Best setting for audhd elementary school kid w/ reading learning disability

[Anonymous]

My son recently turned 7 and is in first grade. He has had an adhd diagnosis for two years, but was recently also diagnosed with ASD level 1 and a reading disability.

He is currently in a small mainstream private school that is nurturing, but his neuropsych thinks he should have more integrated support for OT, social emotional learning, and of course, reading remediation. He is doing ok at the current school with some private support but I think as executive functioning demands increase, it will get harder for him. Plus it’s been hard for him to make good friends.

I am looking at two school options for next year - our local public and a specialized school for kids with language based learning disabilities and adhd - our neuropsych says she has a lot of level 1 ASD kids there who are intellectually fine but need the learning support. The tuition is on par with private university so it’s a daunting commitment.

What type of environment has worked well for your AuDHD kid? My son is very friendly, creative but his autism manifests in more of a literal thinking and needing scaffolding to go with the flow and navigate lots of transitions - and of course the social piece, where he can miss some social cues. It’s somewhat subtle in that several other doctors are adamant he only has adhd, but his more comprehensive neuropsych thought we would be doing him disservice not to also diagnose autism after her complete assessment.

We live on the east coast and in our local public, he would be in a gen ed classroom where a second special ed teacher enters for two hours a day to work with IEP kids for reading and math. He’d get pulled out for OT, speech, and resource room. It’s a pretty decent elementary school and other parents of adhd kids have been happy there - but they’d be accommodating him, versus the specialized school having more kids like him and a tailored curriculum for kids like him.

Has your AuDHD kid done okay in public school with support?

[Anonymous]

OP our kid has the same profile, similar age of diagnosis, and we’re in MCPS. We weren’t offered as many services as you’re being offered. I think the average DCPS, APS pr FCPS kid wouldn’t receive as many services either. So I can’t speak to your situation.

If I were you I’d ask your public school what kind of reading intervention they’re offering. Are you ok with hiring a dyslexia interventionist if the public school’s program is not leading to progress?