help my special needs
child? According to the Independent
Educational Consultants
Association, “An Independent
Educational Consultant (IEC) is
someone who can assist you in
finding the most suitable school
placement for your child using an
individualized approach. The IEC
conducts personal interviews with
your child and your family and
combines it with data collected
on the student including school
transcripts, teacher comments and
prior testing. In addition, an IEC has
an extensive knowledge of schools
and their available support services
and profile, including student-
teacher ratio, teacher credentials
and availability of learning aids like
computers and tape recorders, plus
the culture and school environment.”
For more information about IECs,
visit iecaonline.com.

22 Washington FAMILY MAY 2022
learning support, athletics, clubs, activi-
ties, facilities, geography, and costs are all
important factors to consider.”
Taking the first step
Whether a parent chooses to work with
an educational consultant or look into
school choices, the first step is assessing
the child’s current school environment
and experience.

When determining whether the child
is currently in the proper school set-
ting, Hoffman’s team typically starts by
reviewing all of the academic records and
previous assessments and speaking to
any of the child’s relevant service provid-
ers. They ask parents to think about what
their child needs to succeed academically,
socially, and emotionally in school.

Hoffman recommends that parents
make a pros and cons list of what is work-
ing and what is not working in their child’s
current school setting.

“It is imperative to determine if the stu-
dent is appropriately challenged and making
academic progress as well as determining if
their social and emotional needs are being
met,” he says. “This comprehensive overview
helps to more clearly identify the parents’
concerns with a variety of data points.”
Laura Rup, director of admissions
at AIM Academy, a school for grades 1
through 12 in Conshohocken, Pennsylva-
nia, says that the admissions committee at
a school should be asking similar questions
about what a child will need when con-
sidering an applicant. Rup works to place
children at AIM Academy who will fit the
school’s niche—educating children with
language-based learning disabilities such
as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

“When the school and child are a match,
that is where ‘magic’ can happen,” Rup says.

KALI9/E+/GETTY IMAGES
P arents want the best education pos-
sible for their children. But when
you parent a child with special needs,
deciding which school will best support your
son or daughter’s needs is not easy. We spoke
with educational planning experts who spe-
cialize in understanding the academic and
social-emotional needs of neurodiverse chil-
dren for some tips to help parents find the
perfect fit for a child at any age.

First, it’s about matching a school to
your learner, not the learner to the school,
according to Brad Hoffman (M.S.Ed), a
board-certified educational planner at My
Learning Springboard Inc. Hoffman’s com-
pany serves students around the country
but primarily in the greater Washington
and New York City areas. The boutique,
multidisciplinary educational consulting
firm works with learners of all ages—from
preschool through young adults—with
diverse learning goals.

“A school can have a phenomenal repu-
tation without necessarily being the right
fit for your child,” Hoffman says. “Many
families we work with send their multiple
children to different schools. It certainly
presents an added challenge logistically,
but for a variety of reasons, one particular
school may not be well suited to the indi-
vidual needs of each of your children.”
Before diving in, parents need to keep in
mind that making educational placement
decisions means putting the child’s current
and potential schools under a microscope.

Before the process can begin, parents need
to make a list of their top priorities for a
school environment since some tradeoffs
may be likely.

“All choices come with opportunity
costs, and school selection is not exempt
from this reality,” Hoffman says. “Aca-
demic programming and perceived rigor,



INCLUSIVE FAMILY
If you plan to look outside of your child’s
current educational institution, Rup recom-
mends starting with school websites. They
are “chock full of information, but some-
times it can feel like drinking from a fire
hose!” Try zeroing in on the “at-a-glance”
or snapshot information. This strategy will
usually provide parents answers to a major-
ity of factors such as the size of the school or
type of applicants the school seeks.

“If the profile does not seem like a fit, you
can quickly move on. You want to focus your
time on those schools that are best able to
support your child,” she says.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoff-
man would recommend that parents spend
some time in their child’s classroom to gain an
up-close look at what is happening. If you are
working with an educational consultant, ide-
ally, this individual would observe the child
in the classroom as well. Hoffman notes that
whether parents get to see inside the classroom
or not, working closely with the child’s teacher
is paramount to gathering needed information.

The more data, the better
Other vital pieces of data can contribute to
making the best school decision for your
child. First, if the child has undergone a neu-
ropsychological assessment, the evaluating
psychologist can help to identify qualities
and supports that are critical for your child’s
success. Additionally, other related service
professionals, such as a speech therapist or
occupational therapist, can provide valuable
insights. Also consult with any current service
providers in the classroom, such as a school
counselor or a special education teacher.

Parents should bring their own informa-
tion about their child to the table as well. Ask
a lot of questions about a potential school
generally integrated into the daily schedule.

Specialized schools will differ depending on
their mission and target population.

Public schools offer various levels of service
within the general education setting. Services
can range from plug-in and pull-out services
to a self-contained classroom. All teachers,
both general and special educators, in a pub-
lic school setting have to be certified by the
state in which they teach. Public schools are
required to follow the procedures set forth in
the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
and Section 504. Hoffman notes that any
school, public or private, that takes federal
funding is required to participate in the Indi-
vidualized Education Program (IEP) process
Public versus private
When debating public versus private schools, under IDEA.

don’t automatically assume that one is a bet-
ter fit for your child than the other without Don’t forget the power
looking over their individual services.

of emotions
Obviously, the student-to-teacher ratio is Hoffman notes that while data plays a large
usually smaller at a private school, and the factor in choosing a school, an undeniable emo-
facilities and enrichment activities are often tional factor exists behind school placement.

more robust. However, that does not mean Therefore, visit a school you are considering
that the private school necessarily offers the whenever possible and talk with faculty such
emotional and educational services that are as the admissions team, learning specialist or
best for your child.

head of school. When an in-person visit is not
Some private schools offer learning spe- possible, arrange for digital meet-and-greets
cialists on faculty to consult with teachers and tours of the physical space. In addition,
to address the identified needs for specific talk with currently enrolled families to get a
students or work directly with identified stu- better sense of the school culture.

dents. However, these learning specialists
Plus, allow your children to have a voice in
may not be certified special educators—as it the decision.

is not required.

“This means letting them know you are
However, specialized private schools considering having them look at new schools
exist. At these schools, all or most of the fac- and responding to their questions about it,”
ulty includes skillful learning specialists and Rup says. “You get to make the decision, but
special educators engaged in regular profes- your child has to live the choice on a daily
sional development and implementation of basis. Establishing open communication will
evidence-based interventions. In these spe- make the transition experience better for
cialized school settings, related services are them and for you.” T
when meeting with admissions staff or fac-
ulty members.

“At AIM, many of our applicant families are
learning about a newly diagnosed learning
difference at the same time they are looking
for a new school to support their child. It’s
natural to have questions,” she says. “Admis-
sions folks are not there to judge. They are
there to educate, and chances are that they
have answered any question you have a num-
ber of times before. A positive home-school
relationship is critical to student success,
and asking for clarification is a great way to
feel involved and informed.”
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