LASE Specialized Education partners with St. Louis Metro Area schools to provide Christian special education and related services to children with special learning needs in the context of a caring, Christian environment.
LASE currently provides special needs education and related services to over 250 students with individual education plans, and we are continuing to grow. Hundreds of other students each year benefit from special education consultation, observations, screenings, and classroom support.
We represent a cause, not just a program. LASE is dedicated to reaching and teaching all children, valuing all abilities.
The History of LASE
LASE (formerly known as Lutheran Association for Special Education) began with the dream and vision of parents who longed for their children with disabilities to be in a Christian education setting.
LASE was started with a class of just five students in 1956 at Hope Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri. By 1969, the program had grown to six classrooms serving 68 students.
1974 brought a special milestone: the establishment of the first Resource Room at St. John’s Lutheran School. This event meant children with special needs were mainstreamed in general education classes with their typically developing peers.
Today, LASE has grown to be a Christian community agency serving 18 Lutheran Schools in the Greater St. Louis, Missouri area, including St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County.
LASE also provides resources for many other Lutheran schools and preschools in the area.
For over 60 years, LASE has been an instrument for bringing the love of Jesus to students with disabilities and special learning needs.
LASE is a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a member of the Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA). LASE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, EIN 43-0780770.
LASE is accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Association (NLSA).