JamD, I don't have time to reply in detail at the moment, but fwiw our ds12 has an LD in written expression. We stuck with public school for a few years after we learned of his challenge, but by the time he was in 5th grade *he* was asking to change schools. In our case we switched him out to a small private school; we lost what we were receiving in instructional help from his public school but we gained so much from having him in a smaller and much more supportive and understanding environment. Our original plan had been to send him to private school through middle school and then send him back to public school (our district has a highly regarded high school program for HG+ kiddos and he has the scores to qualify)... but his first year at the smaller school was not only a good change - it was so much better for him than we ever could have anticipated - and now I find that our view of what to consider for high school has changed significantly. He has grown so much by being in a setting where he has true academic challenge. We're paying for private therapy and for the AT he needs, but we would have been doing that anyway at his previous school.
Re your concern will your dd fit in with the kids from the public school if she takes a break for a few years, here are my thoughts:
1) My daughters have changed friends several times during the same years - I think that's part of the dynamics of kids growing and maturing. So even if you left your dd at the same school, friendships would most likely morph.
2) My ds struggled with how to make friends through much of elementary school - which I think was due in large part to his struggling with an LD and feeling self conscious and different (combined with the 2e high IQ piece). We were worried when we changed his school that he'd be leaving behind the one friend he had for years - and he did. But it didn't matter - he made new friends, and he found a self-confidence that I'd never dreamed he'd have
That self-confidence has made it much easier for him to take on other social challenges and although he's still no social butterfly he's grown tremendously in his ability to fit in and adapt to new situations and new friends.
3) You might find in two years that you really aren't all that excited about sending your dd back to public school - so the question about fitting in their becomes irrelevant.
4) It sounds like this is a good opportunity you might regret if you don't do it (?)
Sorry I was in a hurry and most likely didn't explain things well re our experience - in a nutshell, switching schools was the best thing we ever did for our dd and his self-confidence
Good luck with your decision!
polarbear
ps - our experience re help for the LDs was that we needed private therapy - even with help from the school. Private work was where our ds really made progress.
