Fallsmead for special needs?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone share experience with Fallsmead elementary school for kids with special needs? My son has IEP. Gets speech, OT, mainstream class with extra teacher (inclusion class) and needs things like shake breaks, preferential seating, etc. Moving soon and so worried about moving into a cluster without knowing how they are in terms of providing support. Any experience anyone can share would be so helpful!

[Anonymous]

Fallsmead ES is the LAD school in the Wootton cluster. They have extra resources to support LAD kids, so in theory if your child has IEP, you could potentially do very well at Fallsmead with the support available. LAD is for those with >15 (I think that was the number) hours of service from their IEP, so you'd have to find out whether your child qualifies for LAD services. Note, other kids from around the cluster are bussed to Fallsmead if they are a LAD student.

Fallsmead as a school for regular kids is also good. Most kids are directly from the neighborhood/immediate areas, so parents and families typically know each other, and there is a great community feel at Fallsmead. And most parents are normal, not crazy, which is refreshing in MC.

I qualify all this by saying I have a child with IEP, but less than 15 hrs services, and I had concerns about child getting needs met because there were so many others with more severe needs, and thus would be more likely to command attention. That's the practical aspect. We also had a child there who was regular student.

Most of friends at Fallsmead receiving services love it. Most teachers usually are on the ball and truly do want to do right by your child, SN or not. Of course there are exceptions, but that's regardless where you go.

Good luck with your move. Hopefully you will find the Fallsmead neighborhood/area to be just as welcoming as we did!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fallsmead ES is the LAD school in the Wootton cluster. They have extra resources to support LAD kids, so in theory if your child has IEP, you could potentially do very well at Fallsmead with the support available. LAD is for those with >15 (I think that was the number) hours of service from their IEP, so you'd have to find out whether your child qualifies for LAD services. Note, other kids from around the cluster are bussed to Fallsmead if they are a LAD student.

Fallsmead as a school for regular kids is also good. Most kids are directly from the neighborhood/immediate areas, so parents and families typically know each other, and there is a great community feel at Fallsmead. And most parents are normal, not crazy, which is refreshing in MC.

I qualify all this by saying I have a child with IEP, but less than 15 hrs services, and I had concerns about child getting needs met because there were so many others with more severe needs, and thus would be more likely to command attention. That's the practical aspect. We also had a child there who was regular student.

Most of friends at Fallsmead receiving services love it. Most teachers usually are on the ball and truly do want to do right by your child, SN or not. Of course there are exceptions, but that's regardless where you g

Good luck with your move. Hopefully you will find the Fallsmead neighborhood/area to be just as welcoming as we did!

This is great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing. Im pretty sure my DS will have less than 15 hrs on IEP. How have class sizes been for your kids classes?

[Anonymous]

We did not have such a good experience at Fallsmead...
We went through huge battle just to get 504 for our child prior to Middle school. (Child needed IEP, but they refused.)
School team tried to make everything rosy and refuse everything possible.
School psychologist could not even agree with diagnosis of licensed Phd. They tried to say that child does not have ADHD, only Executive Functioning minor issues.. Now we are trying to get IEP in middle school, since 504 is not working...

[Anonymous]

Class sizes in Falsmead are huge.
There were situations when extra teachers were highered in October and classes split..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did not have such a good experience at Fallsmead...
We went through huge battle just to get 504 for our child prior to Middle school. (Child needed IEP, but they refused.)
School team tried to make everything rosy and refuse everything possible.
School psychologist could not even agree with diagnosis of licensed Phd. They tried to say that child does not have ADHD, only Executive Functioning minor issues.. Now we are trying to get IEP in middle school, since 504 is not working...

OP here- ugh this stinks to hear. Wish it could be easier and this is what Im dreading which is why I am trying to gauge where to go but I never hear anyone say only positive things about SN support about anywhere other than Bethesda Elem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class sizes in Falsmead are huge.
There were situations when extra teachers were highered in October and classes split..

Bummer.

[Anonymous]

11:03 here.

OP, if your child is <15 hours, you should do your homework. My child also was less than 15 hrs, but concerned that child would not get any or enough attention, particularly since our other child had already been through the school, so we had an idea of what to expect. Fallsmead has typical MCPS "good school" class sizes (27+).

If you want the principal/staff to take you seriously, get an advocate. That's what one family we know had to do... moved to this area, went to school to discuss special ed services, was told you don't want to do that and get your kid marked. They went and got an advocate, now kid has LAD services. (This is also for 15:48.)

My humble 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

Was at Travilah ES and needed to hire a private advocate. Travilah fought us the entire year and treated us poorly after we won the IEP. Special Ed woman not very good at travilah and principal doesn't like her kids on 504 or IEPs.