REAL DEAL info on the Lab School please

[back_in_dc]

I am looking at the Lab School for my son who has ADHD. He is in another private school where they have developed an IEP for him to help him, but I feel like their efforts to "accommodate" him are different than being an environment where the educational experience is designed to help him flourish. That's why I started looking at the Lab school. However, a social worker friend of mine who knows my son urged me to tread carefully because she indicated that there are some kids with serious emotional problems, Aspbergers and other types of disabilities that are so far down the spectrum from my son's condition, that it may not be the best experience for him. Can anyone help me with more info? Is the Lab School the best place for a hyperactive kid with the tendency to get distracted and not finish work? Or will I be doing him a disservice by having him in a school with kids who are so far down the spectrum, the entire learning experience is different and abnormal by traditional standards? I don't think my kid is *that* different. He just has issues with impatience (he blurts out answers instead of waiting to be called on) and is fidgety and anxious. He is compassionate, kind and sweet and his teachers love him. Is it better to just leave him in an environment where they have an IEP in place for him? Some days I feel like he is just left of normal, some days I feel like he is completely normal. But from what I hear, all the Lab School kids are WAY left of normal and I fear that would make him feel more odd.

help?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to swallow hard here because of the implication that being around kids who are "way left of normal" is some kind of disaster or that "serious emotional problems, Aspergers and other types of disabilities" makes any sense as some kind of grouping. My DS has AS which is nothing like having "serious emotional problems". And since Lab is a SN school, everyone there has some type of disability. I suppose you got this from your social worker friend, but your post reads like our kids will somehow poison yours.

Your social worker friend is way, way off base. Lab is a school for kids with learning disabilities. They claim they don't even take kids with ASDs (though there are some there) and they don't take kids with serious emotional issues. Its really best for kids with processing issues, pure LD issues. For a child with ADHD I would look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

OP you may want to consider the McLean School of MD.

[Anonymous]

I agree OP was offensive, and OP should consider McLean.

[Anonymous]

I visited McLean and Lab for my ADHD son who fits the description OP provided of her son. I thought McLean was much more suitable for him. He was accepted to both and we chose McLean. Also, don't look to Lab to provide any FA. I viewed it as affordable to the wealthy or those who can obtain public outplacement funding.

[Anonymous]

There are kids at Lab whose primary LD is ADHD. Others might have dyslexia, speech delays, dyscalculia (which is like the numbers version of dyslexia). Take a tour. Have your kid visit. It really is a fantastic school and very hard to get into to.

OP, I think your friend has schools mixed up and knows crap about learning disabilities and/or autism. The Frost School is a school for children with emotional/behavior issues who are not necessarily autistic. Also, just b/c a kid is on the spectrum does not mean they have emotional/behavioral issues.

Please tread more sensitively when using terms "normal." You sound incredibly ignorant.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why Lab is hard to get into. They can accept but if you don't have a base $37,500 to fork over for tuition, then it won't matter if you are accepted. I applied for twins, who were accepted, and they told us we did not qualify for financial aid on a tuition of $75,000 a year. And, we are by no means wealthy.

[back_in_dc]

OP here. Apologies, as I did NOT mean to be offensive at all. I think, reasonably, most folks ought to know what I mean. NO, kids with severe disabilities will not "poison" mine. But schools that are structured for kids with severe disabilities often don't support normal school programs - sports, regular extra curriculars, etc. I do not know if this is the case with the Lab School, which is why I asked for info. If I offended you, charge it to my head and not my heart. Thank you for the info about the McLean School as well. I sincerely appreciate all info.

[back_in_dc]

Anonymous wrote:I visited McLean and Lab for my ADHD son who fits the description OP provided of her son. I thought McLean was much more suitable for him. He was accepted to both and we chose McLean. Also, don't look to Lab to provide any FA. I viewed it as affordable to the wealthy or those who can obtain public outplacement funding.

Thank you! This was the most helpful of all the responses!

[Anonymous]

Also note that the Lab School is Arts based and if your DC is more STEM oriented, it might not be the best place.

[Anonymous]

Yes, Lab has all regular extra curricular activities--sports, etc.

Also, both Lab and McLean have summer programs. Many kids come from all over, so it may not be representative of the students who attend during the school year, however you'll get a good sense of teaching approaches, staff, etc.

FYI, for future, the term is "typically developing" vs. "normal."

[Anonymous]

I also think you will have a better sense of the REAL DEAL by going and looking on your own and deciding if its the right fit for your child.

[back_in_dc]

OP here, thanks for even more great info. I am now visiting both Lab and McLean. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Chances of getting are also dependent on if it is an expansion year or not. Otherwise attrition are the only possible openings. SInce they would like to have as much diversity as possible (gender, ethnic, moderate vs profound, different types of LD........). With a very limited number of students per grade, it is very difficult to get and maintain the level of diversity they wish to attain.

[Anonymous]

Several (or more) families left McLean in the last few years due to dissatisfaction. I don't know the reasons but you should read about McLean on this forum. There is also a school in VA called Compass that you may want to check out. (Or maybe not Compass...something that starts with a C--I know they help kids with exec functioning issues). You might also watch your child over the next year or so. It is my understanding that attention does improve over the adolescent years. There is also Nora School for HS.