We moved specifically in-bounds for Bethesda Elementary for my ADHD, MERLD son. They were quick to get him his IEP and the speech therapist is great.

However the fit this year in 1st grade is not good, and I do not know whether it is Curriculum 2.0 or the teacher. I recognize that for these special kids, the fit will not always be good, regardless of the school!
We are considering the Gifted&Talented / Learning Disabled centers (elementary grades are at Barnsley ED in Rockville), because I had DS tested with the WISC-IV (an IQ test) and the different subscores were incredibly scattered, some in the gifted range.

Test your son. At the very least, you will obtain a detailed and informative report of what his strengths and weaknesses are, which will allow you to tailor his education to his needs. Maybe you will find that he is gifted in some areas but that his disabilities masked them in the home or classroom setting.

As PPs said, look for a good public middle and high school. Unless you are willing to consider the specialized private schools that do cater to ADHD students, I do not think the others will be willing or able to attend to his needs.

Anonymous wrote:Janney Elementary. Amazing OT and SP on staff. Good system in place for IEPs.

While I agree that Janney's got some great things going on, I wouldn't move into DC with a rising 5th grader in hopes of improving their education.

What's so great abt the janney system?

Janney Elementary. Amazing OT and SP on staff. Good system in place for IEPs.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with Bethesda Elementary.

What's so great about Bethesda Elementary?

Op here - agreed with PP. Thanks for pointing that out.

DS has an IEP for math and reading. he is an average student, but I say that with the caveat that we really dont know his abilities as his ADHD gets in the way a lot. He rushes through tests and school work just to get it over with. He's on adderral FWIW.

Not feeling at all warm and fuzzy about his homeroom or spec ed teachers. They just seem to be going through the motions. DS is starting swimming soon in the hopes to increase his bi-lateral coordination and to get him active in general.

he's a really happy kid, but MS terrifies me. We are considering private for MS also.
We tried getting him into private when he was starting 1st but no school would take him due to his behavioral issues -talking out, not raising his hand, invading personal space, being argumentative with his teacher. Those issues have gotten much better now that he's in 4th. No longer invading personal space, still talking out a bit but not like he used to, and working on improving the argumentative side of things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you could live anywhere in the DC area, which county and public would you want your DC to attend if they have an IEP?

We are not happy with our Bethesda public elem school, are renting and considering changing schools. Open to Virginia FWIW.

OP Here-
sorry should have added more detail to DS' issues. 4th grade. ADHD/Inattentive. Fine and gross motor issues. Slow Processing speeds. Super sweet and loving. no agression, no tantrums, fun-loving.

With a 4th grader I'd be looking more carefully at middle school and high school programs than at elementary.

What kinds of supports does your child need? What are his academic skills like? When you go to Back to School night, and you get that gut feeling of "this teacher will work for my kid" or "we've got trouble" what are the things you've looked for? Does your child participate in any extracurriculars that might be important to his happiness?

Anonymous wrote:If you could live anywhere in the DC area, which county and public would you want your DC to attend if they have an IEP?

We are not happy with our Bethesda public elem school, are renting and considering changing schools. Open to Virginia FWIW.

OP Here-
sorry should have added more detail to DS' issues. 4th grade. ADHD/Inattentive. Fine and gross motor issues. Slow Processing speeds. Super sweet and loving. no agression, no tantrums, fun-loving.

I agree with Bethesda Elementary.

My kid is in a public with an IEP, and i have a decent network of friends with special needs kids. From my perspective, the public school i hear the most satisfaction over is Bethesda Elementary.

But again, this is entirely anecdotal

Every kid is different, I'm not sure why you think one kid with an IEP would be the same as every other kid with an IEP.
What program is your kid in and why are you not happy?

Probably fairfax county but it is hard to say without more specifics of child's needs.

If you could live anywhere in the DC area, which county and public would you want your DC to attend if they have an IEP?

We are not happy with our Bethesda public elem school, are renting and considering changing schools. Open to Virginia FWIW.