With the web, do you really need a consultant to find a therapeutic school for your child? Almost any parent can spend a couple hours on the web and collect a number of names of therapeutic schools. A Google search for the term “therapeutic schools” will yield pages of school, directory, and association sites. Click on any number of these and you’ll have plenty to choose from.
But that is exactly the problem. How do you choose? Certainly, many parents look for schools that are close to home. Some parents look for schools that are less expensive. Some look for schools just for girls or just for boys. Does she need a wilderness program first, since many schools have that as a requirement? So, how do you know that the school is right for your kid?
That’s what consultants specialize in: matching the school to the needs of your child. There are over 200 boarding schools in the U.S., that advertise themselves as “therapeutic” or as providing “counselors” to troubled kids. Some schools specialize in learning disabilities, like ADHD. Some schools specialize in emotional problems like autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. Some schools specialize in behavioral problems like Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Some schools specialize in psychiatric conditions like depression and bi-polar disease. Consultants know all these schools and which types of kids do best in them.
They know that because they’ve visited the schools, had clients attend the schools, worked with the therapists in those schools, and helped parents transition kids back home from those schools.
So, yes, anyone with an internet connection can find a number of therapeutic schools and read a number of websites. But is that the best way to find the right school for your child?
