Language based disability and ASD-1 mild/HFA….

[Anonymous]

Which SN privates? We are also conserving our public school as well.

[Anonymous]

Where are you and what grade level? Are there any behavioral issues in play?

[Anonymous]

That profile is really difficult to find a private school. The dyslexia-specific/language based disability schools won't take autistic students and the autism schools don't have the expertise for learning disabilities. We did a combination of public school (with an IEP that targeted both) and private schools that supported her social needs and outside tutoring for the learning disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That profile is really difficult to find a private school. The dyslexia-specific/language based disability schools won't take autistic students and the autism schools don't have the expertise for learning disabilities. We did a combination of public school (with an IEP that targeted both) and private schools that supported her social needs and outside tutoring for the learning disability.

12:11 here and I agree. You kind of have to figure out whether you want to focus on support for ASD or support for LD and pick a school based on the primary focus with outside support to compensate. From what I've seen, schools for kids with ASD will usually have more latitude for behavioral issues so long as they're mild and mitigated by the ASD supports in school whereas schools for kids with LD won't touch behavioral issues with a 10 foot pole even if they're motivated by the learning environment. Our DS did public school (placement in a non-categorical room) with outside tutoring for dyslexia because we couldn't afford both a SN school and tutoring and an LD school wasn't a good placement because of sensory dysregulation issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you and what grade level? Are there any behavioral issues in play?

No behavioral issues. We are in Chevy Chase. This would be for next year, 3rd grade…. Although we were contemplating repeating 2nd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That profile is really difficult to find a private school. The dyslexia-specific/language based disability schools won't take autistic students and the autism schools don't have the expertise for learning disabilities. We did a combination of public school (with an IEP that targeted both) and private schools that supported her social needs and outside tutoring for the learning disability.

12:11 here and I agree. You kind of have to figure out whether you want to focus on support for ASD or support for LD and pick a school based on the primary focus with outside support to compensate. From what I've seen, schools for kids with ASD will usually have more latitude for behavioral issues so long as they're mild and mitigated by the ASD supports in school whereas schools for kids with LD won't touch behavioral issues with a 10 foot pole even if they're motivated by the learning environment. Our DS did public school (placement in a non-categorical room) with outside tutoring for dyslexia because we couldn't afford both a SN school and tutoring and an LD school wasn't a good placement because of sensory dysregulation issues.

No behavioral issues and the autism is high functioning so you barely notice sometimes but I get what you’re saying. This is tricky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you and what grade level? Are there any behavioral issues in play?

No behavioral issues. We are in Chevy Chase. This would be for next year, 3rd grade…. Although we were contemplating repeating 2nd.

Lab and Siena, at least, think that all autistic students have behavior issues and won't accept autistic students, regardless of whether there are any behaviors.

Maybe look at Diener, which can support both, although maybe not well. Or Auburn with a tutor. Or public school.

[Anonymous]

I think Diener is too much for a mild or high functioning autistic kid. McLean would be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Diener is too much for a mild or high functioning autistic kid. McLean would be a good fit.

It depends what kind of social support your child needs. My "high functioning" autistic child was at McLean for one year in ES. She needed some help interacting with others on the playground, as opposed to withdraw. The counselor was on the playground most days, but she was only willing to observe, not help (and my child was young enough that adult support during recess wouldn't have been inappropriate).

[Anonymous]

Auburn has small classes and is focused on HFA kids. Although they don't specialize in LD support, they would be able to be very flexible in curriculum and approach. It may or may not be a perfect fit but is worth a look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has small classes and is focused on HFA kids. Although they don't specialize in LD support, they would be able to be very flexible in curriculum and approach. It may or may not be a perfect fit but is worth a look.

There are threads on here saying it was bought out recently by an investor and the quality is falling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you and what grade level? Are there any behavioral issues in play?

No behavioral issues. We are in Chevy Chase. This would be for next year, 3rd grade…. Although we were contemplating repeating 2nd.

The Springwell School does a nice job with neurodivergent kids (ADHD and HFA) and they have a program for Dyslexia, but they don't have an SLP if you also need that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has small classes and is focused on HFA kids. Although they don't specialize in LD support, they would be able to be very flexible in curriculum and approach. It may or may not be a perfect fit but is worth a look.

my son has both moderate ASD and a language-based disability. We were at Auburn and I can tell you definitively they can not support this profile and (at least in our DS's classroom), they did not modify the curriculum to meet his needs and I don't believe their curriculum specialist is skilled enough to understand how to modify instruction. And no SLP there at all, just an SEL person but that isn't enough. The right teacher there could collaborate with a private provider (maybe?) but that's a lot of money to spend and you still might not get the right support.

Our kid is now back to special ed classroom in public and though he's not really well supported there, we are not paying private school money for something that isn't meeting his needs. For now this plus therapy and tutoring is better than what Auburn can offer.

How old is your child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has small classes and is focused on HFA kids. Although they don't specialize in LD support, they would be able to be very flexible in curriculum and approach. It may or may not be a perfect fit but is worth a look.

my son has both moderate ASD and a language-based disability. We were at Auburn and I can tell you definitively they can not support this profile and (at least in our DS's classroom), they did not modify the curriculum to meet his needs and I don't believe their curriculum specialist is skilled enough to understand how to modify instruction. And no SLP there at all, just an SEL person but that isn't enough. The right teacher there could collaborate with a private provider (maybe?) but that's a lot of money to spend and you still might not get the right support.

Our kid is now back to special ed classroom in public and though he's not really well supported there, we are not paying private school money for something that isn't meeting his needs. For now this plus therapy and tutoring is better than what Auburn can offer.

How old is your child?

Sorry I just see that you said 2nd/3rd grade. A lot of SN schools don't have availability right now though I don't know about Auburn. I am not sure Diener has an SLP either but you can check. I can only really speak to Auburn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has small classes and is focused on HFA kids. Although they don't specialize in LD support, they would be able to be very flexible in curriculum and approach. It may or may not be a perfect fit but is worth a look.

my son has both moderate ASD and a language-based disability. We were at Auburn and I can tell you definitively they can not support this profile and (at least in our DS's classroom), they did not modify the curriculum to meet his needs and I don't believe their curriculum specialist is skilled enough to understand how to modify instruction. And no SLP there at all, just an SEL person but that isn't enough. The right teacher there could collaborate with a private provider (maybe?) but that's a lot of money to spend and you still might not get the right support.

Our kid is now back to special ed classroom in public and though he's not really well supported there, we are not paying private school money for something that isn't meeting his needs. For now this plus therapy and tutoring is better than what Auburn can offer.

How old is your child?

How can an ASD focused school not have speech language supports considering that communication challenges is literally part of the ASD definition?