Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Burke not Field, but there are similarities. Progressive does not mean always hands on, they just mix it up a bit. So, for example, in middle school many writing assignments were personal responses but you still had to produce 1-2 pages of writing. Classes were a mix of lectures, discussions, simulations, and projects.

Thanks, PP. So which schools, if any, stand out as being truly hands-on in their approaches to learning?

Lab School. Watch the video here (you can skip the first 2 minutes although it's only about 6 minutes long):
http://www.labschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=136085

Mariale Hardiman is talking about teaching through the arts. That does not mean teaching kids to be "artists" but teaching hands on--physical representation.

Diener is also very good about integrating the physical/kinetic learning, but Lab really stands out.

The Waldorf School is also very hands on--sewing, wood shop, art program. I don't know how well they would be at integrating SN but if this is something you're interested in, it's worth a look.

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Burke not Field, but there are similarities. Progressive does not mean always hands on, they just mix it up a bit. So, for example, in middle school many writing assignments were personal responses but you still had to produce 1-2 pages of writing. Classes were a mix of lectures, discussions, simulations, and projects.

Thanks, PP. So which schools, if any, stand out as being truly hands-on in their approaches to learning?

I have a kid at Burke not Field, but there are similarities. Progressive does not mean always hands on, they just mix it up a bit. So, for example, in middle school many writing assignments were personal responses but you still had to produce 1-2 pages of writing. Classes were a mix of lectures, discussions, simulations, and projects.

Anonymous wrote:My child has ADD with executive functioning/processing issues. I was considering the lab school for the sixth grade, but I feel that my child may not be quite as severe as some of their students. I visited the Field school and find that it is too ,"Traditional", for my child. I am looking for a school that is non-traditional and utilizes a more hands-on- approach to learning.

I thought Field is pretty progressive in its approach. Is that not your impression?

Anonymous wrote:There are kids with ADHD and executive dysfunction at every school, private and public, in the area. It's hard to give an answer without an idea of how these issues affect your child.

What supports do you think your DC needs? What didn't work at the current school? What expectations was s/he unable to meet? If you could design an ideal school program, what would it look like?

If you can answer those questions (and tell your DC's age), parents on this board might be able to help you more.

OP, these are great questions to start. If you're looking at St. A's & St. Patrick's ask for a one on one meeting with someone in admissions and ask them. It's better to be upfront with what issues you're dealing with so they can be honest whether or not they can address them.

If they can't then there are lots of SN schools that can. GL

Anonymous wrote:My child has ADD with executive functioning/processing issues. I was considering the lab school for the sixth grade, but I feel that my child may not be quite as severe as some of their students. I visited the Field school and find that it is too ,"Traditional", for my child. I am looking for a school that is non-traditional and utilizes a more hands-on- approach to learning.

Good luck with that.

My child has ADD with executive functioning/processing issues. I was considering the lab school for the sixth grade, but I feel that my child may not be quite as severe as some of their students. I visited the Field school and find that it is too ,"Traditional", for my child. I am looking for a school that is non-traditional and utilizes a more hands-on- approach to learning.

How does the Field school support students with learning differences. I toured the school last year and from my observations, the classes seemed so traditional.

Anonymous wrote:There are kids with ADHD and executive dysfunction at every school, private and public, in the area. It's hard to give an answer without an idea of how these issues affect your child.

What supports do you think your DC needs? What didn't work at the current school? What expectations was s/he unable to meet? If you could design an ideal school program, what would it look like?

If you can answer those questions (and tell your DC's age), parents on this board might be able to help you more.

The first statement is so true. Does your dc have processing issues, LD, etc. on top of the ADHD and executive functioning issues? You don't have to answer. The best thing is to visit the schools and see whether you think your dc will be a good fit. I can't remember if you said the age of your child. Some of the schools on my list may not work depending on age and may not work for your location but they will give you an idea of what is out there (in addition to St. Andrews): Bullis, McLean, Field, Lab, Diener, Commonwealth, Newton.

Would also look at bullis

There are kids with ADHD and executive dysfunction at every school, private and public, in the area. It's hard to give an answer without an idea of how these issues affect your child.

What supports do you think your DC needs? What didn't work at the current school? What expectations was s/he unable to meet? If you could design an ideal school program, what would it look like?

If you can answer those questions (and tell your DC's age), parents on this board might be able to help you more.

Thanks. It is really hard to get the true picture from just a visit. I thought that my childs current school was nuturing and progressive. NOT...

I disagree. Go visit them all. See for yourself.

OP,

You seem like you're struggling and grasping at straws. It depends on how much your kid is affected by these issues.

I would start by looking at schools like Lab, Kingsbury, Siena, or Diener vs. starting with St. Pats or St. A's.

There's no point trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Is St Andrews a good for for kids with ADD and executive functioning problem?. I am looking for a school where my child will not feel lost. I posted the St. Patrick's thread in error.