ADHD Support at Hillcrest vs. Thornhill Elementary
Hi All,
Our 6-year-old was recently diagnosed with ADHD and is currently in Kindergarten at a private school in Oakland. So far, we have been very disappointed with how the school has approached her diagnosis and needs and their negative/punitive approach, which led to a lot of anxiety and negative self-talk from our kid. She's doing a lot better now that we found her a therapist that she sees once a week, and started her on ADHD meds. Her school is now pushing us to reenroll for next year but we have decided to move her back to public school for the 2024-2025 school year.
She was accepted to Thornhill Elementary and is on the waitlist for Hillcrest (both in Oakland). We just went through an IEP Assessment and OUSD determined she is "gifted" and her ADHD is not impacting her "learning" and she is therefore not eligible for an IEP based on their evaluation. I was hoping to hear from any parents of Neurodivergent kids at Hillcrest or Thornhill Elementary on the teacher/administration's approach to supporting Neurodivergent kids, primarily with transitions, classroom focus, and emotional regulation.
Would appreciate any advice on this as we try to figure out which school can best help her thrive, and make her feel included and supported.
Parent Replies
Hi,
Sorry to hear how the school has been lacking in supporting your kiddo. You stated your son goes to school in Oakland, you might want to consider Saklan Valley School. The school is located in Moraga (there is a van that picks up at Orinda Bart). It’s a great school and might be a good fit for your son. There are other kids with ADHD and I heard from their parents that the school has been very supportive. Good luck!
I know this is not your question and I'm not familiar with those schools but I've found it easier (and usually enough) to have my ADHD kids have 504s in OUSD. This gets them accommodations in the classroom. There is also a lower bar for a 504 than IEP. And just because you start with one doesn't mean it won't change. Over the years both my kids have cycled through IEPs and 504s depending on their needs for accommodations and servcies. You can ask for an evaluation once a year. And a 504 whenever. You might wait a month or two into the school year and then request one.
You should be able to ask for a 504 plan. BUSD also only uses IEPs for students who are below grade level. In the plan, you can write the accommodations that would help. We also ended up paying for services like OT out-of-pocket. Check with one of the parent advocates at DREDF to get more details on the process. We had the first evaluation done through the school district. After that we had the evaluaton done through the UC Psych department, and the grad students and their supervisors were very helpful in coming up with the needed accommodations. If you have the money you can pay for a private psychologist to do the evaluatoin, but we found the Cal eval to be very good.
Another thought is that often public school teachers are better at teaching the full range of students, so some of the issues that came up in your previous school might not be as much of a problem.
hi! my son is not diagnosed as neurodivergent but definitely has strong strengths, challenges and quirks, He started Thornhill in third grade after a charter school that was way too chaotic for him. He was not yet reading at grade level. Thornhill has been really great for building his skills and his confidence. He went from maybe a first or second grade reading level to a 9th grade level in 2 years, but more importantly, he now really likes school.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful and supportive responses. Truly helpful and I so appreciate it.