Private schools question about Houston schools (Paris, Howe: legally, required, autism)

[Redfish07]

I have a child who is highly intellectually gifted but who has trouble following rules and regulations. She has mild autism and adhd diagnoses. Is there a school you’d recommend that is more forgiving of kids who are self directed, who aren’t rule followers? Obviously I would love it if she were more compliant, but I don’t want her to get asked to leave school for discipline issues. I am aware of the specialty school for autism in houston but would rather keep her in a setting that is not autism specific.

[Redfish07]

And am aware of public school options, so focusing on private schools this round

[houston-nomad]

My impression from years with both public and private schools is that many parents seek the solution you are writing about, and I totally understand why... public schools too often treat kids like inmates rather than people and demand robotic adherence to rules (which maybe they have to do to keep order). Very tough on a kid like yours, I would imagine.

However, many private schools lack the support that is legally required in public schools to address kids with learning differences. This can result in a whole new set of problems. So I would recommend that if you find a school that seems like a good fit, make sure they also offer that kind of learning support.

I hope you find the right fit. The school puzzle in Houston is challenging already; adding this extra layer of challenges to it must be difficult.

[WRM20]

The Joy school comes to mind, depending on how old she is.

[fnh]

The Parish School

[Elaine18]

I couldn't go to private school because my mom and dad couldn't afford it!

[filledepersonne]

I have a child at the Harris School, which fits exactly the criteria you mention. My child (also extremely gifted and AuDHD) is flourishing, happier than I thought was possible in a school setting. I'm not sure how old your child is, but Harris goes through 6th grade, and their goal is to prepare the students for reintegration into a mainstream setting. Please PM me for additional info if you'd like.