Advocate, Attorney or Tutor?

[Anonymous]

I have a similar kid. For us success meant a combination of:

1. A supportive school environment. We moved so he could attend the GT/LD program at North Bethesda MD, then WJ HS, in MCPS. The middle school program was very supportive, with a resource class in which teachers checked for missing assignments, etc. The high school experience was marred by the pandemic, and was generally less supportive. Academics and teachers were excellent, however, which is important for the gifted part of the equation. If you're in the bottom half of MoCo, and your child is deemed eligible for the GT/LD program, they will be bused to those schools.

2. ADHD medication starting in 5th grade. He went from failing grades to straight As. His grades started to dip back down in high school, with the increased executive function demands. He did not tolerate stimulants well, and side effects were a constant problem.

3. Expensive one-on-one tutors for writing and math, and some prep for AP exams and the ACT. Most were from Prep Matters and one was the English development teacher at a nearby MCPS high school. They were mostly excellent and understood his profile.

4. My son had such high executive needs that there was no point in hiring a coach. He needed constant reminders outside of business hours, every morning and every evening, for practical life and academic work. WE the parents were his executive function coaches, and it was a big job.

He's now a sophomore at a good college and doing well. It took an intense family commitment to get him there, OP. Basically our lives revolved around his needs from birth to 18. Luckily our younger children are a lot more functional!