Catholic schools help students with learning disabilities

Photo courtesy of Judge Memorial High School

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The Tabish Learning Center at Judge Memorial Catholic High School provides support for all students. Students may be assigned to the center for help with study and organizational skills. Teachers and peers provide tutoring throughout the day. Judge's Expecting Competence and Elevation in Learning program was designed to help students who have a diagnosed learning disability, as well as those who need educational monitoring. More than 30 percent of students initially enrolled in EXCELL have been recognized on the honor roll.

SALT LAKE CITY - Catholic schools in Utah, in the last 10 years, have made significant strides in identifying and intervening for those students experiencing learning difficulties.

Kids who have learning disabilities such as reading or speaking and who attend the Catholic schools qualify for special education services through the same process used in public schools.

"In the case that we suspect that the child has a disability in one area (reading, speech, language or any kind of disability) we call the Salt Lake School District and they come to our kids," said Sue Patillo, reading specialist at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Salt Lake.

Our Lady of Lourdes currently provides intervention for 35 students; 21 of these have qualified for Special Education Services.

To qualify for this special education the students go through assessments three times a year at the school, using a curriculum-based measurement.

The services for speech and language are provided through the Salt Lake City School District. At Our Lady of Lourdes, a reading specialist (Sue Patillo) and an intervention specialist (Heather Luttmer) work with those children who are severely at-risk for reading failure.

"We are working with a lot of kids that struggle with reading. Some of them are special ed and some don't qualify but they do have the problems with reading," said Patillo, adding that an intervention is provided for the remaining struggling readers through the diocesan schools' partnership with the University of Utah and volunteers.

The Catholic schools receive federal funding for special education students through The Carson Smith Scholarship, which is given to private schools that meet requirements such as: have a physical location in Utah where scholarship students attend classes and have direct contact with the school's teachers; adhering to state and local health and safety laws and codes; employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees or have at least three years of teaching experience in public or private schools or have special skills, knowledge or expertise that qualifies them