No school for my kid

[Anonymous]

Surprised no one has mentioned Harbour School - baltimore or Annapolis. MoCo kids usually get bused to the baltimore campus

[Anonymous]

Homeschool. Hire a teacher to teach your child, join a co-hort (for social aspects), and re-evaluate after a year.

I also have ADHD (undiagnosed until I was 40). RSD is a very real thing. Yes, people still need to be challenged, but with someone with ADHD who is un-medicated it can be VERY overwhelming VERY quickly. If hyperactivity isn't an issue Strattera is a great starting med you can get in a low dose and isn't a stimulant.

[Anonymous]

I really advise getting a good diagnosis first and proper meds. This is critical. We released on traditional grade progression to get a comprehensive assessment. It was time and money well spent. And for “re-entry” we looked at Fusion and Parkmont. For our child, Fusion was the better fit because of the 1 on one teaching and the very calm environment. And we have therapeutic supports in place. They still are not ready for a more traditional school environment but we see progress. But it takes time and patience - and in our case, releasing on the idea of typical school progression and prioritizing mental health was a game changer for our kid and the whole family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprised no one has mentioned Harbour School - baltimore or Annapolis. MoCo kids usually get bused to the baltimore campus

Just looked up this school, seems good. whats their specialty? is this a non-public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally would forget about trying to find an option with accelerated learning right now. You say he's very bright and needs to be challenged, but he can catch up on that stuff in middle school or later. For now, I would focus exclusively on emotional regulation issues and keeping his self-esteem intact. Mental health, to me, always has to come first.

Disagree. For someone with ADHD, not being challenged can lead to depression, withdrawal and makes it harder to emotionally self-regulate. Also, bright peer group is important - nothing is worse for an ADHD kid to have to hang out all day with students and engage in boring social norms. Being intellectually challenged is part of mental health for those with ADHD.

DP. This is true but unfortunately if you have a kid melting down, not possible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally would forget about trying to find an option with accelerated learning right now. You say he's very bright and needs to be challenged, but he can catch up on that stuff in middle school or later. For now, I would focus exclusively on emotional regulation issues and keeping his self-esteem intact. Mental health, to me, always has to come first.

Disagree. For someone with ADHD, not being challenged can lead to depression, withdrawal and makes it harder to emotionally self-regulate. Also, bright peer group is important - nothing is worse for an ADHD kid to have to hang out all day with students and engage in boring social norms. Being intellectually challenged is part of mental health for those with ADHD.

DP. This is true but unfortunately if you have a kid melting down, not possible

I guess what I'm trying to say is that with my kid an intellectually understimulatingbenvironment leads to more meltdowns. So, negotiate what you can - there were times in school where I would simply say "Larlo is not going to do X but can do Y which is more appropriate for her level". Sometimes she could be excused from work that was obviously too low level and the teacher would make a higher level substitute.

[Anonymous]

Hi. Just chiming in to say that I homeschooled my kid in elementary and middle in the same situation. Gifted kid with ADHD and an LD and a lot of anxiety. In retrospect, kid was depressed. I get that it's not for everyone and that some parents simply cannot but it was wonderful for my child. I was able to challenge him, let him grow, support his weaknesses, and most importantly , let him be a happy kid again. There was no isolation issue for us: he did an outdoor program, a travel sport, and played with kids in the neighborhood every day. In high school, he was ready to go back. Went to a mainstream private and did really well . Just finished first year in top 20 college. I don't think we ever would have gotten here if we hadn't pulled him out of school. He was heading to a bad place and needed a radical change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If cost isn't a factor, I would think about hiring someone to be at home while he does virtual for 5th grade and then do Fusion in 6th

Why recommend isolating a child instead of exploring the IEP options?

Because it sounds like they are not able to function in a classroom. Hire a private tutor and then mainstream him to a specialty school.

[Anonymous]

I would try Little Keswick.

[Anonymous]

OP: we have tried a lot of medication and still have not found one that helps with the chronic irritability and rejection stuff which then leads to emotional disregulation. It is heartbreaking and exhausting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally would forget about trying to find an option with accelerated learning right now. You say he's very bright and needs to be challenged, but he can catch up on that stuff in middle school or later. For now, I would focus exclusively on emotional regulation issues and keeping his self-esteem intact. Mental health, to me, always has to come first.

Disagree. For someone with ADHD, not being challenged can lead to depression, withdrawal and makes it harder to emotionally self-regulate. Also, bright peer group is important - nothing is worse for an ADHD kid to have to hang out all day with students and engage in boring social norms. Being intellectually challenged is part of mental health for those with ADHD.

DP. This is true but unfortunately if you have a kid melting down, not possible

I guess what I'm trying to say is that with my kid an intellectually understimulatingbenvironment leads to more meltdowns. So, negotiate what you can - there were times in school where I would simply say "Larlo is not going to do X but can do Y which is more appropriate for her level". Sometimes she could be excused from work that was obviously too low level and the teacher would make a higher level substitute.

+1 this is my DD. School is environmental sensory overload and the work is boring as heck. While her peers are reading “level 3 learn to read: First day of second grade” books, mine spends the weekend learning everything humanly possible about DNA mutations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised no one has mentioned Harbour School - baltimore or Annapolis. MoCo kids usually get bused to the baltimore campus

Just looked up this school, seems good. whats their specialty? is this a non-public?

It's a non public, yes. They have both certificate and diploma tracks; they do autism, adhd, mild ID, learning disabilities etc. They are great at understanding our quirky kids and meeting them where they're at. They have tiny classes, and a great job training track.

[Anonymous]

check out commonwealth...it's in Alexandria, but they have good experience with kids with ADHD but also kids who have had PHP and mental health reentry to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:check out commonwealth...it's in Alexandria, but they have good experience with kids with ADHD but also kids who have had PHP and mental health reentry to school.

what is PHP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:check out commonwealth...it's in Alexandria, but they have good experience with kids with ADHD but also kids who have had PHP and mental health reentry to school.

what is PHP?

Partial hospitalization program