do private schools handle kids with learning disabilities?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is wonderful. She's also dyslexic. Would a private school like Maret or Sidwell or Green Acres be able to accommodate her?
She's a rising sixth grader.

[Anonymous]

There are private schools who can accommodate kids with LD. I'm not sure any of the ones you listed are right. Sidwell, and I suspect Maret, have very high workloads, which will be challenging with the reduced reading speed of dyslexia. They are likely to screen out a child with dyslexia.

Green Acres is much more likely to accept a kid with LD, but their curriculum is unstructured in ways that doesn't work well for many of them. It could work, if your child has already closed the gap, or if you're willing to do extensive outside remediation.

Some schools in the area where LD kids I know have thrived, and that go through 12th

St. Andrews
Burke
Field
Bullis
Holy Child

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is wonderful. She's also dyslexic. Would a private school like Maret or Sidwell or Green Acres be able to accommodate her?
She's a rising sixth grader.

Green Acres parent here. My middle school child is mildly LD and Green Acres has been fabulous. They won't provide any intervention but can provide accommodations. They have a learning specialist on staff. I think it really comes down to the level of support your child needs. We have been very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are private schools who can accommodate kids with LD. I'm not sure any of the ones you listed are right. Sidwell, and I suspect Maret, have very high workloads, which will be challenging with the reduced reading speed of dyslexia. They are likely to screen out a child with dyslexia.

Green Acres is much more likely to accept a kid with LD, but their curriculum is unstructured in ways that doesn't work well for many of them. It could work, if your child has already closed the gap, or if you're willing to do extensive outside remediation.

Some schools in the area where LD kids I know have thrived, and that go through 12th

St. Andrews
Burke
Field
Bullis
Holy Child

I don't know anything about these schools, but many dyslexic students, especially as they get older, "ear read" by listening to books on tape, so slow reading speed isn't a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are private schools who can accommodate kids with LD. I'm not sure any of the ones you listed are right. Sidwell, and I suspect Maret, have very high workloads, which will be challenging with the reduced reading speed of dyslexia. They are likely to screen out a child with dyslexia.

Green Acres is much more likely to accept a kid with LD, but their curriculum is unstructured in ways that doesn't work well for many of them. It could work, if your child has already closed the gap, or if you're willing to do extensive outside remediation.

Some schools in the area where LD kids I know have thrived, and that go through 12th

St. Andrews
Burke
Field
Bullis
Holy Child

I don't know anything about these schools, but many dyslexic students, especially as they get older, "ear read" by listening to books on tape, so slow reading speed isn't a problem.

Books on tape generally play at a significantly slower speed than good readers can read. And going back through a text you've "ear read" to find a citation, etc . . . is much more time consuming. Given that, as well as the impact of dyslexia on writing, kids with dyslexia often have trouble managing a heavy workload in high school and college. Add to that the fact that in middle school many kids with dyslexia are still making time in their schedule for interventions, a school like Sidwell may not be realistic. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm assuming that if OP's kid's ability to manage wasn't impacted in some way by the dyslexia, she wouldn't be posting.

-- special ed teacher who posted the list above.

[Anonymous]

The Lab School

[Anonymous]

McLean school, in Bethesda. It specializes in exactly these kinds of learning differences.

[Anonymous]

If your grandparents are on the board, they will take you.

[Anonymous]

It depends. Most schools will provide some level of accommodations but may not provide the specialized instruction required to remediate the dyslexia. Has she received instruction targeting her dyslexia (Orton-Gillingham)? Is she able to complete grade-level work with some accommodations?
I am a private tutor in the area that specializes in students with dyslexia. To give you an idea I have tutored students with dyslexia at the following schools: Stone Ridge, St. Patrick's, Bullis, Sheridan, National Presbyterian, Grace Episcopal Day School, Washington Episcopal, etc.
It all depends on your DD's current level in reading/writing/spelling. As long as you are willing to provide supplemental instruction as needed and she is close to grade level I think she'll be just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends. Most schools will provide some level of accommodations but may not provide the specialized instruction required to remediate the dyslexia. Has she received instruction targeting her dyslexia (Orton-Gillingham)? Is she able to complete grade-level work with some accommodations?
I am a private tutor in the area that specializes in students with dyslexia. To give you an idea I have tutored students with dyslexia at the following schools: Stone Ridge, St. Patrick's, Bullis, Sheridan, National Presbyterian, Grace Episcopal Day School, Washington Episcopal, etc.
It all depends on your DD's current level in reading/writing/spelling. As long as you are willing to provide supplemental instruction as needed and she is close to grade level I think she'll be just fine.

+1 There is such variation of ability and adaptability with each LD, that you really need more counseling and advice than you can get by posting here. The easiest answer is that a school like the Lab School can handle almost anything, and do it well. But some kids with some LDs or other differences like ADHD can do well in other schools as well. My DC is in a big three high school sophomore and is a B/B+ student with ADHD and had some difficulties in earlier years related to slow processing speed for reading (decoding). DC's doing fairly well, with a ridiculously demanding (more intellectually demanding than time demanding) courseload that challenges everyone there. DC has a schoolmate (actually a junior) who has some kind of LD that results in the student regularly using books on tape, and that student too is doing very well. Basic point is that there is a lot of variation within these labels, and it would be helpful to have someone who can work closely with your child and sees how she performs, and can perform, in various settings and with various accommodations, and can counsel your family on what school may be the best fit. It would also be worth discussing with a professional how this particular LD affects learning over time---does school work become progressively more challenging, or do kids eventually learn their way out of it, or find some adaption to it? I definitely would keep a very open mind on what will work best for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Lab School

Lab or Siena School. Both have summer programs too which are great.

[Anonymous]

My son also has dyslexia and is in his second year at Commonwealth Academy in Alexandria and it's been wonderful! I like that there's so much individualized learning but at the same time they're also receiving an independent school education with college prep expectations. Check them out!

[Anonymous]

23:28, can you recommend someone who could counsel our family about this. DC is newly diagnosed as having ADHD and LD in math. I am wondering if extra support can overcome the LD or if we will need continued help over time. Your point about different degrees of LD is a good one, and I have been told it is "mild," whatever that may mean.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

McLean School has a good summer program that focuses on enhancing skills in core subjects. It is expensive but may be worth it.

[Anonymous]

St Andrews