Private schools do not fall under IDEA. School districts have obligations to children placed in private school by their parents that have disabilities under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The local education agency or LEA is supposed to consult with the private school and they should develop a service plan (similar to an IEP) I just don't know how you enforce it or how they can implement it if they have no teachers with the proper training for things like modifying the work. My friend's daughter goes to a Catholic School that supposedly has an ESE department (and she pays extra for these services) and all she gets told is how they cannot do things.

I do not think that private schools have the same guidelines as public, so therefore services are less. I can understand the reasones you would want your child in a private school as apposed to public, however if the child is having issues and is getting bad grades what benifit are you getting from it. Even if you forced the school to give you services they most likely do not have the staff that are able to really deal with your child or teach them propperly. I know public schools can be scary in some places, but they are forced to do things, and forced to have qualified staff on hand that makes things better for your child. I had my kids in private school, and it was costing us a lot of money, with little results, so we did not get what we paid for. Now the kids are in public school and doing well because of the services they are getting from their IEP.

The schools need to know from you what you want for your child. Go to your doctor, providers and therapist whoever is involved with his diagnosis and ask them what would best for him in school. Make a list and send it to the school administrator. Once it is in writting...everything changes :) Every business, school, church and Gov.office public and private must address the needs of people with diablitites who frequent or use their facilties :)

My daughter attends a private Christian school also. She was dx as having Aspergers when she was 9 (she is now 13). The school, while not being obligated to provide services does work with the local public school district. Our school has a Speech/Therapist thru the public school system who helped our school navigate through the needed paperwork to get an IEP opened. I had my daughter evaluated and formally diagnosed (I paid) prior to the school systems Psycologist being called in. I was anticipating a lot of grief and resistance as I had heard nightmare after nightmare stories but as it turned out, the school district agreed to the dx of ASD and opened an IEP.

I am the primary teacher of the teachers! I tell them what does and does not work with my daughter to which they are most appreciative of the tips. I word it in a neutral non-threatening bossy parent way, like I am giving them a heads up. I have given them articles (trickled in so as not to overwhelm :) from anything from social aspects, teaching tips, how to diffuse stressful situations, how to deal with substitute teachers, common behaviors and not so common behaviors. I have bought books for the teachers to pass around to each other. I spoke to my daughters 6th grade class (with her permission and without her present) to which she had enormous positive outcomes as a result. They knew she was different and then they knew why, and what they could do to help her out. They will intervene on her behalf with those (like subs etc) that are not familiar with her.

If your child does not require intense or a lot of one on one attention, and can mainstream WITH guidance, and the Christian school staff is willing to walk out the Christian principle of helping every individual (spectrum or no spectrum) reach their own personal best, it should be no problem or at least minimal.

Homework for her is revised as needed, give me the answer key to tests so I don't have to repeat 8th grade in order to help her study - no she does not see the answers and we are on an honor system. If I see that my daughters interpretation of a question will not be correct, I revise the way the question is asked, she "gets it" and answers it. They do try and ask things in a concrete manner without "what do you think they felt like when?, or what do you think the author was thinking when they wrote?...type questions. She has a little longer window of time to get from point A to point B without penalty. At the start of the school year, I get her schedule a week ahead, and we map out and want her route out so the first day is nothing new :)

It can be done, if the school is willing to do it and back up their commitment. It costs them nothing but a little extra effort.

Sorry for the length of this post. You touched a sensitive area for me with your question! :)

I guess then you have to deciede whats more important religion or having an individualized education plan. Myself I think they can get religion at home and church. If you have someone in the private school that is a special ed teacher then you are very lucky because most private schools do not offer that. With my sons needs there is no way I would want to take away what he recieves through having an IEP. I would much rather worry about teaching values at home.