The McLean School - does your child attend, if so - do they have special needs?

[Anonymous]

My 7yr old DS was just diagnosed ADHD - Inattentive, and has some SPD as well. Just started on Focalin 3 days ago. We went one step further and had a full evaluation done at Kennedy Krieger. The Developmental Pediatrician confirmed ADHD, and also confirmed that there is no PDD or other spectrum disorders.

He is currently in MoCo public, but are considering private for the smaller class sizes. We are seriously considering McLean, have visited, DS spent the day there and really liked it. I keep reading however that McLean wants NOTHING to do with any special needs kids, which is far different from what our DS' psychiatrist said. He recently visited the school and was told by the admissions director that they have some ADHD and even some PDD kiddos there....so we are so confused. Add to that, we were told by the PED at Krieger that a school like Diener would be over-kill, and he would be ill-placed as his needs are not that severe.

So if not McLean, and not Diener - then what school?

And if we stay in MoCo public, do we go the IEP route?

[Anonymous]

You say you keep hearing that McLean doesn't want special needs kids -- where? Where do you hear that? I think you can take what they say themselves over rumors. When we visited we were told half the students have a diagnosis. My son goes there and has Aspergers. He is extremely intelligent -- taught himself to read when he was three -- and has been flourishing with their small classes and structure. I love the school and I think it sounds perfect for your son.

[Anonymous]

McLean School is great for a child with minor learning issues. We know two families who sent kidsthere and we have considered it for our child. The kids were bright-one with ADHD and the other with dyslexia. You may want to look at Lowell and Lab as well. Katherine Thomas, Maddux and Kingsbury are also worth a look.

Diener seems like a good place for a child with significant learning issues who needs a fair amount of one-to-one attention. It's very small. We know a family who currently sends their child there and they are happy with the program.
I think they also considered ivymount.

[Anonymous]

Our developmental pediatrician specifically said that because he does NOT have PDD and is NOT on the spectrum, that schools like Diener, Maddux, Ivymount and Lab would be much more than he needs and he would be ill-placed. His issues are ADHD and some sensory processing....that's it. He's bright, but not a "genius", has a ton of friends, has a great personality, funny, curious and loving.
Maybe we should stay in his current public school (which is one of the best in MoCo), get him on an IEP, get some OT and be done with it.

so overwhelming.....

[Anonymous]

Why not McLean?

[Anonymous]

I would love McLean, but I'm reading various threads that mention that McLean is trying hard to change their image, and that they are trying to move away from being SN-Friendly.
The issue I guess comes from McLean not knowing what they really want to be??

[Anonymous]

For the pp who has a child at McLean, what is the environment like socially? My son (with ADD) sounds like the op's academically but he does NOT have a ton of friends and is really floundering socially at school. He has a great IEP and gets a ton of nurturing and attention from his teachers (at least this year -- who know what it will be like next year with MoCo budget cuts). We are doing a social skills group, therapy and some other things to address his needs and I'm hoping that will help but I am really worried that he will be miserable next year (3rd grade). People have also mentioned St. Andrews to me as a possibility and that surprised me. Has anyone else heard that as a place that welcomed kids with needs?

[Anonymous]

Mclean is absolutely not moving away from this niche. Seriously.

It is fabulous socially. Very nurturing, very inclusive. They have an anti-bullying curriculum, it is simply not tolerated. My child has Aspergers and would probably have no friends in a different school but he has tons at McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our developmental pediatrician specifically said that because he does NOT have PDD and is NOT on the spectrum, that schools like Diener, Maddux, Ivymount and Lab would be much more than he needs and he would be ill-placed.

Those schools would NOT be a good choice for him. Maddux only goes to first grade by the way. Many of the kids at Kingsbury graduate with an alternative diploma, far more significant issues than OP's son. Katherine Thomas and Ivymount are for autistic kids.

McLean would probably be perfect, especially if he spent time there an liked it. They really work on building social relationships for the kids. The consciously teach executive function skills too. McLean periodically wants to compete with Bullis but it hasn't really changed. The teachers have a ton of experience working with kids just like yours. They even have an OT on staff. If you can swing the cost I think it would be a wonderful place for your whole family. We have several friends there and seriously considered it for our child. Didn't end up accepting due to fears of a possible lay off.

Good luck with your decision. Are you seeing Dr. Conlon? I hear that he is good with school issues.

[Anonymous]

It does sound like McLean is perfect for my DS. I am anticipating executive functioning becoming an issue for him as well.
The cost is an issue, but we can get help from gransparents - and are so thankful for that. I've also started working in anticipation of paying tuition, or at the very least tons of OT if we stay in public.

We told the admissions team that we are willing to do a mid-year enrollment if it will help his chances of getting in. That coupled with the bad economy, maybe we have a chance

[Anonymous]

PS - not seeing Dr. Conlon. Is he a psychiatrist?

[Anonymous]

OP, did McLean tell you that it might be so difficult to get in that you would need to do a mid-year enrollment? I am the pp who is thinking about it for my 8 year old. Just reading the post about how great it is for the pp's son with aspergers makes me want to send my son there now b/c I know he is really struggling socially at our wonderful neighborhood school despite all of the services he is getting. Cost is obviously a huge issue but we hate seeing him so unhappy. We were thinking about waiting until the following year b/c we thought we were too late for next year but reading this makes me want to open the subject all over again.

[Anonymous]

They do rolling admissions, so yes - they will take mid-year. We are trying to go the mid-year route as we think it will be easier to get in. My DD has a friend who just moved (two weeks ago) from public to McLean - mid year.

In terms of how "hard" it is to get? well, I have no idea. I think they put a lot of emphasis on how well your child does during the school visit. The classes are so small that if your child does not gel with the class, then I think chances of getting in are close to nil. The admissions team is very hard to read. When I picked my DS up after his "Day at McLean" The Director of Admissions told me he did great...but she probably tells that to everyone. I do know that he impressed the other admissions director.


As an aside, I was told by my son's psychiatrist that we should also consider St. Andrews Episcopal in Potomac.

[Anonymous]

McLean parent again. My sense is that they really screen for kids with behavior problems (any kind of aggressiveness is not tolerated at all) and developmental/learning issues that are too significant for their program. The kids I know of who have been rejected had issues that were too serious for the school. But it doesn't sound like your child fits this description so I think you can be optimistic.

[Anonymous]

My child is extremely intelligent; but saw the written word in mirror image. We were at Carderock (Potomac) elementary with an IEP and we feel that it was a lost year. They wanted to toss her into the county's special ed program. Really, with a 130 IQ? We found McLean and it has been brilliant. They suggested some additional testing that nailed her issue. Within three months she was reading on grade level (that was 1 1/2 years caught up in 3 months). She is flourishing there. The teachers are unmatched. It was the best decision we ever made. And FYI, in this economy, mid-year admission is completely doable.