The Lab School - esp. details

[Anonymous]

I just today got hit with the not-altogether-unexpected diagnosis that my K son, already known to be gifted, also has an LD and ADHD. The hard news was buffered somewhat with the info that the Lab School might be a good match for him. I'd be grateful for any info you can share. Also, can anyone tell me the exact school hours (we'd be coming from a distance) and the tuition? I couldn't find those on the web site, and the admit office hasn't returned my call from a while ago. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure of the hours, but we had friends send their child there and it was extremely expensive -- much more than typical private schools. I have been on the campus for neighborhood events and it is a great location with really nice facilities. It was a good fit for their child and they were happy with it.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! That is really good to hear (the nice part). We can probably swing the tuition, but all I've heard is what you said - no concrete numbers - so I'm wondering if that means 30K or 70K or what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! That is really good to hear (the nice part). We can probably swing the tuition, but all I've heard is what you said - no concrete numbers - so I'm wondering if that means 30K or 70K or what.

I think tuition is more in the 40K range, but individual services (tutoring, Speech/Language therapy, OT) are on top of that.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend whose child will be starting in the fall. My understanding is that tuition is comparable to Sidwell upper school. But that doesn't include any extra services.

Aside - I know other families who have children who have attended Lab School for some period of time and they were all very pleased with the program.

[Anonymous]

I think it is in the $35k range but plan on at least another $5k on top of that for special services as another PP noted. Someone on the other thread noted you can apply to get your school district to pay. I would not count on this at all the school districts have tightened up considerably on this. I don't know the hours but I drive by every morning at 8 am and people are certainly dropping off kids then. My DC went to summer school there for several years and it was a lifesaver.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all so much! Getting there at 8 am would be HARD! We're in FFX county and DS's older sister is in public school here (starting at 9), so the logistics would be difficult, though not impossible. Summer school is a good idea . . . did your DC go at a young age? At this point, my son does not like school and thinks he is not smart and no good at learning; it will take someone special to help him feel otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Knew someone who switched around same time who was frustrated with school- It really built up their child's self esteem and a good fit. enjoys school now Have a friend who was a faculty member there before they moved out of dc. has really great reputation. good luck

[Anonymous]

Thank you! I really want my son to start feeling good about himself again and to enjoy learning, and it sounds like Lab can do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all so much! Getting there at 8 am would be HARD! We're in FFX county and DS's older sister is in public school here (starting at 9), so the logistics would be difficult, though not impossible. Summer school is a good idea . . . did your DC go at a young age? At this point, my son does not like school and thinks he is not smart and no good at learning; it will take someone special to help him feel otherwise.

DC started summer school after 2nd grade but they start it younger and if we'd had a diagnosis younger we would have gone earlier.

[Anonymous]

I am a transition counselor. My job has been to transition kids with disabilities to college and/or into the workforce according to their strengths and disabilities. I have worked in several states and the process is universal. We identify their strengths and and work around them. I just don't see the need for the Lab School or Kingsbury. In my opinion all it does is label them unneccesarily. I am not an advocate of the public school system for these kids because of my own personal reasons, one being that my son has ADHD and public school has not been a good fit for him. Sending the child to the Lab School or Kingsbury is to the extreme. I would think that the LD would have to be extremely severe in order for me to even remotely think about doing it. And OMG, never would I pay a LOT of money for it. Lab School is totally to the extreme. Public and Private schools have tons of mainstream services that they can customize to address a student's limitations. Think about this, if you study the web site of St. Albans you will find that they have an incredible array of support services and after school tutoring to address specific needs. It appears that they don't single the kids out and make them feel different. My husband and I studied the web site and we went away thinking "wow St. Albans is assighning IEPs without saying so". If you are thinking about Lab School it had better be a very serious issue. People with ADHD and other types of LD are extremely intelligent and simply need to work within their strengths just like anyone else. Their strengths need to be identified early and a life and a career needs to be developed around it. To sum it all up you can get what you need in mainstream. I hope this post helps in some way. I am pretty passionate about this. My son has done very well in school because I was able to indentify the signs very early and address them before his grades suffered therefore, his self esteem has never been attacked. Make sense? I think I read that your son was coded GT at some point? Come on give him a break. I put four kids with Asperger's at Duke University from public school. Just find out what he excels in and he will do fine. I could go on and on about this........

[Anonymous]

Asperger's is a not a complex constellation of learning disabilities. An Asperger's child would not belong at the Lab School unless there were other learning issues. Most children with good support will succeed in a variety of different environments. Some children - highly intelligent children- benefit from specialized environments. Don't assume they will all succeed anywhere.
Of course, for a place like Lab School, you have to be able to foot the bill. But if you can, and it benefits a child who is unsuccessful after having tried several other environments/ support systems, maybe it will open new possibilities for them. Asperger's or mild/moderate ADD kids likely don't need the Lab School.
The challenges kids face don't end with those two. You can't assume standard services in the time of budget cuts & a college transition counselor are going to be sure every child gets the basic skills s/he needs. If you are talking about throwing a kid toward Lab School because no one else is hard at work trying to figure out what's best for a kid, PP, you are right. People give up when they don't see a kid responding to the standard teaching protocols. Ask for more. That doesn't take care of everyone. Sadly, sometimes it's only the kids who have families who can pay, who get the extra help. Still, if it HELPS, that's a GOOD thing. OP, do what s best for YOUR kid. And by asking here, you are just gathering information to help you figure out what that is. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Hi 12:16 and 12:38 - not OP here.
I am so interested in both of your posts. Very insightful, and gives me tremendous hope.

My DS was diagnosed ADHD/Inattentive with some sensory stuff. Not on the spectrum.
My biggest fear thus far is - WILL HE GO TO COLLEGE AND GET MARRIED AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE?
I have the tendency to be a very "glass half empty" kind of person. You've both given me reason to be more optimistic.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think 12:16 raises some interesting points but the Lab School is really for kids with above average intelligence with learning disabilities. It is not for kids with autism/aspergers, etc. In fact some posters on other threads have criticized the school because they said they couldn't take kids on the spectrum. OP - go visit and talk to them. They will be up front about whether the school is the right fit for your child and his diagnosis. I would also be very cautious about what private schools can and can't offer. Some can be flexible (e.g., Burke, Field, Lowell) and others have very traditional curriculums that don't work well for non traditional learners. Some also counsel out kids who need too much help - I have seen that even in schools that seem to serve a range of learners. And there are a lot of teachers in traditional schools who are not tuned in to learning differences (this is based on personal experience with DC who is now in high school).

[Anonymous]

I don't know why PP thinks there is something extreme about Lab, or that kids there are somehow labeled for life. I met a student at Maret who had gone to Lab and I know another who was at Lab for a number of years and is now at Field. That family told me of a Lab student they know who went on to St. Albans. I know of another child who went from Lab to Edmund Burke.

I really hate this fear of stigma. I think its worse than any stigma itself because it keeps parents from getting their kids what they need.

Many more kdis with issues can now get their support in mainstream schools than in previous generations, yes. But if they can't, than their parents need to get them what they need whereever they can. There are no do-overs for childhood. If a child learns best at Lab, and their parents can afford it, than they are very fortunate that we have this resource in the area.