Private School than can handle a child with ADHD

[Anonymous]

My son, currently in 5th grade, has ADHD primarily inattentive. He is smart, laid back, shy, but has lots of friends. He is not disruptive at all, teachers like him. He goes to therapy to help with his organization/time management. He is currently in a great ES in Fairfax County where the teachers have applied certain techniques to his everyday to make him successful even though he doesn't have a 504 (his grades are good, he's in AAP). He gets seating next to the teacher, he gets frequent reminders to stay on task, his teacher makes sure he has written and packed accordingly, etc. We know it won't be like that in public middle school. We are doing well at this time and want to move DS to a private school with smaller class sizes. We think, just having less kids will make it easier for a teacher to implement certain accommodations for DS. We will not be medicating, it is a personal choice, but we can hire a tutor/supplement is he needs help. I know a lot of privates don't do accommodations, but some do. We can go up to 50k. Also, we don't want a school only for ADHD kids. MD, DC or VA, we will be relocating close to the school we chose. What school would you recommend I look at?

[Anonymous]

You will get lots of responses suggesting Commonwealth, St Andrews, Field, etc, but honestly based on your description your son would be fine at any school including "big 3"'s. My suggestion would be to look at a large range of schools (even ones you don't think of off the bat) and see what style/atmosphere feel "right" for your son and family, and then you can start to hone in. I have an older child with a similar profile, and my one tip for you to consider is that schools with a large HW load and very hyper competitive student body were not a good fit for our son - the HW part because it would take him twice as long as a student without adhd to complete it (even though he is very smart, it takes him longer to get organized and focused) and bc he is not motivated by peer pressure, he is independently intellectually curious and needed a school that valued such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will get lots of responses suggesting Commonwealth, St Andrews, Field, etc, but honestly based on your description your son would be fine at any school including "big 3"'s. My suggestion would be to look at a large range of schools (even ones you don't think of off the bat) and see what style/atmosphere feel "right" for your son and family, and then you can start to hone in. I have an older child with a similar profile, and my one tip for you to consider is that schools with a large HW load and very hyper competitive student body were not a good fit for our son - the HW part because it would take him twice as long as a student without adhd to complete it (even though he is very smart, it takes him longer to get organized and focused) and bc he is not motivated by peer pressure, he is independently intellectually curious and needed a school that valued such.

Thank you PP. My son is like your older child. Does well in school, but doesn't have a competitive drive. He has a happy go lucky attitude toward everything and forgets a lot of stuff. That is why it is imperative that he does get some accommodations. Although it does take him longer to do homework because he gets distracted with everything, he wouldn't need extra time for tests. What schools have a small class size and don't overdo it with homework? I also have another child who is just as smart but doesn't have ADHD, so breezes through school and life, and I would like both of them to go to the same school because they are close with each other. I'm ok not putting them in the top 3, I just want them to be happy and successful, at a school that supports their individual needs.

[Anonymous]

Potomac?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac?

Nope! Trust me. I have the same type of child and it is not a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will get lots of responses suggesting Commonwealth, St Andrews, Field, etc, but honestly based on your description your son would be fine at any school including "big 3"'s. My suggestion would be to look at a large range of schools (even ones you don't think of off the bat) and see what style/atmosphere feel "right" for your son and family, and then you can start to hone in. I have an older child with a similar profile, and my one tip for you to consider is that schools with a large HW load and very hyper competitive student body were not a good fit for our son - the HW part because it would take him twice as long as a student without adhd to complete it (even though he is very smart, it takes him longer to get organized and focused) and bc he is not motivated by peer pressure, he is independently intellectually curious and needed a school that valued such.

I'm really curious about who posted that and why. Absolutely untrue in my experience. OP, you will need to call schools and speak to middle school director.

[Anonymous]

St andrews in Potomac

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac?

Nope! Trust me. I have the same type of child and it is not a good fit.

We know a bunch of adhd kids at Potomac, including one of ours, who are thriving at Potomac (LS-US). You need to talk to the admissions folks, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will get lots of responses suggesting Commonwealth, St Andrews, Field, etc, but honestly based on your description your son would be fine at any school including "big 3"'s. My suggestion would be to look at a large range of schools (even ones you don't think of off the bat) and see what style/atmosphere feel "right" for your son and family, and then you can start to hone in. I have an older child with a similar profile, and my one tip for you to consider is that schools with a large HW load and very hyper competitive student body were not a good fit for our son - the HW part because it would take him twice as long as a student without adhd to complete it (even though he is very smart, it takes him longer to get organized and focused) and bc he is not motivated by peer pressure, he is independently intellectually curious and needed a school that valued such.

I'm really curious about who posted that and why. Absolutely untrue in my experience. OP, you will need to call schools and speak to middle school director.

I'm the poster who posted that - what part of my post do you think is untrue? The OP's son is a bright, well-behaved kid in AAP who is thriving withOUT a 504 plan and withOUT adhd medication, but with pretty easy to handle accommodations by his teachers such as preferential seating. Obviously like all posters I don't have personal experience with all schools, only my own kids', but I'd be surprised if most schools could not handle and/or would not welcome a child like OP's. I do know lots of folks with kids at a variety of privates in DC/MD/VA, and guess what, in those schools incl "big 3" schools there are kids who would not have made it into AAP, and there are kids with more "active" personalities, and there are kids who, even without a diagnosis, need more support and reminders than OP's kid probably does.

OP, I suggest that you look at many schools. Without more info about your child, where you're commuting from, etc. it is a little hard to make suggestions. Notwithstanding the posts of late, I hear very good things about Field, Maret is great, as are GDS, Burke, SAAS, I could go on. I don't know much about Potomac but why not look. So much is about the best fit.

[Anonymous]

20% of children nationally have learning differences. 20% of students at the top 3 have learning differences. Don't assume that your child can't be accommodated, because if s/he is bright and curious, s/he will do just fine in any school.

[Anonymous]

OP - go look at Commonwealth Academy. It caters to average to gifted kids with ADHD. It was just what my son needed. And very small classes.

[Anonymous]

We are at McLean in Potomac. There is some angry anti-Mc Lean ax grinder on this site, so beware of their reply. My DC has ADHD and is medicated. Even so, our first two schools were not a good fit. In 2 years at McLean she has truly flourished. The teachers are instructed in mindfulness and she has learned techniques to calm herself down. They have PE e every day and a decent sized recess. They do a lot of manipulables, which gave her a hands on way of grasping math. They taught typing and oral story telling as ways of encouraging creating it beyond only focusing on making kids write out essays.

I'd really encourage you to look at the school.

[Anonymous]

OP most of the privates to some degree, can help you. look at the websites, talk to connected friends and reach out to them.

[Anonymous]

Look at Flint Hill School and their Learning Center. They only take a certain number of kids for the Learning Center, so there may not be space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% of children nationally have learning differences. 20% of students at the top 3 have learning differences. Don't assume that your child can't be accommodated, because if s/he is bright and curious, s/he will do just fine in any school.

Selective admissions processes and subsequent counseling out mean the students at the Big 3 do not mirror the general population. That's why people pay the big $.