They’re looking for a special needs school for their daughter. But no one will take her

They're looking for a special needs school for their daughter.

Key points

• Charlotte's parents, Matt Lange-Geise and Christina Hartman, can't obtain care for their 10-year-old.
• Luckily, the psychiatric residential treatment facility and special education school in Kansas had a spot open, and Tony began attending in April 2026.
• Hathaway Packard, 23, began working with Charlotte in November 2025.
• Lange-Geise watched the bus drive off to Maryland's Bethesda Elementary School, hoping Charlotte would have a good first day back.
• On his daughter's first day of fifth grade, Matthew Lange-Geise obtained her dressed and fed before heading outside with 10-year-old Charlotte to wait for the bus.

They're looking for a special needs school for their daughter. But no one will take her. Madeline Mitchell USA TODAY. Girl with rare genetic disorder can't find residential care.

Charlotte's parents, Matt Lange-Geise and Christina Hartman, can't obtain care for their 10-year-old. This person has disabilities.

As it often is on the first day of school, while drivers and students adjust to new routes and routines, the school bus was late. Charlotte can't speak, but Lange-Geise could tell she was anxious until she saw the bus drive up. When he supported her up the steps, he stated, she was "happy as a clam."

Lange-Geise watched the bus drive off to Maryland's Bethesda Elementary School, hoping Charlotte would have a good first day back. A good day for Charlotte means no tantrums, no behaviors that cause harm to herself or others and hopefully some positive interactions with her peers. Charlotte has Ogden Syndrome, a rare condition that can cause severe developmental delays, and pica, an eating disorder that prompts her to try to eat almost everything in reach, including non-food items. Her parents remarked she has the mental capacity of a 12-18 month old, and probable will for the rest of her life.

Charlotte is particularly social, Lange-Geise stated. That's one of the reasons why he and his wife, Christina Hartman, sent her back to Bethesda Elementary this year, even though the public school district recommended months ago that Charlotte switch to a private, residential school that can meet her educational and care needs. Lange-Geise and Hartman agreed to pursue residential programs and followed up on referrals to seven residential schools in their home state and throughout the Northeast. But none of them could take Charlotte for the new school year.

After talking with other parents and experts, Lange-Geise and Hartman now understand it could take a number of more months, or even years, before they find a school with an open seat that can serve Charlotte.

"There's just no place for her, " Hartman remarked. "None of them have spots."

Parents of children with disabilities often find themselves advocating to obtain their kids the backing they need to thrive. While the vast majority of the 7.5 million special education students in the United States stay enrolled in regular schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, experts say some children can benefit from programs dedicated to students with disabilities. But since these programs are rare and numerous have years-long wait lists, some families are left with nowhere to go. Some students, like Charlotte, continue in the public school system while parents search for a solution. Others with more extreme behaviors are sent home with no educational pathway at all.

Her daughter hated school. So she became a homeschool teacher.

Michael Graglia, of California, remarked his 12-year-old son, Tony, was out of school for months at a time while they searched for a program that would take him. Tony has SYNGAP1-Related Disorder. It has led to a number of neurological matters including epilepsy and profound autism. When he gets upset, Graglia remarked, Tony can be violent. It has become more challenging, both at school and at home, as Tony has grown older and stronger.

"My wife could not take him. If he obtained mad at her, she would be on the ground screaming with him pulling her hair, " Graglia stated, adding that they were worried for their younger son's safety, too. "I couldn't leave the house, unless the one male caregiver we had was there. I was essentially homebound."

Rita Gardner has worked in the industry for decades and knows how tough this process can be for families. She's the president and CEO of Melmark, a human service provider that operates private special education schools in a number of states. As students at programs like Melmark's don't graduate at the same rate as traditional schools, spots are hard to come by, she remarked. One family was on Melmark's wait list for seven years before a spot opened up, she remarked.

"As a parent, none of us likes to see a time when our children don't do well, right? When you can't access the resources to support your child be successful, " Gardner stated, well, imagine that being every day, all day long. "It's devastating."

Charlotte's school district recommended residential after years of back and forth with her parents on Charlotte's individualized education program, or IEP, a legal document that outlines accommodations and learning goals for students with disabilities. Charlotte does not have a designated one-on-one aide at school, her parents remarked. She is in a school community-based program with other special needs students. It they remarked offers little inclusion with non-special education students.

Charlotte isn't probable to ever learn to read or solve math difficulties, her parents noted. But she wants to be engaged and could work toward basic life skills like toilet training and emotional regulation – both of which a school for students with disabilities can focus on. Montgomery County Public Schools declined to comment on Charlotte's IEP or school placement journey due to FERPA restrictions. Some parents forced to create tough, heartbreaking decisions.

Neither Charlotte's nor Tony's parents wanted their children to go away for school so young. Both informed USA TODAY they tried to find private day programs near their homes, but couldn't find sustainable spots at those facilities, either.

"One after another, after another, after another, all said no, " Graglia remarked. He eventually discovered a special needs day school for Tony, but that school asked him to leave after concerning a year due to aggressive behaviors. In the interim, Tony didn't have a school to go to.

"He needs routine and structure and clear expectations. And, you know, we are not trained medical, psychological professionals. We're parents, " Tony's mother, Ashley Evans, remarked. "We love him. We want the best for him. And, we both have full-time jobs. It was challenging."

After a number of months at home, Graglia stated he and his wife hired a consultant to see which district-approved schools they could try. "She gave us a list of six schools in the entire country that she said could handle Tony, " he remarked. The closest was in Kansas.

Luckily, the psychiatric residential treatment facility and special education school in Kansas had a spot open, and Tony began attending in April 2026. While Graglia remarked Tony is making progress, it's challenging to send his 12-year-old off to a school 1, 800 miles from home.

Graglia dropped Tony off at the residential program in early August for the new school year. It broke his heart, he remarked, to leave his son there while Tony begged to come home.

"Not only do I not have people in place right now to bring you home, " Graglia informed him, "but I don't have a school to send you to." Caregiver shortage impacts families of children with disabilities.

With Charlotte, the main priority is safety, remarked Jasmin Pritchett, Charlotte's speech language pathologist of four years. Since Charlotte tries to put most objects in her mouth, she needs constant supervision.

So, until her parents can find a residential option, they'll need to continue providing around-the-clock care. It is additionally challenging to find. Quality home health aides are hard to come by, Hartman remarked. When Charlotte's long-time caregiver moved away in the fall of 2025, she remarked, it was "a total nightmare."

"We interviewed, like, 50 people, " she remarked. "So plenty of residents would not change diapers on an almost 10-year-old. You know, they didn't want to accord with it. It was too much. We had some individuals start and quit. Some individuals we had to let go. We finally discovered Hathaway."

Hathaway Packard, 23, began working with Charlotte in November 2025. She picks Charlotte up from school and watches her in the evenings. Charlotte likes school, she remarked, and is "always in a good mood" when she picks her up. But Packard additionally knows how challenging Charlotte's behaviors can be when she doesn't secure her way.

"The first couple of times I was like, I don't know if I can do this, " Packard remarked. But she realized over time why Charlotte acts out. "Imagine being frustrated that someone isn't listening to you, but you can't verbally say, 'Hey, this is where I'm struggling' or 'I need help with something.'".

Charlotte "connects really well with people, " and Pritchett remarked she's seen slow progress in Charlotte's behavior over the years. Repetition and routine is key for kids like Charlotte, she remarked, noting how the rotation of caregivers was challenging on Charlotte and her whole family last fall.

"I feel like a residential placement for her will help with a little more consistency, " Pritchett remarked.

Packard remarked she, too, thinks it could be better for Charlotte to be at a school designed for students with special needs, that can offer one-on-one instruction to work on life skills, like how to apply a fork. She's picked up on the stress this search has caused Charlotte's parents.

"Sometimes I wish there was more that I could do, " she remarked. "It's hard to watch. I sympathize with them since my mom went through a similar situation with my sister (with disabilities), just making sure she was thoroughly educated. Trying to find a good school for individuals with intellectual disabilities as a parent is highly tough."

In practice, a national crisis: Almost half of parents with disabled kids report suicidal thoughts, but can't find assist.

In practice, the personal care aide shortage is another reason why some residential facilities can't take children like Charlotte. In at least one of Charlotte's rejection letters, reviewed by USA TODAY, the residential school cited "limited staff resources, " and an inability to "meet her behavioral and staffing needs throughout the day across all settings." They encouraged Charlotte's parents to keep in touch in case an opening becomes available going forward.

That's typical, Lange-Gleise remarked. "We'll get rejected and they're basically like, try to get re-referred in four months." 'She's not going to grow up'.

Some parents in similar situations opt for homeschooling and work to staff their homes 24/7. As she loves school, being around individuals and getting out of the house, that wouldn't be ideal for Charlotte, her parents remarked.

"She would be depressed if she were just sitting at home with caretakers, " Lange-Gleise remarked.

Hartman and Lange-Gleise are hesitant to look at residential schools outside of the Northeast, for now. Even if Charlotte goes to a school out of state, her family can't move to be near her. Since the public school would pay for Charlotte's private school fees, they need to reside in Montgomery County Public Schools' bounds to remain eligible for her IEP. Residential schools like Melmark don't accept out-of-pocket payment from families, anyway. Students can only enroll via referral, Gardner remarked.

In the midst of this search, another worry floats on the horizon of Hartman's mind: What happens after Charlotte ages out of school programs? She's heard other states have shorter wait lists for adult services, but if her family moves now, Hartman remarked, they'll have to start over with a new IEP at a new public school district. And then, she remarked, how long might it take to find a school that can meet her needs?

When her parents are no longer there to advocate for her best interests?, and what regarding Charlotte's future, Hartman wonders.

In short, theyre looking for a special needs school for their daughter. But no is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.