Three private school rejections

[Anonymous]

Looking for advice. Our DS is going to 6th grade next year (Middle School) from a school of 350 students to Deal with 1400 and we are worried about bullying.

DS is high functioning ASD with lightweight IEP. Does really well in class. Has limited number of friends. He is gifted in domains like math and at grade level in other classes. Doesn’t need academic supports but needs help navigating social situations.

We applied to three “progressive” independent schools in DC and MD but DS was waitlisted and later rejected from all three. One was McLean which is not welcoming of ASD students.

We are out of ideas and would like to hear how other families have navigated this. Should we give Deal a try? Move to MCPS to an in-boundary school with a 2e/Aspergers program? Any independent school recommendations that understand that ASD kids will have “quirky” behaviors from time to time?

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

What are the other two schools? Were reasons given for the denials?

[Anonymous]

Let me guess, Green Acres was one of the rejecters?

Where are you located?

There are 2E programs in MCPS, but they are hard to get into from outside (and inside for that matter!). I would suggest meeting with an educational advocate to get a lay of the land and options.

[Anonymous]

There’s no such thing as a lightweight IEP. Any IEP is indicative of issues beyond just quirky. Lose the IEP and reapply next year.

[Anonymous]

Did you work with a professional? I'm confused why you applied to McLean at all.

I think you may need a little more of a realistic guide, not someone who is overly positive.

[Anonymous]

My severely ADHD, mildly autistic son did very well with an IEP in the MCPS GT/LD program at North Bethesda MS and Walter Johnsons HS. They cater to kids with that profile who are on grade level or above grade level, and allow them full access to the schools' advanced courses, but with a resource class in the place of one of their electives, and a case manager who oversees their progress. It worked really well for my son!

Please call Central Office of MCPS to inquire about this program. It's probably changed a bit since my son was in it. At the time they needed an IEP plus evidence that the GAI portion of his WISC (IQ) test was above a certain threshold.

It's also important to note that this MCPS cluster is one of the best in Montgomery County, and encompasses some really nice (expensive!) neighborhoods on the red line. If you move to VA or MD, your kid will also be eligible for in-state tuition at their respective state colleges, which to most people is highly desirable, given the cost of college these days. If you stay in DC, TAG only offers you 10K off tuition (and I believe St Mary's College considers DC students as in-state, but I'm not sure).

[Anonymous]

OP here. We worked with an educational consultant. DS IEP is lightweight because it only has 3 hours of services per month focused on executive functioning and social communication. No academic supports. We applied to McLean after meeting with Admissions and getting their OK to proceed. We are in NW DC but would consider moving to be in-boundary to Tilden MS which has a 2e program. The other schools were Field and Burke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We worked with an educational consultant. DS IEP is lightweight because it only has 3 hours of services per month focused on executive functioning and social communication. No academic supports. We applied to McLean after meeting with Admissions and getting their OK to proceed. We are in NW DC but would consider moving to be in-boundary to Tilden MS which has a 2e program. The other schools were Field and Burke.

I'm sorry. My autistic child coming from a Deal feeder was accepted into Field with a much more robust IEP. This was under the previous head of school. It still wasn't a good fit and in retrospect I wish we had just stuck it out at Deal, where at least there is a legal framework for discussing supports. I don't think you'll get into the Connections program with such a minimal IEP.

We also looked at Fusion and rejected it, but it might have been a good fit too.

[Anonymous]

Move for Tilden MS. Deal was a spectacular disaster for our student with a similar profile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My severely ADHD, mildly autistic son did very well with an IEP in the MCPS GT/LD program at North Bethesda MS and Walter Johnsons HS. They cater to kids with that profile who are on grade level or above grade level, and allow them full access to the schools' advanced courses, but with a resource class in the place of one of their electives, and a case manager who oversees their progress. It worked really well for my son!

Please call Central Office of MCPS to inquire about this program. It's probably changed a bit since my son was in it. At the time they needed an IEP plus evidence that the GAI portion of his WISC (IQ) test was above a certain threshold.

It's also important to note that this MCPS cluster is one of the best in Montgomery County, and encompasses some really nice (expensive!) neighborhoods on the red line. If you move to VA or MD, your kid will also be eligible for in-state tuition at their respective state colleges, which to most people is highly desirable, given the cost of college these days. If you stay in DC, TAG only offers you 10K off tuition (and I believe St Mary's College considers DC students as in-state, but I'm not sure).

Thank you! Very helpful and encouraging

[Anonymous]

Honestly, OP, I wouldn’t disclose the ASD to the independent schools until a while after DC started. They won't notice during the interview process.

I work at an independent school that says it can't accommodate kids with ASD but in reality, we have so many kids who are neurodivergent. Many have never been diagnosed. Your kid will would be completely fine. You just need to get through the door right now.

[Anonymous]

Check out Templeton Academy, downtown DC, I believe they still have middle school slots

[Anonymous]

With an ASD diagnosis, you are stuck with public school. Even if you got rid of the IEP, there would still be the diagnosis.
Is it possible to get another eval that removes the diagnosis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With an ASD diagnosis, you are stuck with public school. Even if you got rid of the IEP, there would still be the diagnosis.
Is it possible to get another eval that removes the diagnosis?

You can lose a diagnosis, so they do the ADOS but you don’t qualify for the diagnosis. Not common though, usually see this with kids that start services VERY early, like 12-24 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With an ASD diagnosis, you are stuck with public school. Even if you got rid of the IEP, there would still be the diagnosis.
Is it possible to get another eval that removes the diagnosis?

OP here. This is exactly how we feel. That the diagnosis is the culprit. I