The McLean School: ASD kids need not apply

[Anonymous]

NP. I guess I don’t really see the downside of saying on the website that they don’t serve those populations rather than wait until an open house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I guess I don’t really see the downside of saying on the website that they don’t serve those populations rather than wait until an open house.

Because you can’t write that you don’t serve a specific disability even though almost all private schools aren’t going to accept students with certain disabilities such as intellect disabilities. Look how upset people get when the school says we don’t serve students with asd well. People are writing they should be sued.

However, if you look at their website they say that if a students primary issue is social behavioral and/or emotional then it isn’t going to be a match because that isn’t their focus. By definition EVERY person diagnosed with ASD has or had: Persistent deficits in SOCIAL communication and SOCIAL interaction across multiple contexts. So it isn’t hard to figure out serving students with asd is not their focus.

[Anonymous]

One of our kids has adhd, seriously low processing speed, and dyslexia. No behavior issues but some trouble making and keeping friends. There have been other issues and over the years we have batted around autism and while our child meets some of the criteria it was never enough or significant for any medical professional to diagnose.

I would bet this is the kid is student they serve best. A child who might have some characteristics that could render an autism diagnosis not a student who clearly receives a diagnosis .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, this is very stressful.

However, it's no secret that a lot of SN private schools will not take ASD children: McLean, Lab, Norwood, etc.

Same with many independent privates that on paper are inclusive and claim to support socio-emotional development, but in practice will not deal with students on the spectrum.

The choices from here on are: public with IEP or privates that specialize on ASD.

They are not staffed to support ASD, they don't want to be staffed for that - it's more involved and expensive.

Can’t wait to see Norwood parents freak out that you called it a special needs school, lol!

No need to freak out. It’s just factually wrong.

People freak out anyway. Wouldn’t want anyone to think their kid is one of “those” kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, this is very stressful.

However, it's no secret that a lot of SN private schools will not take ASD children: McLean, Lab, Norwood, etc.

Same with many independent privates that on paper are inclusive and claim to support socio-emotional development, but in practice will not deal with students on the spectrum.

The choices from here on are: public with IEP or privates that specialize on ASD.

They are not staffed to support ASD, they don't want to be staffed for that - it's more involved and expensive.

Can’t wait to see Norwood parents freak out that you called it a special needs school, lol!

No need to freak out. It’s just factually wrong.

People freak out anyway. Wouldn’t want anyone to think their kid is one of “those” kids!

You’re reading way too much into what is a factual statement.

- Norwood parent of a kid with dyslexia and ADHD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I guess I don’t really see the downside of saying on the website that they don’t serve those populations rather than wait until an open house.

Because you can’t write that you don’t serve a specific disability even though almost all private schools aren’t going to accept students with certain disabilities such as intellect disabilities. Look how upset people get when the school says we don’t serve students with asd well. People are writing they should be sued.

However, if you look at their website they say that if a students primary issue is social behavioral and/or emotional then it isn’t going to be a match because that isn’t their focus. By definition EVERY person diagnosed with ASD has or had: Persistent deficits in SOCIAL communication and SOCIAL interaction across multiple contexts. So it isn’t hard to figure out serving students with asd is not their focus.

Sure but the challenges of a kid with autism may in fact be much less than the challenges of ADHD, in terms of how they impact the classroom. It’s not rational to just conclude “we cannot support autism.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, this is very stressful.

However, it's no secret that a lot of SN private schools will not take ASD children: McLean, Lab, Norwood, etc.

Same with many independent privates that on paper are inclusive and claim to support socio-emotional development, but in practice will not deal with students on the spectrum.

The choices from here on are: public with IEP or privates that specialize on ASD.

They are not staffed to support ASD, they don't want to be staffed for that - it's more involved and expensive.

Can’t wait to see Norwood parents freak out that you called it a special needs school, lol!

No need to freak out. It’s just factually wrong.

People freak out anyway. Wouldn’t want anyone to think their kid is one of “those” kids!

You’re reading way too much into what is a factual statement.

- Norwood parent of a kid with dyslexia and ADHD

Yet, still, you keep posting! A little prickly on this point, huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, this is very stressful.

However, it's no secret that a lot of SN private schools will not take ASD children: McLean, Lab, Norwood, etc.

Same with many independent privates that on paper are inclusive and claim to support socio-emotional development, but in practice will not deal with students on the spectrum.

The choices from here on are: public with IEP or privates that specialize on ASD.

They are not staffed to support ASD, they don't want to be staffed for that - it's more involved and expensive.

Can’t wait to see Norwood parents freak out that you called it a special needs school, lol!

No need to freak out. It’s just factually wrong.

People freak out anyway. Wouldn’t want anyone to think their kid is one of “those” kids!

You’re reading way too much into what is a factual statement.

- Norwood parent of a kid with dyslexia and ADHD

Yet, still, you keep posting! A little prickly on this point, huh?

What’s your agenda here? Such a weird fixation.

[Anonymous]

My kid has ADHD and McLean didn’t admit him and said they couldn’t serve his needs. He ended up getting into the MccPs program for highly gifted and did fine and has been doing great in school. He had a bad interview day (and a bad teacher rec) because he had spent a year in a classroom with a teacher who didn’t know how to teach him so had given up on school and wouldn’t participate in the interview. I was really under impressed with McLean — it was clear from his neuropsych that he had a ton of potential and they just said “nope”” to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has ADHD and McLean didn’t admit him and said they couldn’t serve his needs. He ended up getting into the MccPs program for highly gifted and did fine and has been doing great in school. He had a bad interview day (and a bad teacher rec) because he had spent a year in a classroom with a teacher who didn’t know how to teach him so had given up on school and wouldn’t participate in the interview. I was really under impressed with McLean — it was clear from his neuropsych that he had a ton of potential and they just said “nope”” to us.

Now THIS is what a person with an agenda looks like!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has ADHD and McLean didn’t admit him and said they couldn’t serve his needs. He ended up getting into the MccPs program for highly gifted and did fine and has been doing great in school. He had a bad interview day (and a bad teacher rec) because he had spent a year in a classroom with a teacher who didn’t know how to teach him so had given up on school and wouldn’t participate in the interview. I was really under impressed with McLean — it was clear from his neuropsych that he had a ton of potential and they just said “nope”” to us.

Now THIS is what a person with an agenda looks like!

Seems like the attitude and gotcha games from the private school forum are starting to make their way over here to SN? I hope this isn't a trend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to wit:"Our Abilities Model® starts with gifts and helps all students — conventional learners as well as those with challenges such as dyslexia, anxiety, and ADHD, or organizational challenges".

That is not on the spectrum.

NP. I have a DC with ASD (mild, sorry not sorry), who is on/above grade level, and some some executive functioning and organizational challenges. I would read the above and think it would be a good fit for my DC - until they say out loud that they do not take kids with ASD. Okay, then, no. We would walk out then too.

I disagree. I am reading "dyslexia, anxiety and ADHD, or organizational challenges". THAT does not say on the spectrum. Each SN school in the area has its own mission statement. You need to READ the statement and if confused, call. The McLean School has always in my mind been clear on autism. So you go look at Ivymont or the other area schools that specialize in that. For the same reason, Commonwealth Academy clearly states as its mission statement that it is for average to gifted kids with ADHD. It, too, will steer clear of ASD because its teachers are not equipped to teach to that set of issues.

CALL AND ASK THE School first. Don't blast them here.

I have nothing to do with the McLean School but think OP was grossly unfair. She should have read the particulars and if confused call and ask.

OP here: We were on the website. We had a consultant call on our behalf. Admissions said they do accept ASD kids, so long as they are engaged. That's why we went to the open house.

So it sounds like you got additional information at the open house which is helpful to you in deciding if this school is a good fit for your daughter. It is not, so you move one and fine one that is. It wasn't a waste of time. It is part of the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]I sat at the same open house. The line was “don’t serve as well”.
Which to me - invites a conversation for each individual applicant with that diagnosis.
Nobody said “we don’t serve”.
Nobody said “don’t apply”.
Nobody said “you’re not welcome here”

[/b]


+1. boom. Says it all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has ADHD and McLean didn’t admit him and said they couldn’t serve his needs. He ended up getting into the MccPs program for highly gifted and did fine and has been doing great in school. He had a bad interview day (and a bad teacher rec) because he had spent a year in a classroom with a teacher who didn’t know how to teach him so had given up on school and wouldn’t participate in the interview. I was really under impressed with McLean — it was clear from his neuropsych that he had a ton of potential and they just said “nope”” to us.

GT/LD in MoCo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to wit:"Our Abilities Model® starts with gifts and helps all students — conventional learners as well as those with challenges such as dyslexia, anxiety, and ADHD, or organizational challenges".

That is not on the spectrum.

NP. I have a DC with ASD (mild, sorry not sorry), who is on/above grade level, and some some executive functioning and organizational challenges. I would read the above and think it would be a good fit for my DC - until they say out loud that they do not take kids with ASD. Okay, then, no. We would walk out then too.

I disagree. I am reading "dyslexia, anxiety and ADHD, or organizational challenges". THAT does not say on the spectrum. Each SN school in the area has its own mission statement. You need to READ the statement and if confused, call. The McLean School has always in my mind been clear on autism. So you go look at Ivymont or the other area schools that specialize in that. For the same reason, Commonwealth Academy clearly states as its mission statement that it is for average to gifted kids with ADHD. It, too, will steer clear of ASD because its teachers are not equipped to teach to that set of issues.

CALL AND ASK THE School first. Don't blast them here.

I have nothing to do with the McLean School but think OP was grossly unfair. She should have read the particulars and if confused call and ask.

OP here: We were on the website. We had a consultant call on our behalf. Admissions said they do accept ASD kids, so long as they are engaged. That's why we went to the open house.

Your complaint is with your consultant then. But I don't believe your story because all consultants in the area know which schools cater to autism and which don't. It's all online. Everyone knows McLean isn't an autism school. McLean says on page one of its website: At McLean School, we understand students first for what they can do, not for what they can’t do. This abilities-driven approach enables bright students, including those with dyslexia, anxiety, ADHD, or organizational challenges to be successful in and out of the classroom. that is not autism. You should not be trashing the school here. It did everything correctly.