Moving to DMV for 1st grade next year - where to live?

[Anonymous]

I would look in Rockville. The Connections program moved to College Gardens elementary. Without an IEP, you won't have access to the self contained classroom, but the staff in the building are familiar with ASD and how to support those students.

Rockville puts you on the red line for relatively easy commuting and the prices for housing in Rockville aren't too outrageous.

Your MS would be Julius West. As with most school districts, MS is the worst level in the school system. JW does not offer a specific autism support but they do have the SESES program which is the social emotional program. If you were able to get an IEP with placement in elem, you could make a strong argument to transfer from Connections to SESES based on it being located at your home school. The placement for MS for Connections students is often the Bridge program which is located at Hoover MS. If your child were to be placed there for MS and you lived out of bounds, MCPS will provide transportation.

JWMS feeds to Richard Montgomery HS and the SESES program continues at RM. By the time kids get to HS, the lines between the different programs becomes much looser than in elem.

xMinds provides a lot of support for families in MCPS. It's not an MCPS organization but they do a lot of work WITH MCPS and educating parents/families.

https://xminds.org/placements

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private

GTFO with your reflexive “private” comments.

I mean please, even if you are going to completing ignore the OP’s request for public options, you should name the private that does well with ASD kids. A lot of privates around here don’t even take NT 5 yr olds for K.

Why so hostile? There is probably no recommendation anyone can give that will meet OP's requirements. Certainly not one that I can give, and I have a lot of experience in different school divisions. Even if there was/is a school path with an elementary, middle and high school that is excellent for this profile, things will likely change by high school or even sooner. So my best advice is to also consider private too. The time to consider this is now because OP could live in a cheaper area in order to fund private. It's also the time of year to apply. There is no need for hostility just because you do not agree.

DP - posting the word "private" is not helpful.

I'm hardly an expert on this, but it seems a lot more complicated than this. At a private there is no legal obligation to ensure the child can access the curriculum. Special education is not perfect by any means, but I know many parents who feel the IEP services have been really valuable for their kids. Depending on the type of private, teachers may lack experience working with kids with special needs, and they may simply not admit a child with an ASD diagnosis. The best thing at public for my kid is having teachers with decades of experience and with supporting kids with different needs.

PP here. correct but there are specialized privates that cater to specific disabilty needs. OP could explore those either by asking for school recs or hiring a consultant. or both.

One thing to know about the privates that specialize in serving kids with disabilities is that unless it is a "nonpublic placement" through the IEP process (where the public school system pays for the placement) they still don't face the same legal requirements as a public school to provide FAPE.

I know it sounds like I am super anti private schools and I'm not. I know there are specialized privates in the DC area that many parents have found to be really good fits for their kids with disabilities. I don't have personal experience with them, but OP can search this forum for them if they are interested.

However, OP asked about public schools, and for many kids with disabilities public can be the best option for some or all of their k-12 education and certainly worth trying if they are coming from another public school. There is no need to fearmonger about rushing to put in an application for
private in less than a month which is unrealistic as they'd often expect to meet with you and your kid first. Many do rolling admissions anyway.

why discount advice other than yours - which you admit you have no experience with - as fearmongering?

[Anonymous]

If you have $$$, go private.
If you don’t have big $$$, Flora Singer ES in MCPS has a welcoming school culture and decent resources. It’s also blocks from a metro stop for easy commuting to employment in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private

GTFO with your reflexive “private” comments.

I mean please, even if you are going to completing ignore the OP’s request for public options, you should name the private that does well with ASD kids. A lot of privates around here don’t even take NT 5 yr olds for K.

Why so hostile? There is probably no recommendation anyone can give that will meet OP's requirements. Certainly not one that I can give, and I have a lot of experience in different school divisions. Even if there was/is a school path with an elementary, middle and high school that is excellent for this profile, things will likely change by high school or even sooner. So my best advice is to also consider private too. The time to consider this is now because OP could live in a cheaper area in order to fund private. It's also the time of year to apply. There is no need for hostility just because you do not agree.

DP - posting the word "private" is not helpful.

I'm hardly an expert on this, but it seems a lot more complicated than this. At a private there is no legal obligation to ensure the child can access the curriculum. Special education is not perfect by any means, but I know many parents who feel the IEP services have been really valuable for their kids. Depending on the type of private, teachers may lack experience working with kids with special needs, and they may simply not admit a child with an ASD diagnosis. The best thing at public for my kid is having teachers with decades of experience and with supporting kids with different needs.

PP here. correct but there are specialized privates that cater to specific disabilty needs. OP could explore those either by asking for school recs or hiring a consultant. or both.

One thing to know about the privates that specialize in serving kids with disabilities is that unless it is a "nonpublic placement" through the IEP process (where the public school system pays for the placement) they still don't face the same legal requirements as a public school to provide FAPE.

I know it sounds like I am super anti private schools and I'm not. I know there are specialized privates in the DC area that many parents have found to be really good fits for their kids with disabilities. I don't have personal experience with them, but OP can search this forum for them if they are interested.

However, OP asked about public schools, and for many kids with disabilities public can be the best option for some or all of their k-12 education and certainly worth trying if they are coming from another public school. There is no need to fearmonger about rushing to put in an application for
private in less than a month which is unrealistic as they'd often expect to meet with you and your kid first. Many do rolling admissions anyway.

why discount advice other than yours - which you admit you have no experience with - as fearmongering?

Lady I am not discounting other people's posts. Just yours because the notion that OP should frantically apply to private schools in the next 3 weeks is preposterous.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax County is also going through boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Our experience in Arlington was that it really depended on the teacher (because the administrators were not obstructionist but also not supportive).

Wherever you end up, my biggest recommendations would be to be in a neighborhood that works for your family in terms of commute and feel.

Also, if at all possible, find housing that doesn’t max out your budget so you have some wriggle room if you need to go private for a year or longer, pay for therapy, etc.

I realize those recommendations are probably to both realistic given the cost of housing in the DMV. Good luck with everything.

[Anonymous]

OP. Thanks for the feedback.

Any other particular schools or specific neighborhoods to consider?

We will both be commuting downtown for work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private

GTFO with your reflexive “private” comments.

I mean please, even if you are going to completing ignore the OP’s request for public options, you should name the private that does well with ASD kids. A lot of privates around here don’t even take NT 5 yr olds for K.

Why so hostile? There is probably no recommendation anyone can give that will meet OP's requirements. Certainly not one that I can give, and I have a lot of experience in different school divisions. Even if there was/is a school path with an elementary, middle and high school that is excellent for this profile, things will likely change by high school or even sooner. So my best advice is to also consider private too. The time to consider this is now because OP could live in a cheaper area in order to fund private. It's also the time of year to apply. There is no need for hostility just because you do not agree.

DP - posting the word "private" is not helpful.

I'm hardly an expert on this, but it seems a lot more complicated than this. At a private there is no legal obligation to ensure the child can access the curriculum. Special education is not perfect by any means, but I know many parents who feel the IEP services have been really valuable for their kids. Depending on the type of private, teachers may lack experience working with kids with special needs, and they may simply not admit a child with an ASD diagnosis. The best thing at public for my kid is having teachers with decades of experience and with supporting kids with different needs.

PP here. correct but there are specialized privates that cater to specific disabilty needs. OP could explore those either by asking for school recs or hiring a consultant. or both.

One thing to know about the privates that specialize in serving kids with disabilities is that unless it is a "nonpublic placement" through the IEP process (where the public school system pays for the placement) they still don't face the same legal requirements as a public school to provide FAPE.

I know it sounds like I am super anti private schools and I'm not. I know there are specialized privates in the DC area that many parents have found to be really good fits for their kids with disabilities. I don't have personal experience with them, but OP can search this forum for them if they are interested.

However, OP asked about public schools, and for many kids with disabilities public can be the best option for some or all of their k-12 education and certainly worth trying if they are coming from another public school. There is no need to fearmonger about rushing to put in an application for
private in less than a month which is unrealistic as they'd often expect to meet with you and your kid first. Many do rolling admissions anyway.

why discount advice other than yours - which you admit you have no experience with - as fearmongering?

Lady I am not discounting other people's posts. Just yours because the notion that OP should frantically apply to private schools in the next 3 weeks is preposterous.

"Lady?"

Please tell us where YOU live where the public schools are so magical for kids with disabilities.

Even so, I wouldn't want to be your neighbor based on your conduct on here.

[Anonymous]

We live in NW DC and I would like to suggest you don’t discard DCPS. Our DC has ASD, an IEP and we had a wonderful experience with DC elementary schools. All the elementary schools in upper NW near Cleveland Park, Friendship Heights, etc are very good (the ones that feed into Deal or Hardy). Middle School may be a different story but there are other benefits living near work and in the city. May be worth exploring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in NW DC and I would like to suggest you don’t discard DCPS. Our DC has ASD, an IEP and we had a wonderful experience with DC elementary schools. All the elementary schools in upper NW near Cleveland Park, Friendship Heights, etc are very good (the ones that feed into Deal or Hardy). Middle School may be a different story but there are other benefits living near work and in the city. May be worth exploring.

We would love that, but what will you do for middle school and high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will take 6 months to get an iep or longer. Mcps is horrible and going through lots of changes. Bad curriculum.

Same for FCPS. And once you get the IEP- yo are really fighting for bare minimum services

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NW DC and I would like to suggest you don’t discard DCPS. Our DC has ASD, an IEP and we had a wonderful experience with DC elementary schools. All the elementary schools in upper NW near Cleveland Park, Friendship Heights, etc are very good (the ones that feed into Deal or Hardy). Middle School may be a different story but there are other benefits living near work and in the city. May be worth exploring.

We would love that, but what will you do for middle school and high school?

I'm the previous poster in NW DC. I wish I knew! Our DS progressed so much in Elementary so what you do in MS or HS may depend on what your child may need by 5th grade. We spent a year looking into "typical" and "progressive" private schools because we thought a small environment would be best for him. But we found out, time after time, that private schools like McLean, Norwood, Lowell, Field, and others wanted nothing to do with a kid with an IEP and an ASD diagnosis (2e profile) despite good grades and good recommendations. In our case, schools that cater to special needs like Commonwealth or Auburn seemed too restrictive for our child. So we decided for Deal (MS) which is a very good school academically but a bit of a zoo during lunch and recess. We thought a bigger school would have a higher probability of having students like our DS - but so far our DS has not found his tribe. Hardy (which is half the size) would have been ideal but we are not in-boundary. We'll give Deal and 6th grade a chance. Then we will re-evaluate.

I think DC parents are sometimes outnumbered in this forum and I just wanted to give DCPS credit when they deserve it.

A lot can happen between 1st and 5th grade, and it's hard to plan too far ahead. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private

GTFO with your reflexive “private” comments.

I mean please, even if you are going to completing ignore the OP’s request for public options, you should name the private that does well with ASD kids. A lot of privates around here don’t even take NT 5 yr olds for K.

Why so hostile? There is probably no recommendation anyone can give that will meet OP's requirements. Certainly not one that I can give, and I have a lot of experience in different school divisions. Even if there was/is a school path with an elementary, middle and high school that is excellent for this profile, things will likely change by high school or even sooner. So my best advice is to also consider private too. The time to consider this is now because OP could live in a cheaper area in order to fund private. It's also the time of year to apply. There is no need for hostility just because you do not agree.

DP - posting the word "private" is not helpful.

I'm hardly an expert on this, but it seems a lot more complicated than this. At a private there is no legal obligation to ensure the child can access the curriculum. Special education is not perfect by any means, but I know many parents who feel the IEP services have been really valuable for their kids. Depending on the type of private, teachers may lack experience working with kids with special needs, and they may simply not admit a child with an ASD diagnosis. The best thing at public for my kid is having teachers with decades of experience and with supporting kids with different needs.

PP here. correct but there are specialized privates that cater to specific disabilty needs. OP could explore those either by asking for school recs or hiring a consultant. or both.

One thing to know about the privates that specialize in serving kids with disabilities is that unless it is a "nonpublic placement" through the IEP process (where the public school system pays for the placement) they still don't face the same legal requirements as a public school to provide FAPE.

I know it sounds like I am super anti private schools and I'm not. I know there are specialized privates in the DC area that many parents have found to be really good fits for their kids with disabilities. I don't have personal experience with them, but OP can search this forum for them if they are interested.

However, OP asked about public schools, and for many kids with disabilities public can be the best option for some or all of their k-12 education and certainly worth trying if they are coming from another public school. There is no need to fearmonger about rushing to put in an application for
private in less than a month which is unrealistic as they'd often expect to meet with you and your kid first. Many do rolling admissions anyway.

why discount advice other than yours - which you admit you have no experience with - as fearmongering?

Lady I am not discounting other people's posts. Just yours because the notion that OP should frantically apply to private schools in the next 3 weeks is preposterous.

"Lady?"

Please tell us where YOU live where the public schools are so magical for kids with disabilities.

Even so, I wouldn't want to be your neighbor based on your conduct on here.

nothing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NW DC and I would like to suggest you don’t discard DCPS. Our DC has ASD, an IEP and we had a wonderful experience with DC elementary schools. All the elementary schools in upper NW near Cleveland Park, Friendship Heights, etc are very good (the ones that feed into Deal or Hardy). Middle School may be a different story but there are other benefits living near work and in the city. May be worth exploring.

We would love that, but what will you do for middle school and high school?

I'm the previous poster in NW DC. I wish I knew! Our DS progressed so much in Elementary so what you do in MS or HS may depend on what your child may need by 5th grade. We spent a year looking into "typical" and "progressive" private schools because we thought a small environment would be best for him. But we found out, time after time, that private schools like McLean, Norwood, Lowell, Field, and others wanted nothing to do with a kid with an IEP and an ASD diagnosis (2e profile) despite good grades and good recommendations. In our case, schools that cater to special needs like Commonwealth or Auburn seemed too restrictive for our child. So we decided for Deal (MS) which is a very good school academically but a bit of a zoo during lunch and recess. We thought a bigger school would have a higher probability of having students like our DS - but so far our DS has not found his tribe. Hardy (which is half the size) would have been ideal but we are not in-boundary. We'll give Deal and 6th grade a chance. Then we will re-evaluate.

I think DC parents are sometimes outnumbered in this forum and I just wanted to give DCPS credit when they deserve it.

A lot can happen between 1st and 5th grade, and it's hard to plan too far ahead. Good luck!

Very helpful. Thank you.

OP

[Anonymous]

Just to note, you may want to consider renting for the first years and get a sense of the neighborhoods/districts. It could provide you with some more mobility if it becomes clear that a particular school district/boundary is not working for your child; if you want to sue for private placement, etc.