Best mainstream privates for kids with mild learning support needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s impossible to say without you describing her needs in more detail. I can’t tell if you’re just a hyper-protective mom for whom being clumsy is a “delay,” or if your child actually has delays. Speech, fine, and gross motor delays all together actually sounds like they could be fairly significant needs and you’d be better off in public with an IEP.

OP here:

Fair question. This is definitely not just me being a hyper-protective mom, though I'd say it's hard to assess long-term need because DD has made significant progress in the past couple years. She started therapy through DC"s early intervention program at age 1 after hypotonia diagnosis. She didn't walk until 22 months. Delayed expressive but not receptive language. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 3. Through speech, OT, and PT, she has made great progress over past couple years, and the growth hormone injections have helped with her strength, too. She qualifies for an IEP through DCPS but we've sent her to a private pre-school that provides small classes and hands-on attention, which she's thrived in.

She is now 4, so we are looking at Kindergarten programs. I find it hard to judge the significance of her future needs because of her positive trajectory. I don't think this is just me looking through rose-colored glasses or wishing for an alternate reality but I don't want to be naive and suggest she definitely won't need any real supports, either.

Developmental pediatrician has suggested she could do ok in mainstream private school, with private therapy in place as needed.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the further information! Based on what you wrote, I really do think you should at least consider a DCPS with a strong IEP for K. Here's why: in addition to the OT, speech, and push-in you would hopefully get in your IEP, many/most DCPS schools have a very strong K curriculum that is really focused on teaching writing and reading fundamentals. They do a LOT of practice laying the groundwork to form letters, phonics, etc, for all kids. They have very clear goals for ELA. What this meant for my DS with severe fine motor skills (fine motor skills of a 14 month old baby at 4 years old, per the assessment - I didn't actually believe that, but it was bad!) is that in addition to the focused support, he got a TON of practice in methods that are designed to teach young kids from all backgrounds how to read and write. It really worked for him.

In contrast, from what I know about privates and some charters, K and 1st are much less focused and still revolved around being play based, etc, and they take more of the attitude of "oh, our kids will learn to read and write, we don't have to worry about it!" Which, fine, may work for some kids. But would not have worked for my kid, and likely not your kid either.

Another hint - we ended up getting a strong IEP for K from the DCPS Central private school section because we were entering our IB K from a private preschool. It seems much easier to deal with them then to have to go through the school. So you're in a good position to do that as well.

Our first IEP was 2.5 hours of push-in per week, plus 60 mins of OT per week. The special ed teacher often pushed in during writing instruction. What this amounted do was an average of 45 mins/day spent with 1:1 help on his writing. What was really great though was that the whole team also supported him developing his writing skills, so for example the art teacher would encourage him and not let him just do nothing, etc. DCPS also has an aid assigned to each K class, and the aid would give him some additional encouragement. (My DS's issue was that writing was hard, so he would just opt to do nothing unless someone encouraged him to get started.)

It's possible you could find the same level of support at a private, but I really think the combination of support PLUS curriculum was what got our DS off to a really great start. He has now aged out of his IEP (3rd grade) and we are letting it lapse for now.

The problem is this is in no way typical unless you have a child really in need. You really lucked up!

NP- it's not luck, it's based on evaluations done in school that are not available to private school students. The PP clearly described that their student qualified and then listed the services provided per the IEP, which is a process triggered by school administered test results. If your DC does not meet the evaluative criteria, then no services. It's that simple. No luck involved in public. Private on the other hand can do whatever they want.

I’ve heard more horror stories coming out of public schools with parents fighting to get their kids evaluated, fighting for services, etc. it shouldn’t be that way but sometimes it is, regardless of merit.

And why would it be any better in a "mainstream private" where they openly discriminate against kids with disabilities? Yes, you do have to be a strong advocate for your kid, but OP already knows that. That's why she's here asking these questions.

Because privates wouldn't exist without smearing public schools. It's tough to be a private when you are surrounded by successful public schools in a changing educational marketplace.

There is a huge difference between discrimination vs not a good fit. I am not a good long distance runner, and never will be, but not getting on the Varsity cross country team of my high school was not discrimination. I didn't belong there. They would have had to hire another coach to work just with me, and that's not how it works. In the situation of private vs public education, it's the same. A child who needs extra services should not attend a school that is geared for kids who don't need them. They are private, hence it is not a right that you attend and that they meet your needs. Public schools fill that need and do a much better job because their staff actually has training in special needs!

PP, this argument is flawed. Athletic ability is not a disability nor is lack of athletic ability a disability. It's irrelevant on the topic of this thread. Your conclusion makes sense. Publics do have resources both in staffing and evaluation that privates do not.

[Anonymous]

AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't read through all the responses, but I don't agree with those who are discouraging you from applying to private schools. Our child has mild hypotonia. It sound like it is more mild than your child's since ours is not not in therapy but does swimming and martial arts--recommended by a developmental pediatrician. We applied to GDS, Lowell, Maret, NPS, and WIS and our child got into all but one, and I don't think it had anything to do with our child's hypotonia. Our child is still young but is doing great.

By your account your kid doesn't have a disability at all, and probably not even a visible difference. If she never even had to have OT, then it's a totally different scenario than OP's child, who has an actual medical condition as well as a speech delay. Did you even disclose it to the schools?

I did say that my child likely has a milder case of hypotonia than the OP's. But my child was in speech therapy for several years (expressive delay) and has fine and general motor issues. It might not be exceptionally noticeable to the average person, though I think the average person can pick up on it when they see my child run, etc. My child was also in PT and we just discontinued it during the pandemic and focused on other core-strengthening activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s impossible to say without you describing her needs in more detail. I can’t tell if you’re just a hyper-protective mom for whom being clumsy is a “delay,” or if your child actually has delays. Speech, fine, and gross motor delays all together actually sounds like they could be fairly significant needs and you’d be better off in public with an IEP.

OP here:

Fair question. This is definitely not just me being a hyper-protective mom, though I'd say it's hard to assess long-term need because DD has made significant progress in the past couple years. She started therapy through DC"s early intervention program at age 1 after hypotonia diagnosis. She didn't walk until 22 months. Delayed expressive but not receptive language. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 3. Through speech, OT, and PT, she has made great progress over past couple years, and the growth hormone injections have helped with her strength, too. She qualifies for an IEP through DCPS but we've sent her to a private pre-school that provides small classes and hands-on attention, which she's thrived in.

She is now 4, so we are looking at Kindergarten programs. I find it hard to judge the significance of her future needs because of her positive trajectory. I don't think this is just me looking through rose-colored glasses or wishing for an alternate reality but I don't want to be naive and suggest she definitely won't need any real supports, either.

Developmental pediatrician has suggested she could do ok in mainstream private school, with private therapy in place as needed.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the further information! Based on what you wrote, I really do think you should at least consider a DCPS with a strong IEP for K. Here's why: in addition to the OT, speech, and push-in you would hopefully get in your IEP, many/most DCPS schools have a very strong K curriculum that is really focused on teaching writing and reading fundamentals. They do a LOT of practice laying the groundwork to form letters, phonics, etc, for all kids. They have very clear goals for ELA. What this meant for my DS with severe fine motor skills (fine motor skills of a 14 month old baby at 4 years old, per the assessment - I didn't actually believe that, but it was bad!) is that in addition to the focused support, he got a TON of practice in methods that are designed to teach young kids from all backgrounds how to read and write. It really worked for him.

In contrast, from what I know about privates and some charters, K and 1st are much less focused and still revolved around being play based, etc, and they take more of the attitude of "oh, our kids will learn to read and write, we don't have to worry about it!" Which, fine, may work for some kids. But would not have worked for my kid, and likely not your kid either.

Another hint - we ended up getting a strong IEP for K from the DCPS Central private school section because we were entering our IB K from a private preschool. It seems much easier to deal with them then to have to go through the school. So you're in a good position to do that as well.

Our first IEP was 2.5 hours of push-in per week, plus 60 mins of OT per week. The special ed teacher often pushed in during writing instruction. What this amounted do was an average of 45 mins/day spent with 1:1 help on his writing. What was really great though was that the whole team also supported him developing his writing skills, so for example the art teacher would encourage him and not let him just do nothing, etc. DCPS also has an aid assigned to each K class, and the aid would give him some additional encouragement. (My DS's issue was that writing was hard, so he would just opt to do nothing unless someone encouraged him to get started.)

It's possible you could find the same level of support at a private, but I really think the combination of support PLUS curriculum was what got our DS off to a really great start. He has now aged out of his IEP (3rd grade) and we are letting it lapse for now.

The problem is this is in no way typical unless you have a child really in need. You really lucked up!

NP- it's not luck, it's based on evaluations done in school that are not available to private school students. The PP clearly described that their student qualified and then listed the services provided per the IEP, which is a process triggered by school administered test results. If your DC does not meet the evaluative criteria, then no services. It's that simple. No luck involved in public. Private on the other hand can do whatever they want.

I’ve heard more horror stories coming out of public schools with parents fighting to get their kids evaluated, fighting for services, etc. it shouldn’t be that way but sometimes it is, regardless of merit.

And why would it be any better in a "mainstream private" where they openly discriminate against kids with disabilities? Yes, you do have to be a strong advocate for your kid, but OP already knows that. That's why she's here asking these questions.

Some. Not all. And rarely is it “open.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s impossible to say without you describing her needs in more detail. I can’t tell if you’re just a hyper-protective mom for whom being clumsy is a “delay,” or if your child actually has delays. Speech, fine, and gross motor delays all together actually sounds like they could be fairly significant needs and you’d be better off in public with an IEP.

OP here:

Fair question. This is definitely not just me being a hyper-protective mom, though I'd say it's hard to assess long-term need because DD has made significant progress in the past couple years. She started therapy through DC"s early intervention program at age 1 after hypotonia diagnosis. She didn't walk until 22 months. Delayed expressive but not receptive language. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 3. Through speech, OT, and PT, she has made great progress over past couple years, and the growth hormone injections have helped with her strength, too. She qualifies for an IEP through DCPS but we've sent her to a private pre-school that provides small classes and hands-on attention, which she's thrived in.

She is now 4, so we are looking at Kindergarten programs. I find it hard to judge the significance of her future needs because of her positive trajectory. I don't think this is just me looking through rose-colored glasses or wishing for an alternate reality but I don't want to be naive and suggest she definitely won't need any real supports, either.

Developmental pediatrician has suggested she could do ok in mainstream private school, with private therapy in place as needed.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the further information! Based on what you wrote, I really do think you should at least consider a DCPS with a strong IEP for K. Here's why: in addition to the OT, speech, and push-in you would hopefully get in your IEP, many/most DCPS schools have a very strong K curriculum that is really focused on teaching writing and reading fundamentals. They do a LOT of practice laying the groundwork to form letters, phonics, etc, for all kids. They have very clear goals for ELA. What this meant for my DS with severe fine motor skills (fine motor skills of a 14 month old baby at 4 years old, per the assessment - I didn't actually believe that, but it was bad!) is that in addition to the focused support, he got a TON of practice in methods that are designed to teach young kids from all backgrounds how to read and write. It really worked for him.

In contrast, from what I know about privates and some charters, K and 1st are much less focused and still revolved around being play based, etc, and they take more of the attitude of "oh, our kids will learn to read and write, we don't have to worry about it!" Which, fine, may work for some kids. But would not have worked for my kid, and likely not your kid either.

Another hint - we ended up getting a strong IEP for K from the DCPS Central private school section because we were entering our IB K from a private preschool. It seems much easier to deal with them then to have to go through the school. So you're in a good position to do that as well.

Our first IEP was 2.5 hours of push-in per week, plus 60 mins of OT per week. The special ed teacher often pushed in during writing instruction. What this amounted do was an average of 45 mins/day spent with 1:1 help on his writing. What was really great though was that the whole team also supported him developing his writing skills, so for example the art teacher would encourage him and not let him just do nothing, etc. DCPS also has an aid assigned to each K class, and the aid would give him some additional encouragement. (My DS's issue was that writing was hard, so he would just opt to do nothing unless someone encouraged him to get started.)

It's possible you could find the same level of support at a private, but I really think the combination of support PLUS curriculum was what got our DS off to a really great start. He has now aged out of his IEP (3rd grade) and we are letting it lapse for now.

The problem is this is in no way typical unless you have a child really in need. You really lucked up!

NP- it's not luck, it's based on evaluations done in school that are not available to private school students. The PP clearly described that their student qualified and then listed the services provided per the IEP, which is a process triggered by school administered test results. If your DC does not meet the evaluative criteria, then no services. It's that simple. No luck involved in public. Private on the other hand can do whatever they want.

I’ve heard more horror stories coming out of public schools with parents fighting to get their kids evaluated, fighting for services, etc. it shouldn’t be that way but sometimes it is, regardless of merit.

And why would it be any better in a "mainstream private" where they openly discriminate against kids with disabilities? Yes, you do have to be a strong advocate for your kid, but OP already knows that. That's why she's here asking these questions.

Some. Not all. And rarely is it “open.”

come on. how many area mainstream privates would even consider my DS with HFA? He doesn’t even need academic support but is visibly different. Very few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

A lot of teachers at these schools have very little training compared to public school teachers. I would be wary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

A lot of teachers at these schools have very little training compared to public school teachers. I would be wary.

We’ve been in public. I’ll take my chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

.

I know. They are not required to be inclusive, yet some choose to be an do it well. St Mary’s in Alexandria recently broadened its student body.
https://www.smsva.org/teaching-learning/learning-center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

A lot of teachers at these schools have very little training compared to public school teachers. I would be wary.

Most publi school teachers don’t either. They rely on a thinly spread network of specialist providers throughout the district. Some Catholic schools have specialists onsite and/or in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s impossible to say without you describing her needs in more detail. I can’t tell if you’re just a hyper-protective mom for whom being clumsy is a “delay,” or if your child actually has delays. Speech, fine, and gross motor delays all together actually sounds like they could be fairly significant needs and you’d be better off in public with an IEP.

OP here:

Fair question. This is definitely not just me being a hyper-protective mom, though I'd say it's hard to assess long-term need because DD has made significant progress in the past couple years. She started therapy through DC"s early intervention program at age 1 after hypotonia diagnosis. She didn't walk until 22 months. Delayed expressive but not receptive language. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 3. Through speech, OT, and PT, she has made great progress over past couple years, and the growth hormone injections have helped with her strength, too. She qualifies for an IEP through DCPS but we've sent her to a private pre-school that provides small classes and hands-on attention, which she's thrived in.

She is now 4, so we are looking at Kindergarten programs. I find it hard to judge the significance of her future needs because of her positive trajectory. I don't think this is just me looking through rose-colored glasses or wishing for an alternate reality but I don't want to be naive and suggest she definitely won't need any real supports, either.

Developmental pediatrician has suggested she could do ok in mainstream private school, with private therapy in place as needed.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the further information! Based on what you wrote, I really do think you should at least consider a DCPS with a strong IEP for K. Here's why: in addition to the OT, speech, and push-in you would hopefully get in your IEP, many/most DCPS schools have a very strong K curriculum that is really focused on teaching writing and reading fundamentals. They do a LOT of practice laying the groundwork to form letters, phonics, etc, for all kids. They have very clear goals for ELA. What this meant for my DS with severe fine motor skills (fine motor skills of a 14 month old baby at 4 years old, per the assessment - I didn't actually believe that, but it was bad!) is that in addition to the focused support, he got a TON of practice in methods that are designed to teach young kids from all backgrounds how to read and write. It really worked for him.

In contrast, from what I know about privates and some charters, K and 1st are much less focused and still revolved around being play based, etc, and they take more of the attitude of "oh, our kids will learn to read and write, we don't have to worry about it!" Which, fine, may work for some kids. But would not have worked for my kid, and likely not your kid either.

Another hint - we ended up getting a strong IEP for K from the DCPS Central private school section because we were entering our IB K from a private preschool. It seems much easier to deal with them then to have to go through the school. So you're in a good position to do that as well.

Our first IEP was 2.5 hours of push-in per week, plus 60 mins of OT per week. The special ed teacher often pushed in during writing instruction. What this amounted do was an average of 45 mins/day spent with 1:1 help on his writing. What was really great though was that the whole team also supported him developing his writing skills, so for example the art teacher would encourage him and not let him just do nothing, etc. DCPS also has an aid assigned to each K class, and the aid would give him some additional encouragement. (My DS's issue was that writing was hard, so he would just opt to do nothing unless someone encouraged him to get started.)

It's possible you could find the same level of support at a private, but I really think the combination of support PLUS curriculum was what got our DS off to a really great start. He has now aged out of his IEP (3rd grade) and we are letting it lapse for now.

The problem is this is in no way typical unless you have a child really in need. You really lucked up!

NP- it's not luck, it's based on evaluations done in school that are not available to private school students. The PP clearly described that their student qualified and then listed the services provided per the IEP, which is a process triggered by school administered test results. If your DC does not meet the evaluative criteria, then no services. It's that simple. No luck involved in public. Private on the other hand can do whatever they want.

I’ve heard more horror stories coming out of public schools with parents fighting to get their kids evaluated, fighting for services, etc. it shouldn’t be that way but sometimes it is, regardless of merit.

And why would it be any better in a "mainstream private" where they openly discriminate against kids with disabilities? Yes, you do have to be a strong advocate for your kid, but OP already knows that. That's why she's here asking these questions.

Some. Not all. And rarely is it “open.”

come on. how many area mainstream privates would even consider my DS with HFA? He doesn’t even need academic support but is visibly different. Very few.

I suspect that there are more than you think. There was a girl at Sidwell a few years ago that openly acknowledged her childhood ASD diagnosis. There is a boy in the GDS lower school who is on the spectrum. It all depends on the individual’s and the specific class profile. I didn’t say there were a to , just that there are some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s impossible to say without you describing her needs in more detail. I can’t tell if you’re just a hyper-protective mom for whom being clumsy is a “delay,” or if your child actually has delays. Speech, fine, and gross motor delays all together actually sounds like they could be fairly significant needs and you’d be better off in public with an IEP.

OP here:

Fair question. This is definitely not just me being a hyper-protective mom, though I'd say it's hard to assess long-term need because DD has made significant progress in the past couple years. She started therapy through DC"s early intervention program at age 1 after hypotonia diagnosis. She didn't walk until 22 months. Delayed expressive but not receptive language. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 3. Through speech, OT, and PT, she has made great progress over past couple years, and the growth hormone injections have helped with her strength, too. She qualifies for an IEP through DCPS but we've sent her to a private pre-school that provides small classes and hands-on attention, which she's thrived in.

She is now 4, so we are looking at Kindergarten programs. I find it hard to judge the significance of her future needs because of her positive trajectory. I don't think this is just me looking through rose-colored glasses or wishing for an alternate reality but I don't want to be naive and suggest she definitely won't need any real supports, either.

Developmental pediatrician has suggested she could do ok in mainstream private school, with private therapy in place as needed.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the further information! Based on what you wrote, I really do think you should at least consider a DCPS with a strong IEP for K. Here's why: in addition to the OT, speech, and push-in you would hopefully get in your IEP, many/most DCPS schools have a very strong K curriculum that is really focused on teaching writing and reading fundamentals. They do a LOT of practice laying the groundwork to form letters, phonics, etc, for all kids. They have very clear goals for ELA. What this meant for my DS with severe fine motor skills (fine motor skills of a 14 month old baby at 4 years old, per the assessment - I didn't actually believe that, but it was bad!) is that in addition to the focused support, he got a TON of practice in methods that are designed to teach young kids from all backgrounds how to read and write. It really worked for him.

In contrast, from what I know about privates and some charters, K and 1st are much less focused and still revolved around being play based, etc, and they take more of the attitude of "oh, our kids will learn to read and write, we don't have to worry about it!" Which, fine, may work for some kids. But would not have worked for my kid, and likely not your kid either.

Another hint - we ended up getting a strong IEP for K from the DCPS Central private school section because we were entering our IB K from a private preschool. It seems much easier to deal with them then to have to go through the school. So you're in a good position to do that as well.

Our first IEP was 2.5 hours of push-in per week, plus 60 mins of OT per week. The special ed teacher often pushed in during writing instruction. What this amounted do was an average of 45 mins/day spent with 1:1 help on his writing. What was really great though was that the whole team also supported him developing his writing skills, so for example the art teacher would encourage him and not let him just do nothing, etc. DCPS also has an aid assigned to each K class, and the aid would give him some additional encouragement. (My DS's issue was that writing was hard, so he would just opt to do nothing unless someone encouraged him to get started.)

It's possible you could find the same level of support at a private, but I really think the combination of support PLUS curriculum was what got our DS off to a really great start. He has now aged out of his IEP (3rd grade) and we are letting it lapse for now.

The problem is this is in no way typical unless you have a child really in need. You really lucked up!

NP- it's not luck, it's based on evaluations done in school that are not available to private school students. The PP clearly described that their student qualified and then listed the services provided per the IEP, which is a process triggered by school administered test results. If your DC does not meet the evaluative criteria, then no services. It's that simple. No luck involved in public. Private on the other hand can do whatever they want.

I’ve heard more horror stories coming out of public schools with parents fighting to get their kids evaluated, fighting for services, etc. it shouldn’t be that way but sometimes it is, regardless of merit.

And why would it be any better in a "mainstream private" where they openly discriminate against kids with disabilities? Yes, you do have to be a strong advocate for your kid, but OP already knows that. That's why she's here asking these questions.

Some. Not all. And rarely is it “open.”

come on. how many area mainstream privates would even consider my DS with HFA? He doesn’t even need academic support but is visibly different. Very few.

Take a look at some of these threads on ASD kids in mainstream privates. There are some heated discussions but they’re somewhat informative although a bit dated.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/180/757041.page#13819317

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/447939.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

.

I know. They are not required to be inclusive, yet some choose to be an do it well. St Mary’s in Alexandria recently broadened its student body.
https://www.smsva.org/teaching-learning/learning-center

Nice to see a school walk the talk of being welcoming and inclusive rather than just being all talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AHC (Academy Of The Holy Cross) has a wonderful program.

Many religious schools are inclusive although some programs are far better than others. And they aren’t required to be inclusive.

Seems a lot of these programs are in Catholic schools.

A lot of teachers at these schools have very little training compared to public school teachers. I would be wary.

Most publi school teachers don’t either. They rely on a thinly spread network of specialist providers throughout the district. Some Catholic schools have specialists onsite and/or in the classroom.

We moved in 3rd grade to Catholic school due to issues we thought were curriculum related and lack of structure at private school; within two months we got a teacher call about suspected ADHD or ASD. We explored that, it was correct and now son is managing the symptoms and doing ugh better academically and socially (due to therapy and awareness).

We appreciate the true partnership between our Catholic school and parents on academic matters. The occasional homework, grades work sent home and emails help that as well. The DC private school we came from, and were prepared to be lifers if we liked it, had a Parents Hands Off approach, even in lower school.