Moving to MD/VA with 1st grader with severe ADHD/ASD seeking school district recommendations

[Anonymous]

A couple of years ago we move from Howard County to the San Francisco area (Mountain View). My son was 4 and doing well when we moved and subsequently had been diagnosed with Severe ADHD/ASD and he’s degrading so badly in 1st grade after improvements over the summer with ADHD meds that I’m scared something else scary is happening. We started K with no IEP, got a private dx, got an IEP with a lot of supports (1:1 aide, OT, Speech) and we are now transitioning to Special Day Class to see what can be done behaviorally (behavior not academics were the concern though we are now seeing academic regression as well as behavioral so who knows. He’s horrible at testing so the only delay he has on record is expressive speech). He’s not violent; his behavior issues are avoidance and utter lack of executive functioning. We pray the SDC will make a dent or that we get a more accurate dx (which would be probably something scary as it would involve late dev regression).

At this point we have no idea where this shit show is heading. I thought we hit the bottom in K before medication but I was wrong. Due to the current uncertainty we are thinking of relocating back to MD bc the medical options are good, buying a house on one salary would be feasible and I have support in the area. Any experiences with HoCo or MoCo on how they are equipped to handle something like this? I’d also be interested in Reston bc my current employer which has awesome benefits has a satellite office there; otherwise I’d probably return to my previous employer in MD

TIA and sorry about the ramble. This has been a waking nightmare. Earliest we’d move would be this summer (unless we see something miraculous happed with the new school).

[Anonymous]

Op see a neurologist and look for spiking while sleeping 9’ am eeg. That is what this sounds like to me. Anytime there is regression this should be done. These type of seizure disorders start at 4-5. They peak at 6. If untreated they can cause cognitive regression and always cause major behavioral issues.

[Anonymous]

One of the FCPS comprehensive service elementary schools is in Reston.

[Anonymous]

If you don't know where you're headed issue-wise and are just trying to get a bead on geography I would say that I landed pretty well by living in the outer Bethesda/close-in Potomac/Rockville corridor.

Multiple SN private programs/schools: Ivymount/Maddux/Katherine Thomas/Lourie Center
Highly reputed pediatric OT/PT practices (Early Intervention Associates and MoCO Movement)
CNMC in Rockville
KKI not too far
Pediatric Care Center with on-staff dev ped

The other SN corridor I see in Moco is Silver Spring/Kensington with
ITS/DTS/PALSS
Siena/Auburn schools
Children's First Pediatrics with dev ped on staff (I don't know if she also has dev visits at the Rockville office)

Of course, MoCo schools same in either place theoretically and they will bus you wherever you are placed.

[Anonymous]

I would go back to Howard over Montgomery. In Montgomery we have good testing and they will not recognize receptive issues, only articulation and expressive and even then the IEP is minimal and services are 6 kids to a 30 minute group 1-2 times a week. Its near impossible to get OT from what I've heard from other parents.

Easy to get private services either private pay or through insurances depending on the insurance.

If you can afford private, its the way to go.

[Anonymous]

OP - have they done an FBA? If not ask for one asap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - have they done an FBA? If not ask for one asap.

I have one in his IEP but at this point I want him out of the environment he’s currently in because I know it’s too unstructured and at this point I want to overcorrect. I watched him with his private OT and she wouldn’t let him get away with anything and he just gives up and works with her. I’m hoping that’s a sign for how this will work in the SDC. I can always ask for them to do the FBS (or have it transfer when we move to wherever we head next. I accompanied hi. On a field trip where he ran around like a maniac. The teacher said to take him home bc he was sensory overwhelmed (she felt). I told him we were going and he immediately got in control. My optimistic theory is he has a LD and he copes via avoidance. And it’s spiraled out of control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op see a neurologist and look for spiking while sleeping 9’ am eeg. That is what this sounds like to me. Anytime there is regression this should be done. These type of seizure disorders start at 4-5. They peak at 6. If untreated they can cause cognitive regression and always cause major behavioral issues.

+1. I would get him checked for absense seizures and seizure disorder. Seizure disorders are very common in kids with ASD. Some studies estimate that 1/3 of kids with ASD have them.

[Anonymous]

Op you can apply for financial aid at the private schools. I think Diener would be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have they done an FBA? If not ask for one asap.

I have one in his IEP but at this point I want him out of the environment he’s currently in because I know it’s too unstructured and at this point I want to overcorrect. I watched him with his private OT and she wouldn’t let him get away with anything and he just gives up and works with her. I’m hoping that’s a sign for how this will work in the SDC. I can always ask for them to do the FBS (or have it transfer when we move to wherever we head next. I accompanied hi. On a field trip where he ran around like a maniac. The teacher said to take him home bc he was sensory overwhelmed (she felt). I told him we were going and he immediately got in control. My optimistic theory is he has a LD and he copes via avoidance. And it’s spiraled out of control.

Running around like a maniac is a form of stimming. This was DS’s with ASD/ADHD main form of stimming when he was 4/5. For DS, it wasn’t due to sensory overload, the running around like a maniac helped him regulate himself and he usually felt better afterwards.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered ABA? It saved my son after a horrible kindergarten and first grade experience. We started outside school and now he attends SN school where he gets ABA and it has made a world of difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have they done an FBA? If not ask for one asap.

I have one in his IEP but at this point I want him out of the environment he’s currently in because I know it’s too unstructured and at this point I want to overcorrect. I watched him with his private OT and she wouldn’t let him get away with anything and he just gives up and works with her. I’m hoping that’s a sign for how this will work in the SDC. I can always ask for them to do the FBS (or have it transfer when we move to wherever we head next. I accompanied hi. On a field trip where he ran around like a maniac. The teacher said to take him home bc he was sensory overwhelmed (she felt). I told him we were going and he immediately got in control. My optimistic theory is he has a LD and he copes via avoidance. And it’s spiraled out of control.

Running around like a maniac is a form of stimming. This was DS’s with ASD/ADHD main form of stimming when he was 4/5. For DS, it wasn’t due to sensory overload, the running around like a maniac helped him regulate himself and he usually felt better afterwards.

It is sensory seeking behavior not avoidant. OT should help.

[Anonymous]

I always try with a BCBA first. Results are always amazing

[Anonymous]

For my ADHD/anxious kid running around like a maniac was avoidance behavior. This combination of issues can cause some whackadoodle problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have they done an FBA? If not ask for one asap.

I have one in his IEP but at this point I want him out of the environment he’s currently in because I know it’s too unstructured and at this point I want to overcorrect. I watched him with his private OT and she wouldn’t let him get away with anything and he just gives up and works with her. I’m hoping that’s a sign for how this will work in the SDC. I can always ask for them to do the FBS (or have it transfer when we move to wherever we head next. I accompanied hi. On a field trip where he ran around like a maniac. The teacher said to take him home bc he was sensory overwhelmed (she felt). I told him we were going and he immediately got in control. My optimistic theory is he has a LD and he copes via avoidance. And it’s spiraled out of control.

No comments on schools but I'm chiming in to note that my DS with ADHD and ASD does this. He has severe dyslexia and it manifested first as complete avoidance of reading. In K they treated it as a behavioral issue before I went and had independent testing done to confirm he has dyslexia. He's in 4th now and is working fabulously 1-on-1 with a tutor for all language arts but he still has huge problems at school with avoidance.