My kid has never thrived more than after being pulled out of gen ed. She hated inclusion, hated being the only one like her. (In middle school) In special ed HS, she is thriving. It's small enough that she is challenged. Outsiders might not think the school is academically challenging because there are some students who don't need that level, but again, it's small enough that she is receiving very individualized academics.

She's never had a better social or academic school experience than when I pulled her out of an inclusion setting.

It really depends on your kid's needs and the schools you're considering. It is very much a case-by-case situation. I'm guessing you wouldn't be considering it if you didn't think your kid needed more than a mainstream school can provide, so elaborate more on that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would argue against some of the responses here that assume all "therapeutic" schools are not academically challenging. There are many that are, and it's unfair to assume just because they offer more support they are automatically not rigorous. And there are also schools that thread the needle between therapeutic and more robustly inclusive than public schools are, in that they are much smaller and often more accommodating for kids with specific social and sensory needs. In the area, schools that might be worth investigating are: Bullis, St. Andrew's Episcopal, Field School, Burke, Nora School, Commonwealth and Parkmont.

Aren’t these schools competitive to get in?

We need more small private schools in the DMV. Especially something calm for 2e kids.

Some are fairly competitive, and some are less so. I'd say the most competitive are the "mainstream" large privates, so Bullis and St. Andrew's. Field and Burke are less competitive if you are full-pay, and then Nora, Commonwealth, and Parkmont are more focused on serving a pretty specific cross-section of kids so it's more about fit than about competitive or not competitive.

Anonymous wrote:I think Commonwealth is known to be academically rigorous if your child wants it to be. It's not a therapeutic school in the more traditional sense though. Ivymount is also very personalized and can challenge a child who needs it.

+1 Ivymount has several different programs that cater to different kids. I also disagree with the academic rigor not being as challenging at a private SN school (I'm assuming this is what you mean by therapeutic). Or the need for peer models. My child's self-esteem was so low at public school due to not being able to keep up socially with their neurotypical peers and lack of friends. And my child was not able to access the curriculum in public due to being overwhelmed by the large classrooms and often shutting down. And when things were hard, we found that public schools often let our child get away with doing very little because they didn't have the tools or resources to challenge him. It was easier to write his paper for him rather than get him to do it. We have found private school holds our child more accountable for doing the work and making sure they understand.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typical peer exposure can lead to bullying and exclusion. We pulled our HFA kid to an SN private for middle. We will see about high school.

do they have friends at the SN school?

We only just did this. Time will tell. They are no longer refusing school so that’s a significant step.

I think Commonwealth is known to be academically rigorous if your child wants it to be. It's not a therapeutic school in the more traditional sense though. Ivymount is also very personalized and can challenge a child who needs it.

Anonymous wrote:I would argue against some of the responses here that assume all "therapeutic" schools are not academically challenging. There are many that are, and it's unfair to assume just because they offer more support they are automatically not rigorous.

NP here. I'd love more info on schools like you describe, if you're willing to share.

Anonymous wrote:I would argue against some of the responses here that assume all "therapeutic" schools are not academically challenging. There are many that are, and it's unfair to assume just because they offer more support they are automatically not rigorous. And there are also schools that thread the needle between therapeutic and more robustly inclusive than public schools are, in that they are much smaller and often more accommodating for kids with specific social and sensory needs. In the area, schools that might be worth investigating are: Bullis, St. Andrew's Episcopal, Field School, Burke, Nora School, Commonwealth and Parkmont.

Aren’t these schools competitive to get in?

We need more small private schools in the DMV. Especially something calm for 2e kids.

I would argue against some of the responses here that assume all "therapeutic" schools are not academically challenging. There are many that are, and it's unfair to assume just because they offer more support they are automatically not rigorous. And there are also schools that thread the needle between therapeutic and more robustly inclusive than public schools are, in that they are much smaller and often more accommodating for kids with specific social and sensory needs. In the area, schools that might be worth investigating are: Bullis, St. Andrew's Episcopal, Field School, Burke, Nora School, Commonwealth and Parkmont.