Special Needs at Notre Dame are defined as cognitive, medical, psychological or physical conditions which may interfere with academic performance. Most of the students who are identified as having Special Needs have Learning Disabilities which have been fully documented by appropriate professionals, a few have visual impairments or auditory impairments, and some have temporary conditions (such as a broken arm which would interfere with test-taking). The focus of the Special Needs Program is on supporting students with learning barriers throughout high school in a way which will prepare them to succeed at the college level and in their lives beyond.
Special Needs students meet all of the same academic standards as other Notre Dame students, and are in no way exempt from school expectations. Instead, they work harder than the average student, communicate more effectively with their teachers than the average student, and proactively use the accommodations to which they are entitled in order to expand their horizons and establish new benchmarks for Notre Dame achievements.
Special Needs students participate fully in the school life at Notre Dame: They are class and school leaders, star athletes, performers, and members of co-curricular organizations, and they have ample opportunity to participate in Honors-level courses as appropriate.
The expectation for any Notre Dame student is that she will continue on to higher education, and continue to develop herself as a scholar and as a human being. Notre Dame High School’s Special Needs graduates have historically been highly successful in college. We consider it a point of honor that a significant number of program alumnae have gone on to pursue very successful careers in the field of education.