Best MCPS high school or programs for a high performing kid with dyslexia/dysgraphia/ADHD
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Anonymous
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DS has a few LDs that are all somewhat mild to moderate (dyslexia/dysgraphia/inattentive ADHD/sensory issues). He needs structure, clear assignments, and a hard working cohort to perform well. And he needs some accommodations to perform well (esp extra time and taking tests in a separate location). He does all his work with good structure/support and really wants to excel in school and can be a bit of a teacher's pet (despite inattention). He has done great in a Catholic K-8 which is small with high academic expectations. His MAP tests have been good but not off-the-charts. Normal range intelligence but incredibly high visual spatial intelligence and weak in fluid reasoning. He thinks in pictures, learns visually, struggles with symbol-based learning, and does not follow directions well.
Is there an MCPS high school - or program - that serves this type of kid well? |
Anonymous
| MCPS will likely provide an IEP to formalize accommodations. Hard working cohort is not gonna be a guarantee. There are many hardworking kids in honors and AP classes..but also coasters. |
Anonymous
| Was he at a SN school? that’s quite a laundry list. My guess is that he is not actually that impaired and will do fine with an IEP giving extended time on tests. You’ll have to stay on top of his assignments and homework - public school will not do that. |
Anonymous
No, he was at a Catholic school. Bigger classes but accommodating. Lots of structure. |
Anonymous
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It doesn't sound like your child needs (or would qualify for) a special needs program. Your best bet would be to get a 504 and have resource class for additional help as needed and pull out testing. As far as a hardworking cohort, I guess if your child starts taking AP classes you could pretty much guarantee it, but that's a big ask for a 9th grader.
Are you sure that you don't want to keep your child in private? It seems to be working for your child and will be hard to replicate in public. |
Anonymous
Not much structure in MCPS. Your kid either needs to be self-driven or you have to make it your mission to stay on top of them. I’m both a teacher and a parent with kids w/SN (last two are seniors currently) in MCPS. Your DS would probably fare best in HS if he is in a small private given your description. However, HS is just 4 years and doesn’t preclude performing well in college and all too soon a career. |
Anonymous
| In MCPS you go to the school assigned, or if you are in the DCC you have a choice via lottery. Are you planning to move? |
Anonymous
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Take some of that private school tuition and hire an executive function coach to help give him the structure. Each teacher at McPS is different — they use different calendars, have different deadlines, different ways of communicating assignments to the kids. Be sure to go to back to school night and take notes on each teacher. Then be in the habit of checking parentvue nightly with him, as well as mymcpscclqssroom. It’s gojng to be some work to transition him to a big public MCPS school.
What is your zoned school? There aren’t a lot of options outside your zoned school. IB would not be a good choice for a kid with even mild dyslexia and dysgraphia. |
Anonymous
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We asked my son's IEP team to transfer him to the Gifted, Talented, Learning Disabled (GT/LD) program for middle school. It's offered at a few middle and high schools in MCPS (North Bethesda, then Walter Johnson for us), and requires an IEP and an IQ over a certain threshold.
It's great in the sense that, particularly at the middle school level, teachers are trained to respect and understand these students, something which they might not have at their home school. They have access to a dedicated GT/LD resource class, instead of being lumped in with others in a general resource class. (Resource is offered to students with 504s and IEPs, to help them finish homework, take tests, and get help from the resource teacher.) In my son's GT/LD resource, the teacher focused on teaching them study skills, checking assignment completion, and making suggestions on breaking down large assignments. Basically she was an executive functioning coach. The program helps them stay with like-minded peers. They are placed in mainstream advanced classes that are usually co-taught with a paraeducator, so that services and accommodations can be provided. If such kids stay at their MCPS home school, they can absolutely enroll in the same advanced classes, request the same accommodations, and have a case manager if they have an IEP. However it's going to be piecemeal. The teachers will perhaps not recognize who they're dealing with. The general resource class might be chaotic with lots of behavioral problems. You might have some pushback at certain times. But it can be done! Finally, at home, we were my son's executive functioning coaches too. He needed A LOT of help morning and night to stay on task, because his ADHD meds were not in his system at those times. Best of luck, OP. |
Anonymous
OP here. We are assigned to Walter Johnson and Einstein. But I keep hearing about all these special programs in MCPS? |
Anonymous
No, MCPS will not provide an IEP to "formalize accommodations". IEP eligibility requires 1) disorder 2) adverse impact on education and 3) need for special instruction. A kid with dysgraphia needs special instruction in all the various aspects of handwriting. A kid with dyslexia should get special reading instruction in a dyslexia appropriate style. A kid with ADHD should get more than extra time, they should get special instruction in managing calendar, workflow, monitoring deadlines, breaking big tasks into subparts, etc. A kid who has 1) and 2) but not 3) should be offered a 504 plan because they have far in excess met the 504 requirements. |
Anonymous
OP, if you are already in WJ, I would definitely investigate the GT/LD program. There your DC might have peers that are both more interested in doing well academically and struggling with similar challenges. That said, IME I don't believe any school in MCPS teaches to dyslexic or dysgraphic kids well, so you would have to ask about specific programs. MCPS has no system wide curriculum for teaching dysgraphic students, only recently started OG training for reading teachers and has no curriculum for executive functioning. Also, IMO, the entire MCPS grade book system is out of compliance with ADA and 504 because it does not accommodate in any way kids who have extra time accommodations. This causes a lot of problems. I wish someone would file a federal complaint about it. It would help so many disabled kids and it would also help the all general ed families. |
Anonymous
Are you thinking non mainstream special ed or something like a magnet program? Some schools also have signature programs, but you have to either be zoned for those or be in a consortium that offers school choice. If you’re thinking special ed, nothing you’ve said sounds like a self contained program would be necessary. You might want to see if your zoned school has an information night so you can learn more about programs available to your child, though you might have missed them. |
Anonymous
Are you and your husband each living in-boundaries for one of these schools? How are your kid's grades? The GT/LD program is hard to get (WJ does have a GT/LD program but it isn't just for WJ kids, it is pulling kids from a number of area high schools). Usually to be assigned to it, your kid needs to be doing poorly grade wise. I don't know how they look at transfers, hopefully someone will have some insight. It does seem like a 504 is possible, and I know a couple of people whose kids with dyslexia have had success with 504s at Walter Johnson and then of course combining that with private tutoring services (and other types of private services--like executive functioning). If you are in the DCC I'm not sure there are any special programs that would address your son's needs specifically. Einstein has LFI (or whatever it is called), but that is not a diploma track program. Which special programs have you heard about in MCPS? It doesn't sound like your son is all that impaired. Most of the high school special programs are addressing high needs kids. The older they get, the harder it is to get an IEP. Why are you looking to move out of Catholic schools? If you like structure and tighter discipline, Benilde at SJC may be a good fit. |
Anonymous
| Which catholic k-8 did your kid attend? |