The McLean School: ASD kids need not apply

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you met many children with autism that don’t have ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or executive functioning deficits? It’s like a completely different category than ADHD with some mild ASD symptoms. They really need to change the DSM to have better differentiation. McLean is a good school, sorry it’s not a good fit for your child.

DP. I have a child with ASD that does not have ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia or executive functioning deficits. I also have a child with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD related to the dyslexia, and anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16:15. Thanks for the feedback. If you don't mind my asking, is it Commonwealth?

No, we moved way out of state. Your question shows how common this is! I think this is something that is happening at a lot of places as independent schools try to figure out what they can and cannot do- especially in a time when teacher recruitment and retention is challenging and declining birth rates are starting to put pressure on admissions. Public school funding issues are only going to drive more interest among 2e families to find other options, but many independent schools are out of their depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A private school has a right to serve a certain segment of the population as long as it doesn’t discriminate.

Just based on what you report the school doesn’t say - we don’t accept students with autism so don’t apply. They said “ But the co-head of school said that the school does not serve ASD kids well”. You need to focus on the “well”

So why are you so upset? If your child doesn’t have many characteristics of autism at school then the school might in fact accept your child because the school might serve them well.

Not all private schools can be everything to everyone.

Saying in public that the school doesn't serve ASD students "well" is a way to discourage ASD students from applying. Could you imagine if a school said, "we don't serve african-american students well"? Or if a school said we don't serve non-native English speakers well? Or "we don't serve blind kids well"

Saying "we don't serve ASD students well" is disability discrimination. Even private schools have to comply with the ADA, which requires them to make "reasonable accommodations". The decision about what accommodations are necessary and "reasonable" needs to be made on an individualized basis -- not on the basis of diagnosis. No one is in a position to say, "all ASD students need X accommodation, which is always unreasonable and therefore no ASD students have to be admitted to this school."

It is also a different thing to say, "we have evaluated your child (or read the evaluation reports), and it seems clear that your child needs XYZ kinds of instruction, which we are not qualified to offer and/or which would require hiring an unreasonable amount of staff or spending an unreasonable amount of time in instruction just for your kid and/or we offer another kind of instruction that is not beneficial to your kid."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This co-head is an interim and is only there until the new head comes next summer. From my understanding, no one is happy about the co-head situation at the school.

I have no idea why she was speaking for the admissions director but please know that there are students at McLean with autism in their profile.

Exactly. You are giving way too much power to the words of someone who is only co-head for a minute.

[Anonymous]

Do you know who else they turn away? Kids with Tourette’s. We looked for DS who had a mostly remediated LD and TS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP: how is it abelist and wrong? Some kids with autism are nonverbal and cannot attend school. Other kids can attend mainstream schools without any support. And kids fall anywhere in between. When you get an autism diagnosis, it's literally measured on a numerical system. It's called Autism SPECTRUM Disorder. The accommodations recommended for ASD kids are largely based on that measure. Do you really think a kid who can function in a mainstream school is the same as a kid who can't speak, wears diapers, and requires a caregiver? They are all the same? We measure intelligence on a scale. Is that ableist? We measure executive functioning skills on a scale, too. Is any measure ableist? When I say "high-functioning," I'm referring to a kid at the end of the spectrum who needs little to no supports. Honestly, that's like saying that describing someone as having a "stage" of cancer is wrong because anyone who has cancer just has cancer.

OP- a couple of helpful tips. Identify yourself as the OP when you post and tap the blue “quote” button on the upper right of a post to which you are responding. It makes a thread more cohesive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP, it appears your rigidity is making you lose track of what's actually going to happen in practice.

If you're looking for executive functioning help for a kid who also has a mild autism that manifests itself as a slight quirkiness in school, then this school is telling you that it can work. MANY kids have that ADHD/ASD profile.

What they're telling you is that they don't want to address autistic struggles with too many sensory issues, non-compliance with directions, lack of academic skills, etc. They don't want to address aggression or violence, whether it's related to ADHD or ASD on paper.

Since you described your son as mildly ASD, you'll have to weigh whether that works for you. I don't know your kid, but it seems as if this school would be a good fit.

Huh? The school clearly said they don’t serve kids on the spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP: how is it abelist and wrong? Some kids with autism are nonverbal and cannot attend school. Other kids can attend mainstream schools without any support. And kids fall anywhere in between. When you get an autism diagnosis, it's literally measured on a numerical system. It's called Autism SPECTRUM Disorder. The accommodations recommended for ASD kids are largely based on that measure. Do you really think a kid who can function in a mainstream school is the same as a kid who can't speak, wears diapers, and requires a caregiver? They are all the same? We measure intelligence on a scale. Is that ableist? We measure executive functioning skills on a scale, too. Is any measure ableist? When I say "high-functioning," I'm referring to a kid at the end of the spectrum who needs little to no supports. Honestly, that's like saying that describing someone as having a "stage" of cancer is wrong because anyone who has cancer just has cancer.

Nothing about autism is mild though realistically speaking. Even “high functioning” autism still impacts an individual’s life on a daily basis. It still requires hours upon hours of interventions, constant hard work from the individual with autism, nothing high functioning or mild about it. I don’t mind the term personally and don’t think it’s ableist but never forget the fact that high functioning or mild or level 1 autism is anything but difficult. Sure it’s a different set of challenges than level 2 or 3 or other disabilities but the challenges are real and often debilitating even if others consider it mild.

… and so does ADHD. Mclean seems to view autism as a stigmatizing diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP: how is it abelist and wrong? Some kids with autism are nonverbal and cannot attend school. Other kids can attend mainstream schools without any support. And kids fall anywhere in between. When you get an autism diagnosis, it's literally measured on a numerical system. It's called Autism SPECTRUM Disorder. The accommodations recommended for ASD kids are largely based on that measure. Do you really think a kid who can function in a mainstream school is the same as a kid who can't speak, wears diapers, and requires a caregiver? They are all the same? We measure intelligence on a scale. Is that ableist? We measure executive functioning skills on a scale, too. Is any measure ableist? When I say "high-functioning," I'm referring to a kid at the end of the spectrum who needs little to no supports. Honestly, that's like saying that describing someone as having a "stage" of cancer is wrong because anyone who has cancer just has cancer.

OP- a couple of helpful tips. Identify yourself as the OP when you post and tap the blue “quote” button on the upper right of a post to which you are responding. It makes a thread more cohesive.

Thanks! I'm a rookie. So sorry that I messed up the string.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP: how is it abelist and wrong? Some kids with autism are nonverbal and cannot attend school. Other kids can attend mainstream schools without any support. And kids fall anywhere in between. When you get an autism diagnosis, it's literally measured on a numerical system. It's called Autism SPECTRUM Disorder. The accommodations recommended for ASD kids are largely based on that measure. Do you really think a kid who can function in a mainstream school is the same as a kid who can't speak, wears diapers, and requires a caregiver? They are all the same? We measure intelligence on a scale. Is that ableist? We measure executive functioning skills on a scale, too. Is any measure ableist? When I say "high-functioning," I'm referring to a kid at the end of the spectrum who needs little to no supports. Honestly, that's like saying that describing someone as having a "stage" of cancer is wrong because anyone who has cancer just has cancer.

OP- a couple of helpful tips. Identify yourself as the OP when you post and tap the blue “quote” button on the upper right of a post to which you are responding. It makes a thread more cohesive.

Thanks! I'm a rookie. So sorry that I messed up the string.

No worries- it wasn’t meant to be harsh. The quote is much easier than listing the post time.
I hope you find the right school for your DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A private school has a right to serve a certain segment of the population as long as it doesn’t discriminate.

Just based on what you report the school doesn’t say - we don’t accept students with autism so don’t apply. They said “ But the co-head of school said that the school does not serve ASD kids well”. You need to focus on the “well”

So why are you so upset? If your child doesn’t have many characteristics of autism at school then the school might in fact accept your child because the school might serve them well.

Not all private schools can be everything to everyone.

Saying in public that the school doesn't serve ASD students "well" is a way to discourage ASD students from applying. Could you imagine if a school said, "we don't serve african-american students well"? Or if a school said we don't serve non-native English speakers well? Or "we don't serve blind kids well"

Saying "we don't serve ASD students well" is disability discrimination. Even private schools have to comply with the ADA, which requires them to make "reasonable accommodations". The decision about what accommodations are necessary and "reasonable" needs to be made on an individualized basis -- not on the basis of diagnosis. No one is in a position to say, "all ASD students need X accommodation, which is always unreasonable and therefore no ASD students have to be admitted to this school."

It is also a different thing to say, "we have evaluated your child (or read the evaluation reports), and it seems clear that your child needs XYZ kinds of instruction, which we are not qualified to offer and/or which would require hiring an unreasonable amount of staff or spending an unreasonable amount of time in instruction just for your kid and/or we offer another kind of instruction that is not beneficial to your kid."

Private schools can say we don’t serve students who are learning English or a private school might be located in a historic building without upgrades, uneven floors, dropoffs so they would not serve a blind student well. The school didn’t say they don’t accept students with autism.

In order to be diagnosed with ASD you have to meet dsm criteria so a school can say we don’t do well with those who meet diagnostic criteria for ASD according to DSM-5, which is child MUST have persistent deficits in each of three areas of social communication and interaction. Maybe that isn’t their focus and they are OFTEN (not always) unable to provide reasonable accommodations. So they are giving fair warning.

[Anonymous]

So the OP said McLean doesn’t serve ASD kids well, not that they don’t serve ASD kids at all. McLean also explained what population they do serve well.

OP also said the school evaluates on an individual basis, but rather than go through that process they walked out. How do we know if the school would or wouldn’t serve a child with the profile in question if they don’t apply?

If your kid doesn’t fit the school profile fine, but attacking a school for being honest about the populations they can serve well or not serve well sounds ridiculous. Given the context of this being an informational meeting, it seems some people are getting upset about semantics. At least apply first then complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This co-head is an interim and is only there until the new head comes next summer. From my understanding, no one is happy about the co-head situation at the school.

I have no idea why she was speaking for the admissions director but please know that there are students at McLean with autism in their profile.

My child is at a different school far away with a very similar profile to McLean. The past few years have a time of a lot of change in our student body. At some point just before the pandemic our K-8 school became known of being quietly good at accommodating neurodiversity. Unfortunately this was true for the then 2-3 neurodiverse students in each grade but it wasn’t scalable. As more families with kids with higher (and often undeclared) needs sought the school out during and after the pandemic, it didn’t have the resources for grades with 25% of students needing accommodations. Families of typical learners got mad because they sensed- possibly inaccurately- that resources were disproportionally going to neurodiverse students. By late elementary/middle school, there are now a lot of kids applying out to 5-12 and 6-12 schools because of socially imbalanced grades. When you have a grade of 35 kids and 5 kids of each gender are missing social cues or not interacting in the same way as others, middle school spidey sense is activated. Kids know, and middle school kids aren’t as kind or patient towards their different classmates as they were in 1st grade.

Our head of school hasn’t yet stood up and say “we can’t accommodate kids with autism” but that is probably the next step in terms of managing enrollment, retention, and resources. It’s a nasty thing to do at an open house that includes students, though. I’m sorry, OP.

Interesting perspective. Sounds like you found a good school that’s trying to accommodate everyone. Unfortunately that’s almost impossible especially in the higher grades like you stated. Hopefully they can create a couple ND classrooms rather than denying their applications completely or chasing away the more NT kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has an ADHD/mild ASD diagnosis. We went to the McLean School Open House this morning. We thought it might be a good fit for ninth grade because it advertises itself as serving ADHD kids with the types of accommodations DC receives in middle school.

Here's how McLean markets itself (from its website):

"Each application is assessed on an individual basis to ensure that McLean is able to meet the needs of our students. While McLean provides embedded academic support in the classroom, we are most successful with bright students whose primary challenge is not behavioral, social, or emotional."

DC's primary challenges are executive-functioning related. DC has a very slow processing speed. With accommodations, DC is getting straight As and is taking Algebra in eighth grade.

We thought, cool. This could work.

Nope.

During her presentation, the co-head of school said: "Here's who we do well serving: Kids with ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or executive functioning deficits. Here's who we do not service well: Kids on the autism spectrum." Categorically.

As anyone with a special needs kid knows, lots of ADHD kids have pretty serious behavioral/social/emotional issues, and a lot of ASD kids don't. Indeed, as they say, "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."

My daughter was sitting next to me in a room of parents and prospective students when the head of school made this statement. She was mortified. Why would you make that statement to a group of middle-school and high-school kids who might have an ASD diagnosis?

If McLean doesn't want kids with ASD, then it should say so on its website. The primary challenge for many ADHD/ASD kids is not "behavioral, social, or emotional." They might be socially awkward, but they have friends, play sports, and function well in a mainstream environment." Or, if the school is willing to take ASD kids who do not have "behavioral/social/emotional issues," then do not state that as a category, you do not serve ASD kids well.

It really sucked for my kid to go to an open house, only to hear, "You're not welcome here." We walked out.

McLean in its presentation stated that is not a "therapeutic school," even though it provides all the supports that kids get in their public school 504 plans and IEPs. My take is that McLean is concerned that if it takes ASD kids (whether they'll do well there or not), it will be viewed as a "therapeutic school." ADHD is fine, but ASD has a stigma attached.

In any event, if you have an ASD kid, don't go to the open house. Don't apply. The school seems...mean.

OP, we had a kid at McLean School well over a decade ago. It has never taken kids on the spectrum. Here's what it says. https://www.mcleanschool.org/academics/. Where does it say "ASD"? You should have picked up the phone and called.

Did you miss the PP who stated their McLean student has classmates with ASD?

Not at all. Have you ever sat on a SN school board? Or done admissions work? Did you know that a lot of diagnoses don't pop up until after a child is accepted into a school? Testing only shows so much. Often behavioral problems not present in the admissions profile or interview present themselves after admissions. Then the child has to be sadly counseled out. During my DD's time at The McLean School, two girls and a boy in her class were asked to leave because ASD issues developed. Did you know that ADHD and ASD present later for girls? I could go on and on.

Oh, did you also know that McLean school takes about 50% siblings and those often have NO diagnosis or a more problematic one but the school takes the child in the hope that it works out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to wit:"Our Abilities Model® starts with gifts and helps all students — conventional learners as well as those with challenges such as dyslexia, anxiety, and ADHD, or organizational challenges".

That is not on the spectrum.

NP. I have a DC with ASD (mild, sorry not sorry), who is on/above grade level, and some some executive functioning and organizational challenges. I would read the above and think it would be a good fit for my DC - until they say out loud that they do not take kids with ASD. Okay, then, no. We would walk out then too.

I disagree. I am reading "dyslexia, anxiety and ADHD, or organizational challenges". THAT does not say on the spectrum. Each SN school in the area has its own mission statement. You need to READ the statement and if confused, call. The McLean School has always in my mind been clear on autism. So you go look at Ivymont or the other area schools that specialize in that. For the same reason, Commonwealth Academy clearly states as its mission statement that it is for average to gifted kids with ADHD. It, too, will steer clear of ASD because its teachers are not equipped to teach to that set of issues.

CALL AND ASK THE School first. Don't blast them here.

I have nothing to do with the McLean School but think OP was grossly unfair. She should have read the particulars and if confused call and ask.