APS WL IB for ADHD

[Anonymous]

DD is an 8th grader at Hamm, getting mostly As with occasional B here and there. In Geometry this year so on advanced math track and taken all years of available Spanish.

She has been diagnosed with mild ADHD, so is quite disorganized — room is a mess, papers everywhere, backpack overflowing with paper etc. however she does well on tests and turns in assignments (partly because so much is done on computer and that has a self organizing nature). She also has some visual processing issues, and is a reluctant reader but loves audiobooks. She will generally work through assigned reading, but does bare minimum and never reads for fun except audiobooks.

She really wants to attend WL because her best friends are going there and we are not particularly wealthy so think the diverse scene at WL will be better than YT.

With appropriate support from her 504, does it seem likely she will manage through the required IB courses at WL? I know it has a lot of reading, but maybe there will be text to audio options (like with ChatGPT supports for instance)? How will her accommodations interact with the IB and AP courses?

On a completely different track, if she has trouble we were thinking of switching to Arlington Tech — is that possible to enter as a sophomore, as long as she is on the advanced math track?

TLDR: How is WL IB for ADHD reading reluctant students?
How to transfer to AT as a sophmore?

[Anonymous]

Is your kid medicated? Mine was fine unmedicated through 8th grade but grades dropped with the HS demands in 9th. Meds made a world of difference.

[Anonymous]

It wasn't entirely clear in your post. If you are zoned for W-L then the IB academic path is not required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It wasn't entirely clear in your post. If you are zoned for W-L then the IB academic path is not required.

We are zoned for Yorktown. Sorry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your kid medicated? Mine was fine unmedicated through 8th grade but grades dropped with the HS demands in 9th. Meds made a world of difference.

Meds won’t help with word decoding, which is my biggest concern with all the reading of IB

[Anonymous]

IB is very reading/writing heavy. My high schooler who is a reluctant reader...it seemed like a bad fit and he went to Yorktown.

I've also heard AP classes are stronger for science/math. Sounds like you have a kid who is good at math.

Don't make the decision based on following her friends.

[Anonymous]

IB sounds like a bad fit for your kid. a lot of people end up having to make new friends in high school (even though I realize that can be tough!).

[Anonymous]

OP, look at the recent Arlington Mag results of where kids applied/got in for each of the schools. Not much of a difference bt YHS and WHS even when considering IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your kid medicated? Mine was fine unmedicated through 8th grade but grades dropped with the HS demands in 9th. Meds made a world of difference.

Meds won’t help with word decoding, which is my biggest concern with all the reading of IB

I hear that but 8th grade (especially at Hamm and WMS) are a breeze compared to YHS honors classes. This is when it starts to fall apart for many ADHD kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB is very reading/writing heavy. My high schooler who is a reluctant reader...it seemed like a bad fit and he went to Yorktown.

I've also heard AP classes are stronger for science/math. Sounds like you have a kid who is good at math.

Don't make the decision based on following her friends.

Yeah, that’s why we are thinking of AT — can you transfer in as sophomore??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your kid medicated? Mine was fine unmedicated through 8th grade but grades dropped with the HS demands in 9th. Meds made a world of difference.

Meds won’t help with word decoding, which is my biggest concern with all the reading of IB

I hear that but 8th grade (especially at Hamm and WMS) are a breeze compared to YHS honors classes. This is when it starts to fall apart for many ADHD kids.

Interesting. My kid went to Swanson and thought 8th grade (specifically World Geo and Algebra) was harder than 9th grade at Yorktown, all honors classes. He found 9th grade pretty easy academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB is very reading/writing heavy. My high schooler who is a reluctant reader...it seemed like a bad fit and he went to Yorktown.

I've also heard AP classes are stronger for science/math. Sounds like you have a kid who is good at math.

Don't make the decision based on following her friends.

Yeah, that’s why we are thinking of AT — can you transfer in as sophomore??

I think you need to poke around the APS website and ask someone in APS about this. There is a lottery for freshman year. I know the way HB works (also a lottery), you can apply again in non-entry years but it's pretty rare to get in after the entry year. It would be however many kids left the school is the number of openings. HB is probably more in demand than AT though. I'm sure some AT kids do leave the area or go back to home school and open up some slots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB is very reading/writing heavy. My high schooler who is a reluctant reader...it seemed like a bad fit and he went to Yorktown.

I've also heard AP classes are stronger for science/math. Sounds like you have a kid who is good at math.

Don't make the decision based on following her friends.

Yeah, that’s why we are thinking of AT — can you transfer in as sophomore??

I think you need to poke around the APS website and ask someone in APS about this. There is a lottery for freshman year. I know the way HB works (also a lottery), you can apply again in non-entry years but it's pretty rare to get in after the entry year. It would be however many kids left the school is the number of openings. HB is probably more in demand than AT though. I'm sure some AT kids do leave the area or go back to home school and open up some slots.

What gender ration at AT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn't entirely clear in your post. If you are zoned for W-L then the IB academic path is not required.

We are zoned for Yorktown. Sorry

Then you would have to apply to WL - IB Program and u may or may not get in. Same as Arlington Tech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn't entirely clear in your post. If you are zoned for W-L then the IB academic path is not required.

We are zoned for Yorktown. Sorry

Then you would have to apply to WL - IB Program and u may or may not get in. Same as Arlington Tech.

We are aware. AT should be expanding in the 2026 year right?