I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

I need help. My family is starting to deal with some real life issues and we don't know what to do.

If you have any experience with funding, charity, donors, philanthropists, connections..

I NEED to get information on private schools (boarding) for Asberges kids. We don't really have any money to pay so we are looking into schools in the tri state area that might be ranked highly and offer scholarships, grants etc.

1. We need to find a good school.
2. We need to get funding.

I also know there are options for getting the school system to pay for it if they are "not meeting my child's needs".

Anyone with experience PLEASE FM me.

I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this.

You best strategy may be to push your school harder to get it to meet your child's needs. Boarding schools for special needs kids are extremely expensive to run and cannot afford to take kids for nothing. I don't mean to be a downer, but a scholarship isn't likely unless the child is outstandingly gifted. Charities and donors do not usually pay for boarding schools.

My niece is autistic and my sister does a huge amount of fundraising for autism and serves on charity boards in a distant state. She forced her state to change the legal age limit for disabled children to go to school. Her school provides one-on-one help for her daughter, thanks to her ceaseless advocacy. However, her daughter is about to age out of its system and there is very little help available for special needs adults.

My sister has visited private residential facilities in the five states she felt offered the most services for children like hers. All were very expensive. One was up to $240,000 a year.

She discovered that while there is quite a lot of help available for school age children because of Federal mandates, there is little available nationwide when these kids leave school.

Get as much help out of the system while the child is legally a child.

Message edited 2/17/2015 11:27:28 AM.

I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

You may want to also x-post this onto Children with Special Needs in case there are parents on there that don't look on here.

I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

I am not in that position yet, but may be heading there shortly. From friends that have gone the private school route, you most likely will need to hire a lawyer and file due process. Depending on what school district you are in, it may be beneficial to try to make them create a program that fits your child in which you may need to hire an advocate.

Also, join the Long Island Special Education Parent Network on Facebook and post your question there. There are advocates and lawyers on that board that could help guide you.

Good luck!

Re: I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

A child I was working with went into the Ddi residential program he was a little over 12. but he was on the waiting list for many years. Not sure if it was paid for by school or medicaid. Also was told it was easier to get into an adult program if they were already in a residential program as a child.

I need help - Anyone have experience getting a kid with Asbergers into private/boardgin School

This is all good stuff.