Public HS not working out for ADHD kiddo

[Anonymous]

Why are you calling a high school DC a “kiddo”? Can you even hear how you are infantilizing your teenager?

[Anonymous]

McLean has some great summer intensive programs that I encourage you to look at. They do thorough assessments at the beginning and I’ve used that data with MCPS at IEP meetings. Their summer scholars programs are for grades 6-12:

https://www.summeredge.org/camps-programs/academics/

[Anonymous]

No way McLean, Bullis or St. Andrew's will offer admission to this DC due to poor grades. Further, each of these schools reduces the amount of support they give students once they reach high school. Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way McLean, Bullis or St. Andrew's will offer admission to this DC due to poor grades. Further, each of these schools reduces the amount of support they give students once they reach high school. Ask me how I know.

I agree. Those schools aren’t going to overlook the grades and take an application for fall 2024 well past the admissions deadlines. McLean School is the best suggestion here and it would t hurt to initiate contact and stay in touch over the summer once you receive testing results.

It’s very hard to proceed either in public or private without that testing. I realize the wait is long for those (we had testing lined up for last June with our child and while it felt too late for last year, it’s been so helpful for this year). If you end up keeping him in private and there is a diagnosis, having an IEP could make a big difference.

Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

I would check out Templeton as well. Small class sizes and block scheduling are both helpful for kids with ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While you wait for the testing results, you could contact any schools you’re interested in to see if they would consider a late application for his grade. If yes, you could explain that you are waiting on testing but will submit the app as soon as you get the results. In the meantime, write the essays and gather the transcripts, etc, to be ready to hit send. I would call Bullis and St Andrews if you’re in Rockville.

Not St Andrew’s. They’re are not good with kids like this. They are not the school they used to be.

Great questions and sounds like you are getting good support in place, including the evaluation. It's not easy, and we have a student with similar needs so here are a few thoughts:

I agree with the comment about St. Andrews - we looked at the school for our ADHD student and the level of support is low.

Here are the options I'd explore in addition to the McLean School:
- Sandy Spring has small class sizes and a "flex program" (a small additional fee) that offers extra support for students with learning differences.
- Good Counsel has the Ryken program, but they might take only freshmen. However, for students that self-advocate, a lot of support is available to all students.
- Stay in MCPS and hire an executive functioning/ADHD coach. Judith Bass or Lauren Eckert's businesses offer such services.
- Nora School in Silver Spring (might be a tough commute for you, but we know kids that are thriving there)
- Encourage your student to lean into their interests and strengths.
- Look into summer jobs that fit your kid's interests and temperament. Being a summer camp counselor has been transformational for our ADHD student who is outgoing and needs lots of movement and action.
- Join CHADD and connect with other parents - good webinars and support groups are available.

Hope that helps and best wishes to you and your family!

[Anonymous]

PP here - I meant to add that Sandy Spring and Nora would be a good fit for a shyer, more sensitive teen.

[Anonymous]

We moved our son to private at the beginning of 7th grade in response to a diagnosis that he had "executive functioning disorder" and anxiety. He had therapy weekly and was eventually on an anti-depressant in 8th grade. The school was "open" during Covid so we stuck with it. In 9th grade there, he was bullied and became suicidal. The school offered little to no support - the attitude quickly became that he was the problem. That year, he was finally diagnosed with ADHD. Something we suspected for years but couldn't get diagnosed or noted due to solid grades and no behavioral issues. Because of the bullying and lack of support/understanding in the private, we moved him to public high school starting in 10th grade. It took us a year to get the 504 - again, some seeming reluctance to providing it because of the appearance that everything was "fine" given good grades. The 504 has helped remarkably - with extra time, the stress is lifted. Our son has done so much better in a large environment where he has the 504 support. He can "hide in plain sight" when need be. Whereas, the private was a small fishbowl. This is a long way of saying, I would only look at privates that are specifically geared to handling kids with ADHD (ours was not) OR go back to your public and establish the necessary supports (504/IEP) and counseling to enable the best results. Private tutoring for challenging subjects has also helped our son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP and have the school do 1-1

No one is going to give you a 1:1 classroom support for ADHD. PP needs to get a clue. OP, there are private schools that cater to kids with learning challenges--Oakwood, McLean, Bullis, Lab etc. Once you have an evaluation--you'll have a better sense of what your son's challenges are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP and have the school do 1-1

No one is going to give you a 1:1 classroom support for ADHD. PP needs to get a clue. OP, there are private schools that cater to kids with learning challenges--Oakwood, McLean, Bullis, Lab etc. Once you have an evaluation--you'll have a better sense of what your son's challenges are.

Oakwood and Lab cater to kids with dyslexia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP and have the school do 1-1

No one is going to give you a 1:1 classroom support for ADHD. PP needs to get a clue. OP, there are private schools that cater to kids with learning challenges--Oakwood, McLean, Bullis, Lab etc. Once you have an evaluation--you'll have a better sense of what your son's challenges are.

Oakwood and Lab cater to kids with dyslexia.

Lab caters to kids with learning differences--broadly defined. OP doesn't have an evaluation for her kid. Once she does, she can find a school that has good supports in those areas. Field and Burke are also options.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely look into private. I'm outside the bubble, but your kid will benefit from small class sizes and 1-on-1 attention. It's worthless to try and fight the public school system. I'm glad you're already getting an independent evaluation because getting one through the school can be impossible and not worth your time. If you do get the evaluation back this school year, use it as leverage to allow him to repeat classes/ assignments etc that will retroactively bump up his grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid with ADHD/ASD/low processing speed had an IEP since Kindergarten in MCPS, OP. We paid 3K then 5K for neuropsychological evals at Stixrud's, when he was 10 and 17. He had extended time on tests (50 then 100% extra time), and extra time to hand in assignments, preferential seating, teacher notes, typing accommodations for his dysgraphia. The College Board and the ACT also gave him extra time when I submitted the necessary documentation.

Now he's doing well in college, with extra time for certain exams, but not for routine work.

He's been on Adderall for years, and uses it less now that he's out of the intense high school years.

MCPS is great at helping students with special needs... but you need to do your due diligence early enough for it to not affect college admissions too much.

Privates don't necessarily have to offer services and accommodations to kids with IEPs and 504s, and privates for SN have that connotation for college admissions, so be careful not to think the grass is greener. You'll just end up with expenses you could have avoided, because...

... Many kids in private and public are tutored in high school. It's more a function of family wealth than anything else. Where I live in Bethesda, with a 50/50 mix of private and public families, every kid has a tutor at some point! Do not hesitate to pay for excellent tutors, regardless of whether he has a diagnosis or not.

I can promise that quality individual tutoring will be much more effective, and cheaper in the long run, than paying for private high school. And with the price of college being what it is, money is a consideration for most families.

Any ideas of programs or people who provide high quality tutoring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP and have the school do 1-1

No one is going to give you a 1:1 classroom support for ADHD. PP needs to get a clue. OP, there are private schools that cater to kids with learning challenges--Oakwood, McLean, Bullis, Lab etc. Once you have an evaluation--you'll have a better sense of what your son's challenges are.

Oakwood and Lab cater to kids with dyslexia.

Lab caters to kids with learning differences--broadly defined. OP doesn't have an evaluation for her kid. Once she does, she can find a school that has good supports in those areas. Field and Burke are also options.

Neither of those (including Burke, Field) has a focus on learning differences and they offer the same standard accommodations as most other private schools. But they can be a great fit if your kid primarily benefits from the smaller environment, personal attention, and some targeted support.

I honestly would call any school that looks promising, even if you're worried that the grades are a dealbreaker. Explain the situation, be direct and transparent, and see what they say. There's zero downside!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved our son to private at the beginning of 7th grade in response to a diagnosis that he had "executive functioning disorder" and anxiety. He had therapy weekly and was eventually on an anti-depressant in 8th grade. The school was "open" during Covid so we stuck with it. In 9th grade there, he was bullied and became suicidal. The school offered little to no support - the attitude quickly became that he was the problem. That year, he was finally diagnosed with ADHD. Something we suspected for years but couldn't get diagnosed or noted due to solid grades and no behavioral issues. Because of the bullying and lack of support/understanding in the private, we moved him to public high school starting in 10th grade. It took us a year to get the 504 - again, some seeming reluctance to providing it because of the appearance that everything was "fine" given good grades. The 504 has helped remarkably - with extra time, the stress is lifted. Our son has done so much better in a large environment where he has the 504 support. He can "hide in plain sight" when need be. Whereas, the private was a small fishbowl. This is a long way of saying, I would only look at privates that are specifically geared to handling kids with ADHD (ours was not) OR go back to your public and establish the necessary supports (504/IEP) and counseling to enable the best results. Private tutoring for challenging subjects has also helped our son.

A very important point. Public schools are required by law to give support with a 504/IEP. Private schools are not. Also, it may be better for the teen socially to stay at your local public school, with peers living nearby.