TC Williams and ADHD kid?

[Anonymous]

DD is very bright, loves to read, very sociable but kind of quiet and spacy, not super-well organized, often shy in class and with teachers. Diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and currently gets some accomodations (extra time on tests, desk up close to teacher, that kind of thing). Any thoughts on how a kid like DD might do at TC?

(Please, no TC bashing from people whose kids don't go there. I know the statistics; I know the demographics. I would like to hear from parents whose children attend or recently attended TC).

thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am a huge TC fan; not a current parent but soon will be and I know the school well. Relatively mild ADHD is not likely to be an issue, but you emphatically should call the school counselors' office and ask for direct engagement. They'll be responsive, but if you don't ask you may not get what you need. In addition, if there are during-the-day meds, you'll need to provide a form and a scrip to the school nurse, who must keep the meds and administer; an advance conversation with the nurse will make things go much more smoothly than waiting.

[Anonymous]

I went to TC and did well afterwards but frankly would not recommend the school for anyone who is not self assertive, considers college as an "option", can follow the crowd, etc.- basically, they stand a chance of working at a gas station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to TC and did well afterwards but frankly would not recommend the school for anyone who is not self assertive, considers college as an "option", can follow the crowd, etc.- basically, they stand a chance of working at a gas station.

++++++++++++++++ and also remember you are not searching for a school that you like - you are looking for the best match for you child. That may means a school that has a bigger disability center, really tries to accommodate disabilities, wants to help the disabled. A lot of privates aren't willing to do that unless they are specialized in teaching ADHD, like Commonwealth Academy and to a lesser extent, the McLean School. The latter has been getting a lot of bad play on this website. Go to the archives. The McLean School tries to meet the needs of kids with "lesser" disabilities - about half have ADHD, ear issues, legal blind children, etc., but half of the kids attending are NT and siblings.

[Anonymous]

What are DD's goals? She'd probably be happy at TC (especially if she finds a smaller group such as drama or sports). She may not get the kind of attention from teachers as she would at a smaller private, and her college options may not be as good. Teachers might be less inclined to engage her individually, since there are so many students. If she were my child, I'd strongly consider going private, and I am a huge TC fan as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a huge TC fan; not a current parent but soon will be and I know the school well. Relatively mild ADHD is not likely to be an issue, but you emphatically should call the school counselors' office and ask for direct engagement. They'll be responsive, but if you don't ask you may not get what you need. In addition, if there are during-the-day meds, you'll need to provide a form and a scrip to the school nurse, who must keep the meds and administer; an advance conversation with the nurse will make things go much more smoothly than waiting.

This is reasonable advice but keep in mind tha the school counselors are overburnded with actual, serious problems and they are likely not going to have the time or attention to direct to something like a child with mild ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a huge TC fan; not a current parent but soon will be and I know the school well. Relatively mild ADHD is not likely to be an issue, but you emphatically should call the school counselors' office and ask for direct engagement. They'll be responsive, but if you don't ask you may not get what you need. In addition, if there are during-the-day meds, you'll need to provide a form and a scrip to the school nurse, who must keep the meds and administer; an advance conversation with the nurse will make things go much more smoothly than waiting.

This is reasonable advice but keep in mind tha the school counselors are overburnded with actual, serious problems and they are likely not going to have the time or attention to direct to something like a child with mild ADHD.

I'm the PP who did well after TC- the counselors are completely overworked- just look at the stats, a low percentage does very well- the rest does not. They have a huge workload. I met with a counselor once in the 3 years and the counselor tried to dissuade me from taking advanced courses (honors, AP)- I told the counselor that this is what I wanted to do and did not back down. I got all As and Bs after getting out of lower level classes. Basically, you need to be your own advocate which depending on the person, can be a challenge. TC is a huge school- I went to a huge undergrad but eventually then went to one of the smaller (250) but top 10 MBA schools.