How does your private school deal with Learning Issues or Developmental Delays (Nursery/Pre-K/K)

[Anonymous]

Any private school parents out there with a young child with mild delays or learning issues? How does the school work with your child?

[Anonymous]

i don't think any of the private school on this forum deal with learning issues - that's why they are so difficult to get it - they are very very careful not to accept kids that will be extra work -talk about being fair

[Anonymous]

I'd call Lowell and ask.

[Anonymous]

My son is not officially "delayed" anymore but we know and the teacher knows that he lags behind his peers in most areas except music. The crux is that we deliberately chose a Montessori preschool - he can therefore progress on his own without direct comparison with his friends, who are anyway of mixed ages (3 to 6 in the same room). It is a wonderful arrangement, and has kept us from going crazy trying to make him fit in a more conventional school, or find expensive therapists (not covered by our insurance).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd call Lowell and ask.

Why Lowell?

[Anonymous]

Lowell used to include learning differences in its diversity goals. Not sure if this is still the case. So, I suggested OP call.

[Anonymous]

Try McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i don't think any of the private school on this forum deal with learning issues - that's why they are so difficult to get it - they are very very careful not to accept kids that will be extra work -talk about being fair

That's just wrong. GDS has 3 learning specialists for the lower school and they start working with kids from PreK on. Yes, it's difficult to get in (so that probably means that kids with delays in one area are very high-performing in others). And, once in, you may find that you need to supplement with specialists over and above what the school provides. That seems to be true of most families I know who have been in this situation. But even highly competitive private schools do admit kids with learning differences and other special needs and provide some services as well as make various accommodations.

Beyond that, I think the only way to get a clear and reliable sense of what is offered is to discuss the specific issue with the school's learning specialists and ask them to give your number to a similarly-situated family who can tell you about their experience.