Thank you all for your comments and recommendations. I really appreciate it because we have been struggling for years. Someone asked what the two "e"s were when he was diagnosed as "Twice Exceptional." The psychologist said he was: (1) on the spectrum, but just barely . . . like an Aspergers I guess; and (2) Extremely high intelligence. We have started new medication to see if that helps. If any of you have success stories of making it through a hard time, please share too because I currently feel like it will take a miracle to improve things. Our son has a developmental delay (for sure) and still acts like a 4 year old......but he's 7. So, in public, when he acts out, or in the classroom when he acts out, it is just awful. He IS getting better, but the progress feels so slow and incremental. Has anyone else gone through this and does it get better?

Our son is in first grade in a private school that does not have a lot of resources to help special needs. He has a developmental delay emotionally/behaviorally where he handles frustration poorly. He's a black/white thinker and not flexible. When he's regulated, he is sweet, loving and functions normally. However, once frustrated he lashes out, can be aggressive and inappropriate. The school had to pull him out of the classroom because he was hitting other kids. The school is not equipped to handle him as they have no specialists of any kind and are short on resources. I've heard that northern VA public schools might not be any better because, while they have a ton more resources, they don't exactly specialize in kids like my son. Franklin Sherman (FCPS) is our designated public school where he could go.

His therapists think he needs a private school with very small classes where he can get individualized attention and where they are more flexible in their learning methods. Does anyone know any schools in the area like this? If it helps, our therapists do NOT recommend the LAB school in DC because even though it is great for kids with learning disabilities, it wouldn't be a good fit for a child who acts out when frustrated who otherwise has no known learning disabilities. What we don't need is to pay for an expensive school, only for them to kick him out for behavioral issues (LAB does not provide refunds I guess). I really need help and am desperate to find an understanding and non-judgmental school community that could help him.