By the end of first grade, Green Park Lutheran School parent Trisha Thomas began noticing her son was struggling more than expected in school. He was bright and curious, but reading came slowly and keeping up in class was becoming harder.
Wanting to give him the best chance to succeed, Thomas turned to the LASE Specialized Education program offered at the school—a decision that would change everything.
At first, the partnership focused on extra reading support. But as the school year went on, LASE’s teachers recognized there might be deeper challenges at play. With their insight and encouragement, Thomas had their son evaluated, leading to a diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD.
“Looking back, that partnership was a turning point for our family. LASE didn’t just help identify the challenges—they helped us see our son’s potential,” Thomas says. “They worked with us to develop a plan and, more importantly, hope that he could thrive academically and emotionally.”
Over the years, the program has evolved alongside her son’s needs, offering both academic and emotional support. From providing quiet spaces for test-taking and organizational help to fostering a love for reading through a book challenge, every effort has built his confidence and independence.
“What might seem like small steps—organization help, a reading challenge, or a quiet space—have had an enormous impact on his confidence and independence,” Thomas says. “LASE has become a bridge between his unique learning needs and the general classroom environment, ensuring he can learn his way, without feeling left behind.”
60 Years of Support Across the St. Louis Metro Area
Stories like Thomas’ are at the heart of LASE Specialized Education, a nonprofit that has quietly served students with learning challenges across the St. Louis metro area for more than 60 years. Rooted in the Lutheran tradition but open to all students, LASE partners with parochial and private schools across the region to provide individualized special education and related services.
“We try to individualize everything that we do to best meet the unique needs of each child, whether that’s helping with reading or math issues, speech and language services for a child who can’t pronounce their Rs, or even helping those who struggle with emotional or social skills,” says program administrator Dr. B.J. Wiemer.
Because LASE works within parochial and private school settings, the organization has that ability to design programs without the limitations of public special education law—allowing for more flexible, personalized instruction that evolves with each child.
“The support our son receives from the LASE program has evolved over the past four-plus years, always adapting to meet his changing needs,” Thomas says. “The one constant is that LASE provides a safe and encouraging space for him, a place where he feels understood and capable of success.”
Meeting Students Where They Are, From Early Childhood to High School
One of the most impactful ways that LASE supports students is by placing certified special education teachers and specialists directly within partner schools. These educators become part of the school community, collaborating daily with teachers, administrators, and parents to ensure students receive consistent, individualized support.
At Christ Community Lutheran School, for example, LASE early childhood educational specialist Tara Copeland serves nearly 280 students across 20 early childhood classrooms, working with children as young as six weeks old and up to age 5. No two days are ever the same. “This is my seventh school year at CCLS, and there has never been a typical day for me,” Copeland says. “Each day brings new adventures and challenges.”
Copeland’s days are filled with anything from observing and working directly with children to collaborating with teachers and parents on how to best navigate a child’s path for the most support.
For Copeland, early intervention is key. “Early intervention is so important to the growth and development of our youngest learners,” she says. “I serve as a liaison when it might be determined outside support is needed.”
That same commitment continues as students grow. At Green Park Lutheran School, LASE educational specialist Dorothy Wiencke serves as a key resource for students, teachers, and families navigating different stages of learning.
Through the program, students at Green Park receive direct instruction with math and reading at younger levels. As they age into middle school, students receive more support with their classroom assignments, either in a one-on-one setting, in the resource room, or in their classroom.
“As the educational specialist, I teach lessons with students as class-within-a-class or pullouts, and I sit with students in classes to help explain the material being taught in the general education classroom,” Wiencke says. “I also proctor tests from their classroom teachers that involve reading tests to students, being a scribe for some, or just giving them a quiet place to work.”
She also works with students, families, and teachers on accommodation plans, helping to implement goals and ensure a child is on track. She’s seen firsthand how the program helps. “I think that LASE has helped many students achieve success in areas that they had been struggling with,” she says. “Through the accommodation plans, I have been able to help students who were struggling with adjusting to school to be able to relax and be more successful in their roles as students.”
Through its long-running Insight Series, LASE also provides professional development to educators across Lutheran and private schools. Now in its 15th year, the series equips teachers with practical strategies to support students with a wide range of learning needs. Topics range from reading interventions to post-pandemic math recovery and social-emotional learning, all based on real-world challenges that teachers see every day in their classrooms.
All of these efforts represent the heart of LASE’s mission: building life-changing success for students, schools, and communities through Christ-centered, innovative, specialized education.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of LASE Specialized Learning. Learn more about its mission and how it’s supporting students across the St. Louis metro area at lutheranspecialed.org.
