Just an observation: If I had had the $$'s to put my child in Montessori, I would have chosen that right off. They are independent study type schools that work more one-on-one with your child at their speed. My son was in Catholic school from K-4 because my city school district sucked then and still sucks. He is in suburban public school now. Even in Montessory/Catholic schools you can have 504s or CSE/IEPs. They are schools and must abide with fed laws about educating your child. There is more structure in both options which is the primary concern.

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Montessori would probably be great because they really do tailor things to the individual student, but I don't know how high they go grade-wise. Our local Montessori only goes though primary levels, then kids have to switch to another school for middle school. I know that different Montessori schools do go to higher grades.

My son has been in Catholic schools since Kindergarten. He is now a Freshman at our local Catholic high school, and has a 4.43 G.P.A.. We have never been able to get an IEP for him, even in primary school when he was getting grades ranging from A's in his favorite Math & Science classes, to D's and F's in English, Social Studies, and Religion (because of the difficulty he has getting ideas from brain to paper, coupled with fine-motor skill deficiencies affecting his handwriting). Some individual teachers have been willing to work with us. Our Catholic primary schools really don't have the resources or teachers to be able to pull the kids out for extra help, although some teachers will modify assignments or grant extra time.

My son hated the middle-school years. He is now in honors courses, even in hated English. His school has a small student body, lots of student-teacher interaction, and he says that getting up and switching classrooms every period helps him burn off a little excess energy, which (along with his Concerta) really helps him stay focused. He's a real Science/Math geek, and wants to study Engineering, Physics, or Chemistry in college.

He still has some trouble getting written in-class assignments and test essays done, so I'm getting a little worried about the SAT, and whether we will have to fight for accommodations on the essay portion. Maybe the PSAT next year will give us some idea of how he'll fare.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you find a supportive school for your child.

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