Private schools for kids with dyslexia + ADHD?
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Anonymous
We are truly at a loss of what to do with our 2e daughter. Seriously dyslexic, extremely bright, does not meet Adhd diagnosis but I have my suspensions. She is bright, fun, friendly, and happy at school. OG tutor is pushing for Sienna. Neuropsych says that the specialized schools work but can be socially devastating for a typical (read non-neurodiverse) kid. She does not recommend McClean due to the new inclusion of kids with social-emotional issues making it a chaotic learning environment for now. I am hearing the Catholic schools such as st. Bart's, DeChantal, and Mercy are a good middle ground. The tutor says she will regress and we will regret it. I am at a total loss for direction. |
Anonymous
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Sienna is a sad little place. The facility is very dark and the outside reeks of highway fumes and noise pollution from 495. The neighborhood isn't great limiting independence as they grow. The traffic is absurd.
The strategic education is solid and the kids will learn, but yo only learn in a specialized setting. I would love the stats of the failure rate of college, and how many finished in 4 years. The price point is high and the gadgets reflect the cost to some degree. It is an ideal special ed set up. You have to accept that your kid is special in the old school sense to send them there. It is a bit culty so do not expect a well rounded environment or typical kids. That is not yheir customer base. I would love to hear about how other socially gifted but dyslexic kids found the school but my daughter sobbed and felt like she was being punished. |
Anonymous
What are the reasons for the push for a change? |
Anonymous
She is behind academically despite her IQ. Every expert from the pediatrician on seems to have a strong and differing opinion. |
Anonymous
| Did you already say her age? Generally social fit and happiness are paramount for me, but if she’s in second or third grade and not reading close to grade level, I would prioritize addressing that, regardless of social fit. It just gets worse and worse to struggle with reading in upper elem and MS and has huge impacts on self esteem and mental health. |
Anonymous
| If she’s behind academically at a mainstream K-8, wouldn’t that mean she needs more support/tutoring? It’s not the time to think about “more rigorous” mainstream schools. |
Anonymous
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Holy Child- They offer lots of support from what I have heard and kids are happy.
St. John's also has the Benilde program which is enough for some kids. St. Andrews no longer wants kids who need learning support. When I asked about the school for dyslexic son at an open house - I was told to not apply, because they didn't want to waste my time. (They literally knew nothing about my kid other than the word "dyslexic".) |
Anonymous
That’s very sad to hear about St Andrew’s. |
Anonymous
Just because this is getting confusing, you’re not OP, correct? Just hooking on to a similar but opposite issue in that you have a bright 2e kid who isn’t doing well and likely needs *less* rigor, at least until academic results stabilize? Also, the way you phrase your statement that Siena and schools like it can be devastating for non-neurodiverse kids is strange—you have a neurodiverse kid. |
Anonymous
| Not Catholic unless they have a specific program. Otherwise you will spend tons of time and money on outside services plus the regular homework. I’d go with a public with no homework and put the extra time and money towards specialized tutoring services. |
Anonymous
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Let's seperate dyslexia from neurodiversity. A child can have dyslexia and be otherwise completely typically functioning. While there is oftern some co-morbidity, their are a number of dyslexic kids that do not have ADD+ issues, ASD issues, social-emotional issues, etc.
These kids can be extremely hard to place. They are in need of academic coaching and in most cases remediation, especially if they are smart and have a high EQ as well. They are often late to diagnosis with excellent coping skills. A school like Siena is not a good fit. They are not set up for a typically developing child. They are set up for the child with co-morbities of some kid and are harmful to the child that needs only dyslexia intervention. There is also some progressive political controvery there that is talked about in my circle of special needs families. A school like McC is better socially but does not specialize. A public school does not have enough support and the kids will be lumped in with the behavior problems. A catholic school with an IEP may be a good fit if large enough and you get a spot. But, depending on the level of LD may not be enough so you are paying tuition plus tutors. I feel for the parents of the single dx kid. There are no good answers. |
Anonymous
Like anything, neurodiversity is a spectrum and learning differences like dyslexia are part of that. But even if you want to argue otherwise, the PP says their child has dyslexia and they suspect ADHD. Siena may still not be a good fit if the school focuses on behaviorally neurodiverse children, but that sounds like neurodiversity to me. Also, “McC” is not a thing. The school is the McLean School, not McClean. |
Anonymous
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OP here: I want to clarify that I am not the player who says she doesn’t know where to place her child.
My kid has a definite dyslexia and ADHD diagnosis. She’s currently in 1st grade at a K-8. I posted because I’m thinking about what options we might have moving forward. She has a high IQ (99th percentile overall and maxed out the test on visual-spatial reasoning). |
Anonymous
So, what you're saying is....you don't know where to send your kid. |
Anonymous
No. I am trying to do some thinking about the future, to get a sense of our options. I wanted to know whether there are schools that simply will not serve students with LDs. The other poster is in a much more immediate situation because she believes her child’s current school is not serving her needs. |