ADHD- What schools are good?

[Anonymous]

OP,

If you're looking for private, I would look at Lab. If you want specific feedback on the three schools you mentioned, I would post in the DC Schools forum a title like "Stokes, Two Rivers, Cleveland for ADHD?"

Many people on this forum give a lot of feedback for FCPS and MCPS. I think less so for DC.

[Anonymous]

That is helpful. Thank you

[Anonymous]

For private Commonwealth could also be a good choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

a behavioiur chart isn't the end all be all. It does help my child, and is a relatively simply technique. Their is a behavioural goal in the IEP, but they have no strategy or counter proposals ans I simply want them to implement it so we can assess if it works (which it does for my child). If it didn't then we would need to do something else. My problem is that their is no strategy they offer and mine they don't do. We have an FBA. They won't write any strategies into the IEP, just the goals. So he gets pull out services, but doesn't have the structurs and supports he needs in the classrooom...

Also, my questions were about schools that do a good job managing ADHD...which no one has helped to answer.

well, we needed some further background. Also you're playing the lottery so it makes sense to exhaust your options at your school before you go there - unless you just won a spot at one of the named schools in the lottery. In which case you could just ask about that school.

The strategies shouldn't be written into the IEP. They should be in a behavior support plan that everyone is on board with. You can call an IEP meeting at any time. Sounds like you need to do that.

If your charter is not providing FAPE, you can file a complaint with OSSE. If they don't provide FAPE after that, you can look at private placement, from what I understand.

[Anonymous]

PS He should have accommodations etc written into the IEP. Call a meeting! If that doesn't work file a complaint with OSSE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For private Commonwealth could also be a good choice.

+1. And the drive id do-able from OP's location.

[Anonymous]

My kid is at a DC PCS, and I would say one big issue is the relative inexperience of the teaching staff. In my experience, it's been really difficult to educate the teaching staff about ADHD and the different ways it impacts on my kid's classroom experience. We have often encountered teachers who see the problematic behaviors as matters of will, pure and simple, and who have even expressed doubt that my kid has ADHD (and this despite a diagnosis confirmed by two rounds of psychoeducational testing plus confirmation by a psychiatrist).

One way into your question, then, would be to ask about teacher experience (and teacher turnover) at each and every PCS that interests you, about the amount of in-service training that the school gives about SpEd issues, about the structures of communication between the inclusion office and the classroom teachers, and--pretty important--about the disciplinary policies relating to SpEd students. For that last question, ask whether there is anyone in admin who sees themselves as an advocate for SpEd students, who in the MS grades especially get disciplined in disproportion to their numbers.

If you have an IEP with behavior goals, you should have a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) that outlines strategies for addressing the problem behaviors. With a BIP, the team meets every 6 weeks or so to go over data about whether he is meeting the goals and how often he is using the strategies that they have set up for him. Is that the piece of the process you are missing?

[Anonymous]

Op, we're having the same discussion in our house. We're thinking of moving to takoma park.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think someone previously asked if you can afford private. There are several good privates that are highly skilled in working with bright kids with ADHD and need support executive function skills, namely Commonwealth Academy and the McLean School. Public schools can be hit or miss and inconsistent from grade to grade.

[Anonymous]

Is it too late for the fall for Commonwealth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think someone previously asked if you can afford private. There are several good privates that are highly skilled in working with bright kids with ADHD and need support executive function skills, namely Commonwealth Academy and the McLean School. Public schools can be hit or miss and inconsistent from grade to grade.

OP should visit these schools.

When we visited SN schools (not Comminwealth or McLean) the academics were not particularly impressive and going from an immersion language charter, our kid would no longer be learning the target language.

It sounds like your school is not following the BIP and you should consider exhausting your remedies before jumping to another charter bc just changing schools probably will not solve your problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it too late for the fall for Commonwealth?

Call the director of admissions, Josh Gwilliam, tomorrow. I believe the school is at capacity but at this time of year, you never know. His number is [phone].

[Anonymous]

Fops have been good for my kiddo. Of course, I used an advocate and I visit once a month. IEP and FBA (although informal :/)

[Anonymous]

I have two kids in FCPS with an IEP for ADHD. FCPS has been very good to my kids, but I appreciate that this is not everyone's experience.

[Anonymous]

^^ Did you actually get an IEP "just" for ADHD (no other comorbidities?). In my experience that's unusual. We had an IEP in FCPS but child was on the spectrum, ADHD and anxiety.