Boarding schools for special needs students

Private special needs boarding and residential schools

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Boarding school can be ideal for children with special needs, but it's important to make sure it's the right fit for your child.

These schools offer comprehensive programs that pay close attention to your child's individual needs, and extra programs that will assist your child’s development and ensure that he or she does not fall behind either socially or academically.

While each individual with learning disabilities is different, special needs boarding schools (also known as "special needs residential schools") will cater to your child's unique aptitudes and weaknesses and allow him or her to flourish.

There are many types of boarding schools for students with special needs (including boarding schools for troubled teens), so identifying which style of student would succeed in boarding schools, in general, is impossible.

You must find a school that specializes in your child’s specific condition. This includes boarding schools for learning disabilities, behavioural issues, troubled teens, ADHD, autism, Asperger's, and dyslexia.  

Be sure to check out our list below, as it offers a wide spectrum of boarding schools. You may also wish to view our database of boarding schools in Canada. Our list of the best boarding schools for special needs is sortable based on any criteria you choose.  

Benefits of boarding school for students with special needs

There are many reasons to select a private boarding school (or residential school) for your special need child. Here are some advantages that are unique to these types of schools:

• Constant social interaction: Students are always around their peers: in class, extracurriculars and in their living arrangements. As such, they have many opportunities to be themselves and express their individuality outside of formal class time. This sociability is extremely important for students with special needs, as they may lack confidence or communications skills. Always being with their classmates may make them feel more comfortable than they would in a day school.
   
• Taking care of yourself: Many parents cannot resist pampering their kids or, at least, providing them with an environment in which most things are taken care of. In contrast, at boarding school, children with special needs will learn independence. For example, he or she may have to do cook or clean. Indeed, at a young age, your kid could live both independently and safely.
   
• Closeness: Students with special needs often need extra/out of class attention. If you send your child to a day school, especially one that is not close to your home, you may have difficulty dropping him or her off early in the morning or picking him or her after hours. At a boarding school, your kid will live close to, if not on, the campus. Therefore, seeking help, a vital part of special education, will always be convenient and possible.
   
• Extracurricular activities: After or before school programs are a great way to socialize and to hone a particular skill. Such a well-rounded education is a wonderful way in which to build the confidence of a child with special needs and to make school more enjoyable and less stressful.

Paying for private boarding school

Paying a private boarding school’s tuition may seem overwhelming. However, you should consider three options.

• Community support: Many small communities will help fund your child’s education if the local public system cannot meet his or her needs.
• Scholarships and bursaries: are avilable from many schools. You can search our list of schools offering financial aid.
• Tax breaks: In many Canadian provinces, you may receive a medical tax break for sending your child to a special needs school.

List of dedicated special needs boarding schools

These are boarding schools dedicated to special needs education, where 100% of the students have special needs. They provide full-time special needs support for all students in the school, through accommodations, modifications, and remediations.

List of other boarding schools with special needs support

These boarding schools offer special needs support to a segment of students through a wide range of placements. Environments offered may include dedicated, integrated, and withdrawal special needs classes, as well as regular classes with resource support and in-class adaptations.