Why Special Educational Services?
A child with learning difficulties, attention problems, or medical challenges may need some modification to a standard curriculum. Sometimes these can be minor adaptations, such as presenting lessons orally.
Students with learning difficulties do best with an individualized curriculum that builds on their strengths while helping them improve weaker areas. This approach encourages confidence, motivation, and steady progress, making learning more purposeful and achievable.
For the homeschooling parent, designing such a curriculum can be a real challenge. While a parent may be knowledgeable about a child’s learning style, it is not always easy to find materials that meet academic standards and also fit the child’s unique needs. However, this challenge sets the stage for exploring practical strategies and resources that can make the process more manageable.
The Special Educational Services department at Seton works to help children with a range of difficulties, such as Autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and Dyslexia.
Enrollment in the Special Educational Services Department
In order to have the special curriculum designed and also continued counseling with our staff throughout the year, an additional fee is required: $185 for grades K – 5 and $260 for grades 6 – 12. We only provide our materials to students enrolled in the Special Educational Services department.
Meet the Special Educational Services Staff
Stephen Costanzo
Director of Special Services
Mary Healey
Special Services Counselor
Silvia Maresca
Special Services CounselorCourse Materials
Elementary
Books are individually selected for each student according to their needs and learning style. At the elementary level, most books are in workbook format, allowing students to work directly in the book rather than copying from text to paper.
We offer two dyslexia programs that support students with a wide range of challenges, including Down syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and English as a second language. Enrolled students also have access to dyslexia screenings and in-depth math skills testing.
The Special Needs Department provides additional courses, such as teaching handwriting to left-handed children. We offer Handwriting Without Tears, a multisensory curriculum, to address common handwriting difficulties.
High School
The high school level students who have learning disabilities or difficulties may need a customized curriculum which helps them to approach the materials with more focus and attention to detail, more emphasis on the objective, at a slower pace.
High school English materials focus on grammar, composition, literature, and the development of writing skills. Our department provides adapted versions of classics such as A Tale of Two Cities, allowing students to engage with great works at an appropriate reading level. We work with each child to adjust the skill level so they can progress positively and at their own pace.
We provide adapted, chapter‑by‑chapter tests that reduce writing demands, along with leveled instruction in math, reading, grammar, and writing skill development. Working closely with parents, we design curricula that incorporate classroom adaptations tailored to each child’s needs. Additional resources, including audiobooks for literature, further strengthen both reading and writing skills.
Our standard courses are colorful and simply structured, helping students build independence and develop subject‑specific skills. Each course is aligned with established curriculum standards and includes lectures, resources, and audio materials. For certain courses, audio formats are available to enhance accessibility and engagement. Materials are offered with varying levels of adaptation to support individual learning needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
My child has a learning disability. Can I home school him?
If you have been working with your child at home doing homework or class work, you are probably aware of his learning style and what works best for him. When you combine this knowledge of your child and curriculum materials which are individually selected for your child by the counselors in the Special Needs Department, the challenge of homeschooling your special needs child seems manageable.
What kind of disabilities are serviced by the Special Needs Department?
The Special Needs Department provides curriculums for students with a wide range of disabilities including dyslexia, Down syndrome, Autism, and ADHD.
Does Seton do an evaluation to determine if a student has a learning disability?
No, an evaluation requires a process to be completed by a doctor or educational consultant who can meet with the student and parents and perform the necessary type of testing.
Is an evaluation necessary for enrollment in the Special Needs Department?
An evaluation is most helpful but not a requirement. The more information we have about a student, the better curriculum we can design.
Do we provide speech and language therapy?
No.
Do you have any books in braille?
No. Some computer programs now allow for the conversion of written text into braille, and some families have done that.
Do you have any of the text books with enlarged type for students with visual problems?
No. Some families have used their computer to provide enlarged type.
Due to his learning disability, a student sometimes takes longer than 12 months to complete an academic curriculum. How does the Special Needs Department accommodate this?
A student enrolled in the Special Needs Department has up to 24 months after the date of enrollment to complete his curriculum before an extension fee is required.
Will the high school report card indicate that a student is taking courses from the Special Needs Department?
The number code for a course from the Special Needs Department is different from the course numbers for Setons regular courses, and SS precedes each course title, for example SS ENG 10. Unless someone contacts Seton about the course, they would not be aware of any accommodation.
Can a student enrolled in the Special Needs Department earn a diploma?
Yes, a student who completes 22 credits of required courses can earn a diploma. The Special Needs Department offers four different diplomas: Academic, General, Vocational, and Basic. The requirements for each diploma are different. The main difference between the diplomas is the required level of reading and math. If you have any questions about diplomas, please call the Special Needs Department and ask to speak with a counselor.
If I choose not to send in work for grades am I still enrolled in the Seton Program?
Technically if the fee is paid you are enrolled in Seton’s program. However, if work is not sent in for grading on a regular basis, you are not actively enrolled. On the grade school level, this means that should you need verification of the student’s progression in his or her studies for your local school district or other agency we will be unable to do any more than say you are enrolled with Seton’s program. On the high school level, it is even more important that work is sent in on a regular basis. Seton is an accredited school. In order to get a diploma a certain number of credits must be reached in specified areas of study. Seton must be able to track progression in these courses to assure understanding and mastery of the material before moving the student along or giving him or her a diploma. If no work is received we cannot issue a diploma, transcripts or proof of progression.
If no student work has been submitted in six months, Seton cannot verify to anyone that a student is actively enrolled. For a student to be actively enrolled, he must submit at least one quarter of work for English, math, and reading during the first 6 months, and must submit at least one quarter of English, math, and reading during the second six months. If the curriculum is extended a second year (SS students have up to 2 years to complete a curriculum before an extension is needed), the same schedule applies during the second year.
If I want to re-enroll my high school student, how much of the current year’s curriculum must be completed before I can get the next year’s curriculum?
English, math, and reading course work must be submitted, completed, and passed for the current year before the next curriculum will be designed.
If a parent insists on a new curriculum being designed and shipped before the current work has been submitted, completed, and passed, the parent must sign a waiver that the student is not striving for a Seton diploma.
Is the Independent Study option available to students enrolled in the Special Needs Department?
Yes. Students enrolled in the Special Needs Department may complete courses by Independent Study in the same way that students enrolled in the regular program may. The same restrictions apply as well. English, history, and religion courses may not be completed by Independent Study. We encourage students to use the Independent Study option to receive credit for courses that we cannot offer, such as carpentry, art, music, etc. The guidelines for earning credit are the same as with the Seton regular program: 50 hours are required for a half credit, 100 hours for a full credit. The course must be approved in advance, and the student must be enrolled in three Seton courses (either with the regular program or with Special Services). Because students enrolled in Special Needs have paid the Special Needs enrollment fee in addition to the standard enrollment fees, the Independent Study fee is waived for all Independent Study courses completed by students enrolled in the Special Needs Department.
If I need a letter from Seton stating that my child is enrolled in the Special Needs program, what guidelines does Seton use to verify enrollment?
Students are enrolled for one year. After 12 months, enrollment in Special Needs may be extended for an additional year at no additional fee. During this time, since a curriculum was designed and received Seton can verify that a student is “enrolled.” However, in order for Seton to verify that a student is “actively enrolled,” we must receive one quarter of English, Math and Reading for grading in the first 6 months after shipping the curriculum. In the second 6 months we must receive another quarter of English, Math, and Reading for grading. If a student’s enrollment is extended an additional 12 months, we must receive an additional quarter of English, Math, and Reading for grading by month 18 and another by month 24 in order to verify that a student is “actively enrolled.”
Resources
If you are considering home schooling, we recommend the home schooling handbook written by our director, Dr. Mary Kay Clark, titled Catholic Home Schooling: A Handbook for Parents. Another book for your consideration is Homeschooling Children with Special Needs by a Christian homeschool mother and licensed LD teacher, Sharon C. Hensley.
Another helpful booklet is provided by HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association). Homeschooling Your Special Needs Child answers many questions which parents often present about their special situations. Contact HSLDA at 540-338-5600.
Contact Information
The general department e-mail address is ssdept@setonhome.org and phone number is 540-622-5576.
