North Carolina's largest city is home to several schools for students with disabilities.
Parents of children with autism, learning disabilities or developmental disabilities can find private school options in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, which together make up North Carolina's largest metropolitan area. In addition, the region's 133,600-student public school system provides a free education to students with disabilities up to age 21. Both public and private schools offer services that students with special needs require to succeed both in school and in life.
Any Disability
Parents of children with special needs can start their search for schools with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg public school system. The district's program for exceptional children allows parents and teachers to develop an individualized education program for eligible students. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that public schools provide free services for all students, even those with severe disabilities or special needs that private schools may not cover.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism involves social and communication delays, and education for students with this disorder often focuses as much on behavior support as academics. The Charlotte United Christian Academy (cucawarriors.com) offers individual and small-group instruction, along with support for autistic children in a mainstreamed environment with typically developing peers. Parents seeking a small-group setting with students who all have similar disabilities can choose Epiphany School of Charlotte (theepiphanyschool.com), which has a program for students in third grade through eighth grade with high functioning autism and other communication disorders. The Cyzner Institute Day School and Therapeutic Center (cyznerinstitute.com) treats children who have varying degrees of autism, as well as students with behavioral difficulties such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. The preschool-through-sixth grade program at Cyzner helps students develop skills to be successful in a mainstream setting.
Developmental Disabilities
Mental retardation and Down syndrome fit under the umbrella of developmental disabilities. St. Patrick's Catholic School (saintpatrickschool.org) has educated teens and young adults with Down syndrome since 2003, and the school plans to start a similar program for kindergartners in the 2011-12 school year. Middle and high school students with complex cognitive and learning disabilities enroll at Philips Academy (philipsacademync.org), which also has a postsecondary program to help older students transition into life outside of school.
Learning Disabilities and ADHD
Students diagnosed with learning disabilities may have trouble reading, calculating or concentrating on tasks as well interacting with their peers. These students may benefit from one-on-one and small-group instruction. Dore Academy (doreacademy.org) is a private, college preparatory, kindergarten-through-12th grade private school for students with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Fletcher School (thefletcherschool.org) has a similar program for K-12 students with learning disabilities or ADHD who are of average or above average intelligence. The Manus Academy (manusacademy.com) offers individualized instruction for students who have what the school calls "learning barriers." All three schools support students through extended-day and after-school programs.
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