7 year old w/ ADHD entering into DCPS

[Anonymous]

We’ll be moving back to D.C. after many years abroad. Our child, who has moderate ADHD, will be entering 3rd grade at a local NW DCPS. He has spent the last two years at an international school with small class sizes and has had a dedicated assistant (who used to be more involved; he will have “graduated” from having an assistant by the end of this year). His ADHD diagnosis was from a foreign psychiatrist, and he takes 7.5mg of Ritalin before school. Apart from his reading/phonics being behind, he is on grade level in all other areas, at least according to the British metrics the school applies.

Anyway, point being, can anyone advise what kinds of things I need to be doing when we get back to D.C.? Perhaps he should get evaluated by a U.S. neuropsychologist so he has appropriate/accepted documentation? And should I off the bat pursue an IEP? Would appreciate any advice, if you have any! Many thanks.

[Anonymous]

Do you think he needs an IEP (specialized instruction) or a 504 (accommodations)?

If he's behind in reading/phonics, I would absolutely recommend private testing (if affordable) to tease out if there is also a learning disability.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for the above. I actually have no idea what he needs in the classroom - be it accommodation or specialised instruction. (I think he kind of getting both in his current situation). So I guess a neuropsych appointment is in order first, see what they recommend and then go from there?

[Anonymous]

He’s a full year younger than his classmates, right? My 7 year old is in first grade.

[Anonymous]

It would be a good idea to get an appointment with a pediatrician who is familiar with ADHD and willing to evaluate and prescribe or suggest a psychologist or psychiatrist. You could get a full neuropsychological evaluation but I would say it isn't urgent so you could get on a wait-list for that rather than try to move quickly on that.

[Anonymous]

Op here. He has a July birthday, so is in 2nd grade right now (Y3 in the British system). Appreciate the advice to start with a doctor and then go from there. Anyone able to recommend a good doctor w ADHD specialisation, preferably in D.C.? We’ll be back in July but figure I may need to start calling around shortly. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for the above. I actually have no idea what he needs in the classroom - be it accommodation or specialised instruction. (I think he kind of getting both in his current situation). So I guess a neuropsych appointment is in order first, see what they recommend and then go from there?

How do you not know what he needs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. He has a July birthday, so is in 2nd grade right now (Y3 in the British system). Appreciate the advice to start with a doctor and then go from there. Anyone able to recommend a good doctor w ADHD specialisation, preferably in D.C.? We’ll be back in July but figure I may need to start calling around shortly. Thank you!

I hesitate to ask this question because I know how these decisions can cause anxiety (or have for me in the past), but I think it is worth considering - have you considered having him start in 2nd here? If he wouldn't know the difference since it is different numbers there, it might be worth considering. I have a son with ADHD and if he was behind in reading/phonics and had a July birthday I would definitely consider it. At least in the suburbs of DC it is not uncommon for a July birthday boy, especially one with ADHD to be "redshirted" and start K when they are 6 instead of 5. I think it is less common in the city because kids start prek at 3 and are already in the public school system if you will, so maybe in DC better to just start in 3rd. But if there is any chance you'll land in the close-in suburbs worth thinking about.

I don't have good recs for evaluations but if you search this forum you should be able to find some where folks shared names. A big one is Stixrud and I think they are usually 4-5 months out from what I've heard. Many have very long waitlists but if you can pay privately you can usually find shorter wait times by calling around. So I would definitely start calling.

[Anonymous]

Also I will add that you could avoid the high cost of a neuropsych by requesting a psychosocial via the school first thing in the fall but I think if you can afford it, may not be worth it to take that road. The school is required to provide testing if you request it/child needs it but it won't will take months (and in the meantime he won't have accommodations) and it isn't as extensive of testing. They don't provide a diagnosis but will do some testing to determine areas where he might need support. The benefit of having the testing already is they will give you recommendations for what kind of support he might need and then you can bring that straight to the school.

[Anonymous]

And to your question about IEP/504 right away - the neuropsych testing should help you get a sense of what is needed, but since he had a dedicated assistant for the last couple years I would personally be requesting one right away because it takes time. Some kids with ADHD end up only needing a 504 meaning they don't need the curriculum adjusted as much basically but they do need some accommodations to access it (more breaks, longer testing time, things like that). With the phonics piece, depending on if that turns out to be because of a learning disability or not that would also make a difference whether it is IEP or 504. My son started out with an IEP in K and as a part of it he gets support from a special ed teacher that comes in 2 hours a day and supports 3 children including him. But he's doing very well so I anticipate they will ask to lower it to a 504 next year and just have accommodations. Hope this helps, just sharing an example because it can all be very confusing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He’s a full year younger than his classmates, right? My 7 year old is in first grade.

What? My children were 6 in 1st grade.