The 50 Best Private Special Needs Schools in the United States
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21. The Fletcher School, Charlotte, NC
As a comprehensive, structured facility, The Fletcher School provides for the needs of students with average to above average intelligence who struggle with academic success because of processing (memory, visual perception) or attention difficulties. Instruction methods take the Orton-Gillingham approach, a multi-sensory technique which begins with a focus on language and progresses to teaching reading and spelling skills. Each student’s learning style is considered, and visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods are utilized. The school’s association with the Rankin Institute, a program designed to educate parents, teachers, and other professionals in ways of understanding and assisting students with special needs, ensures that students have support from their entire community.
Profile: co-ed day school for grades K-12
Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1
Tuition: $21,330/year (K-5); $22,440/year (6-12)
22. Currey Ingram Academy, Nashville, TN
Currey Ingram Academy addresses the education of students with average to high intelligence whose learning needs depend upon personalized instruction and unique teaching methods. The school provides small classes, one-on-one tutorials, and Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) which promote communication between teachers and parents, as well as realistic assessments of a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and academic goals. Uniquely, Currey Ingram nurtures a Character Education program to acknowledge and advance the social, behavioral, and moral development of all students. Each month the entire school is devoted to explaining and fostering a particular character value, such as pride, respect, or self-advocacy, and students are encouraged to recognize and apply the value within their daily lives.
Profile: co-ed day school for grades K-12
Student-Faculty Ratio: 4:1
Awards (selected): USTA Tennessee’s Educational Merit Award of 2012; featured school at the 30th Anniversary Benefit Dinner of the National Center of Learning Disabilities (NCLD) (2007); named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education (1990)
Tuition: $35,600/year (K-9); $36,690/year (10-12)
23. Humanex Academy, Englewood, CO
Humanex, short for “human experience,” strives to provide a specialized, supportive environment for students with learning disabilities and differences, anxiety, depression, and emotional issues which affect meaningful academic progress. Often “twice exceptional” students seek out Humanex Academy because they excel in one subject but struggle significantly in another. The school’s trained teachers are prepared to design coursework and study plans aimed toward such students with often considerably disparate skills. While the curriculum follows the Colorado Model Content Standards, teaching methods vary considerably from mainstream schools, with instructors offering auditory, visual, and kinesthetic ways of learning subjects and concepts that might otherwise present difficulty. Humanex teachers focus on the ways in which brain types affect learning. For students who are right-, left-, or “whole-brained,” classes and activities adapt to learning styles, and instruction both addresses weaknesses and encourages awareness of personal strengths.
Profile: co-ed day school for grades 6-12
Student-Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Tuition: $19,400/year
24. Riverview School, Cape Cod, MA
Located in the historical village of East Sandwich on Cape Cod, Riverview School offers integrated instruction and holistic care of students with complex language, learning, and cognitive disabilities. Students are encouraged to understand their needs, take risks in their learning processes, and develop critical thinking and personal advocacy skills. During the course of the year, students collaborate together and with faculty to meet personal goals and participate in enhancement options such as inclusive sports and chorus. The school offers a transitional program for graduates of the school to learn life preparation skills, including the school-based Café Riverview, a restaurant and bakery which employs students and gives them the opportunity to pursue careers in food services and hospitality.
Profile: co-ed boarding school with day school options for ages 11-22
Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1
Awards: Student Center selected as a Green Building of America Award-Winning Project (2009)
Tuition: $74,745/year
25. Great Lakes Academy, Plano, TX
At Great Lakes Academy, students who have been labeled “at risk” in traditional environments are approached completely differently; the attention or processing disorders, Asperger’s syndrome, anxiety, depression, OCD, or sensory integration disorders that seem to stand in the way of academic success at other schools are understand as learning differences, rather than obstacles to progress. As the school’s website states: “we hope that our students not only learn to cope with their differences, but also capitalize on them.” Through specialized teaching support, small classrooms, and a nurturing school environment that encourages both academic learning and social growth, Great Lakes Academy gives students the tools to transition into the next phase of their lives.
Profile: co-ed day school for grades 1-12
Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1
Awards: Mirabeau B. Lamar Award of Excellence (2010)
Tuition: $14,250/year (grades 1-3); $15,950/year (grades 4-8); $17,950/year (grades 9-12)
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