Children with Autism at the fabulous 4

[Anonymous]

my son does not have Asbergers (or at least diagnosed) but he has some tendencies. He is at STA and flourishing -- and I would recommend it most highly for your gifted student/artist/athlete. I would be careful about Sidwell. GDS might be a better fit as your son will be able to pursue his strengths. Maret is so small, the class size would worry me given my own son and his ability to interact and make friends. We needed more kids to choose from for him to find his right space.

One thing a PP mentioned was the single sex part. Girls in the classroom adds a whole different dimension especially in the almost teenager years. You never said what grade your son applied to, but I might assume where all the schools have an opening (perhaps 7th?). If this is the case, the dynamics of a coed classroom really manifest, as it is not as "cool" to be smart sometimes. Plus, boys tend to tease other boys more in front of girls to make themselves look better. This happens a lot at Sidwell. Read up on the benefits of a single sex classroom, and it might make sense given your son's diagnosis and social abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my son does not have Asbergers (or at least diagnosed) but he has some tendencies. He is at STA and flourishing -- and I would recommend it most highly for your gifted student/artist/athlete. I would be careful about Sidwell. GDS might be a better fit as your son will be able to pursue his strengths. Maret is so small, the class size would worry me given my own son and his ability to interact and make friends. We needed more kids to choose from for him to find his right space.

One thing a PP mentioned was the single sex part. Girls in the classroom adds a whole different dimension especially in the almost teenager years. You never said what grade your son applied to, but I might assume where all the schools have an opening (perhaps 7th?). If this is the case, the dynamics of a coed classroom really manifest, as it is not as "cool" to be smart sometimes. Plus, boys tend to tease other boys more in front of girls to make themselves look better. This happens a lot at Sidwell. Read up on the benefits of a single sex classroom, and it might make sense given your son's diagnosis and social abilities.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my son does not have Asbergers (or at least diagnosed) but he has some tendencies. He is at STA and flourishing -- and I would recommend it most highly for your gifted student/artist/athlete. I would be careful about Sidwell. GDS might be a better fit as your son will be able to pursue his strengths. Maret is so small, the class size would worry me given my own son and his ability to interact and make friends. We needed more kids to choose from for him to find his right space.

One thing a PP mentioned was the single sex part. Girls in the classroom adds a whole different dimension especially in the almost teenager years. You never said what grade your son applied to, but I might assume where all the schools have an opening (perhaps 7th?). If this is the case, the dynamics of a coed classroom really manifest, as it is not as "cool" to be smart sometimes. Plus, boys tend to tease other boys more in front of girls to make themselves look better. This happens a lot at Sidwell. Read up on the benefits of a single sex classroom, and it might make sense given your son's diagnosis and social abilities.

Thanks for this info. What grade is your son in at STA and what grade did your son start at STA?