Q
My 15-year-old daughter is dyslexic and has been diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder. She's in a private school and has made great progress this past year but I would like her to go to public high school. She's going to speech once a week at the public school and when we had the ARD, they told me that they couldn't give her what the private school was giving her. Is there any way I can get the public school to pay the tuition?
A
A parent can always contest the recommendation of the local committee on special education. Ask for an impartial hearing to present your side. It would be to your advantage if you came with an advocate who could help you argue that the services recommended by the high school are not adequate for your child's needs.
There's a listserve on the Internet just for parents and professionals who are interested in the needs of children with CAPD. The address of the listserve is: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu In the body of the e-mail, write: Subscribe CAPD your name.
In the meantime, call the toll-free number for the Learning Disabilities Association of America at 1-888-300-6710 to see if they can recommend an advocate in your area. From my own experience, I've found that the only way to get the public school to pay for private services is if you can prove that the services they can provide are not appropriate for your child's needs. Good luck!