Do private schools take kids with ADHD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

That was unkind, PP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

My child was nearly counseled out of private pre-k. It was horrible and semi-traumatic for all of us but it was only later I realized how badly it was affecting my child. Please don’t do that to your child because you want a specific private school.

FWIW my kid has absolutely flourished in our public elementary school with an IEP. It’s so great to feel like they have to work with you instead of being able to kick your kid out for an easier kid for basically any reason. We have no plans to switch out until possibly high school.

[Anonymous]

In our experience yes, but we only applied for high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

That was unkind, PP

NP. I sort of had the same reaction—that you can’t really completely shelter your child with ADHD from some of the difficulties she will face. And actually, it’s not bad to get used to facing some challenges and figuring out how to navigate them.

The other thing that occurred to me is that sometimes kids with ADHD don’t thrive in small schools because of the smaller pool of available friends. It might be more likely that she would find her tribe in a bigger public, simply by paying attention to who gets services or preferential seating at the school along with her.

Just some food for thought. I know it’s scary now and figuring schools out is a nerve wracking experience, so I wish you much luck on this journey OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

That was unkind, PP

NP. I sort of had the same reaction—that you can’t really completely shelter your child with ADHD from some of the difficulties she will face. And actually, it’s not bad to get used to facing some challenges and figuring out how to navigate them.

The other thing that occurred to me is that sometimes kids with ADHD don’t thrive in small schools because of the smaller pool of available friends. It might be more likely that she would find her tribe in a bigger public, simply by paying attention to who gets services or preferential seating at the school along with her.

Just some food for thought. I know it’s scary now and figuring schools out is a nerve wracking experience, so I wish you much luck on this journey OP.

You have a point. But many parents with financial means do shelter kids who are shy, quirky, dyslexic, depressed, what have you. And when they are more mature by the end of high school many of them go on into the world ok. In this case, since there is ADHD diagnosis (and often with ASD diagnosis), there is a barrier to entry into privates.

On the pool of friends - you can find them in activities outside of school, I would not go to a huge public solely on the hope that there will be more friends. There maybe more bullying too, and teachers who are overstretched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ADHD depending on the kid. But you better hope there's no potential for autism because they'll screen the child out asap.

NP. Do you know why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ADHD depending on the kid. But you better hope there's no potential for autism because they'll screen the child out asap.

NP. Do you know why?

Is this a real question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ADHD depending on the kid. But you better hope there's no potential for autism because they'll screen the child out asap.

NP. Do you know why?

I think because they don't have special education staff and IEP-level capabilities. It's easier to screen out at admission stage than to counsel out once the child is attending school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ADHD depending on the kid. But you better hope there's no potential for autism because they'll screen the child out asap.

NP. Do you know why?

Is this a real question?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ADHD depending on the kid. But you better hope there's no potential for autism because they'll screen the child out asap.

NP. Do you know why?

NP All top private schools in Manhattan screen out autism since preK. Look at questions such as do they have good eye contact/how are their transitions/do they initiate play. They don’t want to deal with the hassle. I have a super bright and verbal kid with level 1 autism and was told to not even think about applying to the top tier schools because they’ll never take him. I will just not disclose it personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

That was unkind, PP

+1. OP clearly has the money to avoid that outcome. It's very unfair for a child of means to be subjected to public school

[Anonymous]

I have a high schooler at a top DC private who was diagnosed after being admitted in 9th grade.
He is very bright but the workload is very difficult for him to manage. Even medicated he often doesn't have the attention for the amount of reading (and homework in general) that is assigned.
I have another child who does not have ADHD who is probably not as intelligent as my child with ADHD but this kid is a better fit for this school. He/she can just slog through the readings for hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high schooler at a top DC private who was diagnosed after being admitted in 9th grade.
He is very bright but the workload is very difficult for him to manage. Even medicated he often doesn't have the attention for the amount of reading (and homework in general) that is assigned.
I have another child who does not have ADHD who is probably not as intelligent as my child with ADHD but this kid is a better fit for this school. He/she can just slog through the readings for hours.

Huh. Same situation here I fear. Are you going to leave the adhd in the grind school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really want to disclose this at the front and hear if they are willing to accommodate. Do not try to sneak your kid in to a school that won't accommodate him, you are asking for trouble down the road. If your child has ADHD and the school doesn't have resources to support them, you need to know that before you commit. Don't put your kid in an environment where he will fail.

PP here. Yeah, part of me believes this. The other part of me is concerned that my daughter won't be accepted anywhere solely based on her diagnosis, and then she'll end up in a huge public school with a lot of disruptive students and teachers who are stretched to the breaking point and a lot of busy work and all of that will be completely disastrous for her.

Welcome to the world.

That was unkind, PP

NP. I sort of had the same reaction—that you can’t really completely shelter your child with ADHD from some of the difficulties she will face. And actually, it’s not bad to get used to facing some challenges and figuring out how to navigate them.

The other thing that occurred to me is that sometimes kids with ADHD don’t thrive in small schools because of the smaller pool of available friends. It might be more likely that she would find her tribe in a bigger public, simply by paying attention to who gets services or preferential seating at the school along with her.

Just some food for thought. I know it’s scary now and figuring schools out is a nerve wracking experience, so I wish you much luck on this journey OP.

This is exactly why we are moving DC to public for early elementary. after two years he feels “weird” and isolated at his current private with small classes and limited opportunities for finding his tribe. He’s Super athletic and social and private is not full of kids like that. We are not disclosing his diagnosis to public.