Episode
350: Alternative School Options, with Dawn Fleming-Kendall
- Podcast
- Beautifully Complex
- Published
- Mar 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2341
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
When school keeps hurting your child instead of helping them learn, it can feel like there are no good choices left. That kind of desperation is something so many of us know well, especially when our neurodivergent kids are dysregulated, burned out, refusing school, or simply surviving the day instead of learning. In this conversation, I’m talking with educational advocate Dawn Fleming-Kendall about what parents can do when the traditional school setup is clearly not working. We talk about how to tell the difference between a school that needs more support and flexibility and a placement that is simply the wrong fit. Dawn shares the red flags that matter most, including physical, emotional, and psychological safety, and explains why collaboration with schools still matters even when you’re frustrated and exhausted. We also dig into creative options that many parents don’t realize are possible, like reduced school days, hybrid learning, online instruction, homeschool co-ops, charter schools, specialized private schools, and district-funded outplacements. This episode is especially valuable if you’ve ever been told no by a school and wondered whether there was another path. We talk about asking for flexibility, documenting what is and isn’t working, calling IEP meetings, touring alternative placements, and looking beyond sales pitches to understand a school’s actual philosophy, safety practices, staff turnover, academics, and tolerance for behavior. Most of all, this conversation is a reminder that you are not supposed to know all of this automatically. The system is complicated, and finding the right educational fit for your child can take creativity, persistence, and support. Listen now to explore school options that may better support your beautifully complex child. Y…