Wayne County schools serve some of the most diverse communities in Michigan, and they feel the special education staffing shortage as sharply as anywhere in the state.
Detroit is a clear example. Detroit Public Schools Community District added $9 million to a $13.5 million evaluation staffing contract and hired dozens of school psychologists and speech-language pathologists in hourly roles to keep up with demand (Chalkbeat Detroit). Through March of this school year, the district still reported about 1,095 late reevaluations, up 16% from the same point in 2024 (Chalkbeat Detroit).
Smaller districts and charter schools across the county face the same pressures with far smaller teams.
What makes Wayne County different
Language
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area has about 190,000 Arabic speakers, the highest share of any metro in the country (Pew Research Center). In Dearborn, more than half of residents are of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, according to 2020 Census data (Detroit Free Press via Yahoo News). For schools, that means many students need evaluations that look at both Arabic and English. See Arabic bilingual speech and language evaluations.
Scale
Large caseloads and many buildings make continuity hard. A clinician who stays in the same buildings all year is worth a lot.
Many kinds of schools
Wayne County has large districts, small districts, charter schools and online programs, each with different needs and budgets.
How a local clinic helps
Anwar House of Therapy has a clinic in Dearborn, at 5245 Schaefer Rd, Suite D, and another in Ann Arbor. Our school team works with Michigan public districts, charter schools and online schools, and Garden City Public Schools is among the schools that have trusted us.
For Wayne County schools, that means:
Speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers and school psychologists, on site, virtually or in a hybrid model.
Resource room teachers and paraprofessionals for classroom and 1:1 support.
Evaluations with written reports ready for the IEP team.
Arabic bilingual evaluations by clinicians who speak Arabic, in your building, at our Dearborn clinic, or both.
504, IEP and MTSS consulting.
CF supervision for new speech-language pathologists.
One point of contact who knows your district.
Frequently asked questions
Where is your Wayne County clinic?
Our Dearborn clinic is at 5245 Schaefer Rd, Suite D, Dearborn, MI 48126.
Do you serve schools outside Dearborn?
Yes. We work with Michigan public districts, charter schools and online schools, on site, virtually or hybrid.
Can Arabic bilingual evaluations happen at our school?
Yes. Evaluations can happen in your building, at our Dearborn clinic, or a mix of both.
Serving a school in Detroit, Dearborn or elsewhere in Wayne County? See our school staffing services or call (734) 224-9121.
