High School options for spectrum NLD NVLD........

[Anonymous]

Greetings

My DS is about to enter high school next year. In third grade, he was diagnosed with NVLD, after a laborious, heart-wrenching, and confusing few years of behavior that was often not displayed consistently when he was at home with us. He has always been very bright and is incredibly creative. He really struggles in some social situations, which we are working on with him. Other than that, he is a good student, and active in extracurricular activities, including sports, and church youth activities.

We are debating whether or not to try DCPS for High School for our DS. Does anyone out there have a diagnosis with NVLD in a DCPS high school? If so, which school does your child attend? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry -- what is NLD NVLD?

[Anonymous]

I'm not the OP, but those two acronyms stand for Non-verbal Learn Disorder, which my DC also exhibits. The disorder affects your child's ability to properly interpret nearly all communication, because about two thirds of communication is transmitted nonverbally. For example, a bully who smiles while he is berating or physically attacking a NVLD child can be seen as a "friend" because of the misinterpreted meaning of that smile. Such children can be taught skills that help them better understand the world and human motivations, but they are genuinely at risk during their childhood years from unkind children and abusive adults. So the choice of a safe high school with very attentive adults is very important ...

[Anonymous]

Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. Sorry about that.

[Anonymous]

OP here, Thanks for PP clarification.

Our decision is not only based on concern for abuse, it lies in our desire for DS to be prepared for his next steps after college. It would seem his current school has such low expectations that he won't be prepared for much of anything post-high school.

Help!

[Anonymous]

OP here.

I forgot to mention that NVLD is considered by some to lie within the autism spectrum.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. 10:02 here. The key for kids like ours, I believe, is small class size within a small school. These kids are very bright, but sometimes they just require a slightly different explanation for what to others might seem like very basic instructions needing no further elaboration. It requires teachers who are willing to doublecheck frequently that one particular child truly understands ... something teachers are less able to do in larger classes and schools. For this reason, I would be very leery of DCPS and would try a smaller, private school if possible. I had hoped you would get more responses to this post with specific school recommendations! Good luck!