Good PUBLIC schools for child with dyslexia in Atlanta (attorney, neighborhood)

[kennedycleo]

I have a daughter, in 2nd grade, who is dyslexic and we have been wait-listed at The Schenck School and accepted at The Bedford School. While we do not mind paying for a private school, I am still investigating specific PUBLIC schools that are known to provide outstanding support to dyslexic students, through their special education program. I have thoroughly searched the forums and continue to find plenty of information about private schools for dyslexia, but again, I am interested in public schools, be they elementary, middle, or high schools. There does not seem to be ANY information regarding good public schools for dyslexia in the greater Atlanta area (perhaps that is a not-so-good sign). If you have specific names of public schools, please help I am desperate.

[kaday]

Originally Posted by kennedycleo

I have a daughter, in 2nd grade, who is dyslexic and we have been wait-listed at The Schenck School and accepted at The Bedford School. While we do not mind paying for a private school, I am still investigating specific PUBLIC schools that are known to provide outstanding support to dyslexic students, through their special education program. I have thoroughly searched the forums and continue to find plenty of information about private schools for dyslexia, but again, I am interested in public schools, be they elementary, middle, or high schools. There does not seem to be ANY information regarding good public schools for dyslexia in the greater Atlanta area (perhaps that is a not-so-good sign). If you have specific names of public schools, please help I am desperate.

There is a reason there are so many schools here for dyslexia. We have tried for years to get help for our child in the public schools. In my experience, in an IEP or 504 meeting you cannot even get a school administrator to say the word dyslexia. We have a full fledged diagnosis with 46 pages of testing on record and we could not get any help whatsoever. I am about the most persistent person on the planet..and I finally gave up. As long as a child is passing there seems to be no need to provide any assistance or remediation. This is the norm even though it is well known and scientifically proven that early intervention and speical instruction provides the best possible outcome. Really unless your child falls below the bottom 16% help for dyslexia in Georgia public schools is almost non exsistant. If though your child has ADHD along with dyslexia (or Asbergers, On the spectrum etc.) once granted an IEP (for the ADHD and so on) you can get some help. They do not recognize dyslexia as a learning disability in and of itself. Though to quote one of my childs teachers (in 1st grade) what we have here you don't want.

Schenck has a great reputation but it is very pricey. We were wait listed there a few years back as well and did not get a spot. There are many other schools...There is Pathways in Cobb which is very reasonable, Swift, Mill Springs, Atlanta Speech School, Sophia Academy (Christain based I think).

This has been our experience. I have heard it repeated over and over again from other parents. I wish I had better news for you. I think when it comes to dyslexia your best bet is to take matters into your own hands. If you rely on the public schools you will waist precious time and energy and end up in the same place you started but now your child is older and remediation is more difficult. I am sorry to have to tell you this. I wish it was different. Best of luck to you.

[CMMom]

^^^^^^^

+1

Totally agree with the above. There are no "specialty" public schools for dyslexia in Atlanta. Keep in mind, too, that even if your child ultimately winds up qualifying for extra help via an IEP or 504 plan, it will take MONTHS to get him/her qualified and services in place. I, personally, am not willing to throw away the better part of a year pitching a fit and hiring an attorney to make it happen for my child (especially given the clear research findings indicating how crucial early intervention is). With an IQ of 120+, I realize that getting special ed services for my son (even with his ADHD to boot) would be a long, uphill battle. Generally speaking in my experience, the chances of a parent getting the SST (Student Support Team) activated in the public school system are very slim unless a) the child is disruptive or b) the child is failing. YMMV.

We, too, are waiting to hear from Schenck and have an offer from Swift in hand. No idea how we'll pay for it if he does get it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

[AnsleyPark]

Ditto on al that has been said here. If your child is passing, the public school system really offers little to no assistance. We couldn't get our daughter in Schenck so had to hire a tutor who received her training there. We've been pretty pleased.

[lastminutemom]

I agree with all of the above. If you have a normally developing child with dyslexia it is very hard to get the proper services in the public school. (If you have a child with multiple needs, including dyslexia, who is mostly pulled out or in a self-contained classroom, you may find that you have better luck, believe it or not.) But a child who belongs in a regular classroom, and does well in school, is generally under or unserved.

One thing about dyslexia, is that for most children, once they learn the strategies, they really can do well. So, for many families, schools like Schenck work quite well and then the child transitions to a more mainstream school.

I do know many people who have used the tutor route with varying degrees of success.

[fzx]

I am not sure how serious your kid's condition is. I have dyslexia myself but am perfectly fine going through my education without additional assistance. Mine is very minor. I can read but sometimes mess up with the orders.

[brook2ga]

Agree with all. I don't think it matters what the condition is, if your child is passing, you won't get help. If the school cannot figure out what the problem is, then there is none. Very disappointing.

[roxyrn]

One of the positives about the public schools for a student with mild dyslexia and normal/above IQ is that if they can attend neighborhood schools, they are around kids in their neighborhood who are "typical." The key is to get the early intervention to develop strategies that are key to their specific learning.

[mama23]

just a btdt...

i have a child w/dyslexia who was actually accepted to schenck, but we decided not to put him there. We did however do the summer camp which was immensely helpful. Instead we kept him in his small progressive private school and hired a tutor who does orton gillingham instruction. It has been a fabulous experience & although we pay both tuition & a tutor - its still less than if we had sent him to schenck. He is also one w/high IQ but dyslexia - so he likely would not have even been identified in the public school environment b/c his output was considered 'average'.

[kennedycleo]

For all who responded, thank you so much. All of your comments validated what I had been thinking, that the best place for my daughter is a private school specifically dealing with learning disabilities. We will send her to Bedford (Schenck was just too costly, $28,000!) My daughter does not have severe ld, but is below grade level with her reading and writing, which in turn affects her ability to perform in all the other subject areas. Because she did get evaluated and qualified for an IEP, only through my constant harassment and subtle threats of a lawsuit, she does qualify for some, albeit a very small amount, of financial assistance through the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. My husband and I will just figure out month by month how to pay the balance of her tuition, praying that our 8 and 10 year old cars hold out for another 6 or 7 years

Public school, in general, is a complete disappointment for students with learning disabilities. As a metro Atlanta public school teacher, I see everyday how most special ed students are not receiving all they need and deserve and I just cannot sit by and allow my child to be in that situation. The constant uphill battle with the district to provide for phonics instruction and inclusion vs. resource room instruction (with 14 other special needs students and no para), would just not be worth my sanity. I feel for any parent who cannot afford other options to the current public school special education environment. Congratulations to those parents who are at public schools that actually provide excellent instruction and services to their students. I have not seen any schools yet, that have impressed me. Select teachers here and there, but no consistent, quality instruction or services in 12 years. Good luck to all of you struggling with the same issue.