Moving to Besthesda for a new job, please recommend elementary schools. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Dear DC urban moms,
I am moving for a job in Bethesda. My 5 yr old daughter has autism. She has severe social delay and pragmatic language delay. She has an IEP with OT and ST from our current state but I am not very happy with it. She is going to kindergarten this fall. In her current school, all girls like her and they all care for her although she can not initiate interactions and respond properly without adult help. So I am worried that she has to adjust to new people. I really want her to go to a mainstream classroom with support. She will definitely need support to keep her attention to the teacher. Could you please suggest elementary schools that will be good for her? Or could you suggest an educational consultant that can help? I am willing to rent wherever works for her.

I did some research on where I want to live. If you have any information on these schools could you give me some feedback?
I have heard of Bethesda ES, but if I rent in downtown Bethesda, I am worried that my children will not have a grass and playground to run around.
I am also interested in schools in the Rockville/Gathersburg area, I have heard Stone Mills, Diamond, Beall and Farmland.

Also, if you know good schools in FCPS, please also suggest.
Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am in dc and had great support for six years with our local elementary Janney. But if you are intent on Maryland good luck. Montgomery county schools are supposed to be great.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, OP, you can't go wrong with Bethesda schools, but I hope someone will be able to give you more information about good experiences with IEP support.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of playgrounds near downtown bethesda, so that should not be a factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of playgrounds near downtown bethesda, so that should not be a factor.

That is great to hear about. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, OP, you can't go wrong with Bethesda schools, but I hope someone will be able to give you more information about good experiences with IEP support.

Sure you can. Many of them will fight you tooth and nail for a 504 never mind an IEP. This is with a diagnosis and with a clear educational impact. There are several principals who do not want "those" types of kids at their schools because they are too much work and bring down test scores. They will say all the right things about wanting to be inclusive to the community but behind the scenes they will do everything they can do make life difficult for you and your child so that you will be forced to go to private. We know many families with SN children who have fled Bethesda schools for private and many others who have had to spend thousands on advocates and lawyers. I was just talking to a friend who went to see a principal about her SN child as she was considering purchasing in one district and the principal encouraged her to go elsewhere. This child does not have severe needs. If you can provide an email address OP people can email you directly and be more open.

You're right to look at Bethesda and I would also consider Burning Tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, OP, you can't go wrong with Bethesda schools, but I hope someone will be able to give you more information about good experiences with IEP support.

Sure you can. Many of them will fight you tooth and nail for a 504 never mind an IEP. This is with a diagnosis and with a clear educational impact. There are several principals who do not want "those" types of kids at their schools because they are too much work and bring down test scores. They will say all the right things about wanting to be inclusive to the community but behind the scenes they will do everything they can do make life difficult for you and your child so that you will be forced to go to private. We know many families with SN children who have fled Bethesda schools for private and many others who have had to spend thousands on advocates and lawyers. I was just talking to a friend who went to see a principal about her SN child as she was considering purchasing in one district and the principal encouraged her to go elsewhere. This child does not have severe needs. If you can provide an email address OP people can email you directly and be more open.

You're right to look at Bethesda and I would also consider Burning Tree.

As someone with a kid with autism who was in one of the Learning Center classrooms at Burning Tree last year, I would not consider Burning Tree.

[Anonymous]

Check out Rock Creek Forest - they have an Autism program. (Maybe other county schools do as well, this just happens to be our local school and we like it..)

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I am OP here. My email address is [e-mail]
Any info will be appreciated!

[Anonymous]

One thing to keep in mind is that schools that you may want to think about the self-contained programs differently from the support provided in mainstream classrooms.

One PP had a bad experience with Burning Tree's program that includes kids with autism but that may or may not apply to how they treat kids in general education. The programs are administered separately from the mainstream classrooms although some of the students may spend some time in the mainstream classrooms. Same thing for schools that have strong programs. Don't assume that applies to the mainstream classrooms. The support there may be lousy.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at Rosemary Hills? That school has a good reputation for how they support in gened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing to keep in mind is that schools that you may want to think about the self-contained programs differently from the support provided in mainstream classrooms.

One PP had a bad experience with Burning Tree's program that includes kids with autism but that may or may not apply to how they treat kids in general education. The programs are administered separately from the mainstream classrooms although some of the students may spend some time in the mainstream classrooms. Same thing for schools that have strong programs. Don't assume that applies to the mainstream classrooms. The support there may be lousy.

My kid is at BT in sped but does not have an autism dx. I am surprised to hear of the pp's experience. I think most people are happy and there is a parent group for kids with accommodations. That being said, there are autism-specific programs elsewhere op might want to check out.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like OP wants her daughter to be in general education.
OP can your daughter keep up academically with everyone else? If so I think you have no choice but general education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like OP wants her daughter to be in general education.
OP can your daughter keep up academically with everyone else? If so I think you have no choice but general education.

Well, it is hard to say. We are in preschool and I don't know if she can keep up with peers in the future. She is always in a inclusive class since 3 years old. Also she is most severely delayed in her social scale, so I just assume that being able to be mainstreamed will be beneficial for her to learn how to interact with peers. But I don't know for sure what will be good for her.So I guess a school that is willing to help her will be the best.

[Anonymous]

What do those social delays look like?

If she's okay following directions and doesn't have any behaviors like running away MCPS will probably recommend placement in general education. MCPS is very stingy with OT and ST by the way so they may try to take those services away especially if speech is only for pragmatics. Can you move before the new school year so that your IEP can transfer to Child Find or whatever the early intervention services is called in MCPS? They can be good advocates for getting the IEP transferred to elementary. The few people I know who transferred into K from out of state had their IEPs gutted.