Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Thoughts on specialized schools?

Welcome back. It's really unfortunate that there is such a delay for posts from new members. Your second post didn't appear for more than 2 weeks so I assume you have already visited the new school. I will respond anyway in case it's useful.

I have visited more sped and 2e schools than I can count so I'll try to share what I learned in case it helps. Sorry so long - hopefully you will find some useful info though.

The one school we visited that was best set up to meet the needs of younger 2e kids did not market themselves as being for sped, gifted or 2e kids. Started by a school psych who had a 2e daughter she tried to set up a school that focused on individual needs and actually followed through on doing that. This part is going to be key for you and is very difficult to find. Bit by bit this school brought in reading specialists, sped math specialists, SLP's, etc that are not often found in small(ish) privates. They didn't recruit sped students but parents found them and were willing to pay to get what their child needed.

This school opted not to pursue sped accreditation because they wanted to remain appealing to parents of neurotypical kids. Slowly some parents began to have success in getting their districts to pay for the school, some districts refused. With their approach to truly meeting individual needs they began appealing to gifted students as well. By the time we found them they were 30% sped students, 30% gifted students and 40% neurotypical students "with significant cross over between the gifted and sped populations". This worked better at creating a real 2e program than some intentional 2e schools. Your mileage may vary but I think it's good to keep in mind. When we visited we saw a 5th grader in an AP Biology class. Compare this to the 2e schools who say subject acceleration is unnecessary because they provide depth and breadth at grade level instead. You need to decide which approach is a better fit for your son. We were just a bit too far away to make this school work for DD but it gave me a good idea of things to look for.

I have found info from heads of the schools can be iffy. Usually started by parents of 2e kids most are legitimately dedicated to creating a solid learning environment for other 2e kids but their backgrounds may be in areas other than education. I have visited schools painted pure white with very bright lighting because that's what the founder and/or their kids needed although my DD found the environment quite harsh. Their (or their kid's) 2e experience was somehow universal in their minds. Some will talk a good game, name drop and try to dazzle you but when pushed on details be unable to provide specifics. You need to do your homework to be able to tell the difference. The school I described above was in an old building, had beat up desks and threadbare carpeting. When I asked about this I was told by parents, teachers and administrators that the school made a conscious decision to invest everything they could on top quality teachers rather than on the building. Compared to the newly founded 2e school who spent seemingly unlimited amounts of money to decorate and furnish a shiny new facility but had no services and minimal teaching resources. The difference was striking.

So what to ask? Ask them to be precise about what your son will be provided. Who will the teachers and service providers be. What are their backgrounds. What training and experience do they have with gifted and 2e students. Do they have sped teachers on staff. How about someone with OG or Wilson certification. Which dyslexia program will they use. Exactly what do they do to meet the individual needs of their students. If your son needs enrichment will it be done with depth and breadth at grade level or through acceleration. One 2e school emphasized that every student received 2 hours a week of enrichment or support services. What if your son needs both? Or more than 2 hours a week? What will he miss if provided the extra time on reading intervention. Take a look at their enrollment contract. The failed 2e school wanted us to sign a no exit contract that did not obligate them to actually provide anything to meet DD's needs. They outsourced all services - had literally no one in house to meet the needs of "the other E's". Look at the facilities. One 2e school we visited had a well equipped sensory gym. Does this mean their 2e populations tends to be more ADHD or ASD than dyslexic? Ask them and listen carefully to the answers. The head of school may be very dedicated and knowledgeable. They may truly think they can meet your son's needs and be eager to work with him. Or they can say almost exactly the same thing and really just be looking for the tuition money. Hopefully your mom gut will be able to tell the difference. One clue is a pleasant follow up email vs a series of high pressure sales pitch phone calls after your visit.

Also look at their history and track record. When visiting one of (probably THE) best schools in the world for language based learning disabilities I saw they had a strict protocol for admissions. They had it down to a science and I could trust that they knew what they were doing. They had a track record to back them up. Very, very different from the school I described above. Both were successful but with very different approaches. The common denominator was that neither tried to sell me their program. They assessed DD's needs, told me what they thought would help her and how they would do it. Very different from the failed 2e school in just about every way. Also ask for details of who they turn away. Smart kids with behavior issues or kids who aren't really in need of a gifted school but it soothes the egos of wealthy parents might not be peers to make your son's learning experience a positive one.

I find it very important to talk to other parents whose kids attend the school or who have in the past. If there Is a local parent Facebook page ask for info - both positive and negative. Go to the school just before dismissal and talk to parents waiting for their kids. Ask them what they like or what they would add if they could. Ask what other schools they considered before choosing this one. At the failed 2e one of the happiest parents I spoke to said her child had been kicked out of 6 previous schools. She was thrilled they hadn't asked him to leave yet. Is it because they were meeting his needs or because they had minimal expectations?

Oh - and during our unschooling year we found an amazing home schooling coop that offered classes during the school day. I wonder if something like that could help,with your current situation.

HTH