# IEPs in Madrid?



## crevelo (May 25, 2014)

Hello everyone, thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

My husband is considering a job in Madrid. We have two kids that would be going to 2nd and 5th grade after the summer. My son (going to 5th) has an IEP (individualized education program) and receives special needs services (speech, OT, pull-outs, counseling). The school district here in California has been amazing and this is what worries me about the move. Our son has High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

We have been looking at the international private schools (and yes, quite expensive) but fortunately we would be able to afford them. So my question is, has anyone out there had any experience with special education and any recommendations as to which is the best school for these services? We have looked at The American School, St. George, Hastings, King's College among others.

Thanks again.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

crevelo said:


> Hello everyone, thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
> 
> My husband is considering a job in Madrid. We have two kids that would be going to 2nd and 5th grade after the summer. My son (going to 5th) has an IEP (individualized education program) and receives special needs services (speech, OT, pull-outs, counseling). The school district here in California has been amazing and this is what worries me about the move. Our son has High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
> 
> ...


These are all well known names in Madrid. Are you sure that these schools have programmes for those with special needs? I'm not sure, but I think what you have to do is get in touch wih each individual school to check whether they have such a programme rather than choose which school has the best programme...


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Hi. I have a child with special needs but live in Castilla-La Mancha and can't help with your questions about Madrid.

I will say, though, that in the country we lived in previously, both an American School and a British School wanted us to pay the cost of a full-time aide in addition to the school fees. Another international school took our non-refundable application fee, knowing that they would never accept our child. (I found that out later in speaking with other parents and professionals.)

With an "amazing" setup already in place, I personally wouldn't move. Just my two cents, though.




crevelo said:


> So my question is, has anyone out there had any experience with special education and any recommendations as to which is the best school for these services?


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## crevelo (May 25, 2014)

Thanks for your reply. We are definitely inquiring school by school, but it is always useful to hear about parents experiences that have gone through this process. 

Would love to hear of any Americans that have recently moved to Madrid with school-aged children, if you could share how your move was, the experience in general it will be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks!


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

Do you know the names of specific school that require a deposit, even though they won't accept your child?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

veronka said:


> Do you know the names of specific school that require a deposit, even though they won't accept your child?


:welcome:

all private schools require a payment for matriculation / reserving a place, & it's usually non-refundable

many will also have some kind of entrance exam - which a child with SEN might not be able to pass - I would imagine something like that is what happened to Brangus

of course, if as it seems, the school knew that the child stood little chance of passing the exam, they should never have taken the money 

perhaps Brangus will let you know by PM - it's not allowed to 'name & shame' on the open forum


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

I hope they let me know! A PM is just fine, although I don't think it's simply a case of naming and shaming--this is very useful information for parents of children with special needs. It raises an ethical question: of how much families of children with special needs should be expected to pay.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

veronka said:


> I hope they let me know! A PM is just fine, although I don't think it's simply a case of naming and shaming--this is very useful information for parents of children with special needs. It raises an ethical question: of how much families of children with special needs should be expected to pay.


few International schools will accept children with SEN here in Spain

they are well provided for in the public sector however - & that's free


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

I'm not opining on whether private or public school is better, but when schools have admission requirements to begin with it's an interesting point of conversation. I'm more interested in why a school would offer the admission exam to a SEN student and accept the registration fee in the first place. Seems like a waste of time, which is why I'd like to hear more about it.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

veronka said:


> I'm not opining on whether private or public school is better, but when schools have admission requirements to begin with it's an interesting point of conversation. I'm more interested in why a school would offer the admission exam to a SEN student and accept the registration fee in the first place. Seems like a waste of time, which is why I'd like to hear more about it.


I was responding to this


> It raises an ethical question: of how much families of children with special needs should be expected to pay.


my point is, that families with children with SEN aren't actually expected to pay anything at all


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

I got that part, but I was refering more specifically to families hoping for a private school.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

veronka said:


> I got that part, but I was refering more specifically to families hoping for a private school.


I do know someone who has a child with SEN in private school - not an International one though

they pay the same fees as everyone else - but in addition, they have to pay for a one-to-one assistant for the child

of course, not all children with SEN need a one to one assistant


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

good to know, thanks!


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> many will also have some kind of entrance exam - which a child with SEN might not be able to pass - I would imagine something like that is what happened to Brangus
> 
> of course, if as it seems, the school knew that the child stood little chance of passing the exam, they should never have taken the money
> 
> perhaps Brangus will let you know by PM - it's not allowed to 'name & shame' on the open forum


I should make clear that my experience with applying to international schools was not in Spain, so there is no one to "name and shame" here. And it was a situation in which several children with special needs, all the same age, applied at the same time and would have been in the same classroom. The headmaster knew the school couldn't take all of them and said so privately, but not to the parents. There was no exam.




xabiachica said:


> I do know someone who has a child with SEN in private school - not an International one though
> 
> they pay the same fees as everyone else - but in addition, they have to pay for a one-to-one assistant for the child
> 
> of course, not all children with SEN need a one to one assistant


Again, my experience happened in another country, but the schools that would have required my child to have a one-to-one aide used that as a blanket policy to protect themselves, not because my child needs that. In the public school system in Spain, my child has not had an aide. Of course every student is different, but having an assistant can be detrimental in that it can create a sense of dependence and lack of confidence.


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## veronka (Jul 7, 2014)

Great! Thanks for clearing that up, that makes a lot of sense.


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