DD is about to enter high school; need advice

[Anonymous]

My DD has major social issues. She has not been diagnosed as having special needs, but is viewed by most of her classmates as "odd." She has very few friends, and does not respond to social cues normally. I want to find a school (preferably in northern Virginia) that is small, supportive, and sensitive to those students who might be considered "social misfits." Does anyone have suggestions?

[Anonymous]

WOW.....I would suggest you first figure out what is going on! Have you had your daughter tested? I would strongly suggest you find a testing site that would be respected by the school you plan on sending your daughter to. Our child attends FCPS and they honor the test results from GMU. This sounds like something you want to run down before it runs you down!

[Anonymous]

Have you considered boarding school? If there are no psychological or disability related issues, it may be that your daughter has just strayed from her peers and is looking for a new social group- especially if she has attended school with these young people since early elementary. IMO boarding school is an excellent oppurtunity for self-growth and making a place for one to "fit in". My daughter attended boarding school after going to a rigorous DC independent school- and loved it. She was able to make new friends from all over the world, was encouraged to try new sports, as also had the time to devote to studies in a structured environment. IF your are looking for schools relatively near to DC or Virginia- Foxcroft School, Madeira, Chatham Hall

[Anonymous]

OP, is there any chance your DD has Asperger's?

[Anonymous]

I think she is "on the spectrum." Does anyone know of good, small private schools that are attentive to the needs of such kids? She is highly intelligent.

[Anonymous]

I cannot answer your question OP, however, my young son has a similar situation. He is not deemed to be on the spectrum, but he is very weak on recognizing and properly processing social cues. There is a program "Stepping Stones" run by a private therapy practice in Fairfax that is supposed to be very good at helping children with this type of issue. Summer is a very good time to pursue it. I agree with you that a smaller school is also a good idea ... sorry that I am not able to make a suggestion in that regard.

[Anonymous]

This is 11:32 again. I do know of one special school in NOVA called the Enterprise School. It is a high school for kids who have various mental challenges that make high school so miserable that they no longer wish to attend, have failed one or more grades, and so forth. I don't think this is at all what you need, but just wanted to make you aware of it. It is a wonderful school that performs miracles for those kids who need it. But given your proactice stance, which I applaud, you will hopefully never need the school.

[Anonymous]

11:32 AGAIN!! Sorry to keep posting, but it took me a bit to locate the web address for the Stepping Stones program I was suggesting:

www.insteppc.com

The "social IQ" stuff sounds like what your DD might benefit from ... you can call them and discuss your DD free of charge just to get an idea if they think she is a good candidate. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

You might want to look into GW Community School in Springfield, VA. A friend of mine has a son who sounds similar in some ways. He absolutely thrived there, and he had been miserable in public schools.

The New School of Northern Virginia (in Fairfax) also has a number of students with some mild 'learning differences', but I don't know enough about it to know if it would be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

OP here-- does anyone know about the Howard Gardner School in Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

OP again. Thanks so much, everyone, for your advice and concern. I'll be sure to follow up on the suggestions you've made.

[Anonymous]

11:32 again. I do drive by the Howard Gardner School each day on my way to our child's school. It is very small (about 30 kids total, I think) and it has a teepee out back, which my son finds very interesting! I believe that they start their school day at 9:00 with project type work, but actual classes don't start until 10:00 -- for those of you interested in schools with later start times for teens! The other thing I know about it (from prior web research) is that the level of math does not seem to go very high ... maybe just up to Trigonometry? It depends on your child whether that is a problem, plus it may have changed. The curriculum/teaching style is extremely hands on or experiential. The colleges the kids go to are NOT Ivy League, but probably not their goal anyway. I believe they got their first graduate into Virginia Tech this past year, so they are certainly providing a solid education.

[Anonymous]

OP, please schedule an assessment with a psychologist who is skilled with adolescents. That will give you a lot of information, as well as school suggestions.