How is WIS for kids with ADHD and/or other mild LDs?

[Anonymous]

Wis is not a supportive atmosphere and I would not send him there. A summer sports program in France would be better for his french his happiness and the rest of his school objectives. There are some tennis camps in the south of france.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a school that requires IQ tests of 4-year-olds as part of the enrollment process.

Most private schools require an IQ test for entrance in prek, k, etc. WIPPSI or WISC depending on age. You realize a kid with ADHD can have a high IQ?

Plus 1. What private dose t ask for the tests? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

OP- a good friend of mine whose DS graduated from WIS has told me several stories over the years of dyslexic and ADHD kids leaving WIS to go to the LAB School and Field.

My DC has auditory processing disorder/ADHD. DC took the WPPSI, did very well and was accepted to a top tier private. After the diagnosis we pulled DC and went public. I've thought about LAB several times but I haven't done it because I am still not convinced that the level of services are worth the extra money, especially compared to what DC now gets in public.

[Anonymous]

I hope you have opted against WIS -- too many other places that will be a better fit for your child's needs. And for their emotional health!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope you have opted against WIS -- too many other places that will be a better fit for your child's needs. And for their emotional health!

What's wrong with emotional health at WIS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you have opted against WIS -- too many other places that will be a better fit for your child's needs. And for their emotional health!

What's wrong with emotional health at WIS?

As a WIS parent (but not the PP) I can only venture to guess what the PP was referring to and I'm guessing it because of the difficulty of the program in high school. The IB diploma program, which is for the 11th & 12th grades, is a demanding and time consuming program that could prove too much for a student with significant learning differences. It requires a significant amount of time management, writing and analytical skills. It's a great program and really prepares kids for university, but it has a long list of components that make it a long 2 years. WIS is aware of the difficulties and the stress that is put on the kids and tries it's best with strategies to help out (changing deadlines, student support team in place, offers help and options when needed - trust me, my kids benefitted from this help a few times…), but a parent needs to think whether it is the right fit for their son or daughter before embarking on the IB diploma program. Having said all of this, one of my kids has ADHD and was quite successful in completing the program - it can be done. However, it was a tough road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plus 1. What private dose t ask for the tests? Seriously?

Doesn't make it right. Discrimination in school admissions on the basis of an innate characteristic, be it race, gender or IQ, should be illegal. A person with a lower IQ can work extra hard and do as well as any other. It's not the same as taking actual past performance (grades, SAT scores, etc) into consideration. Giving IQ tests to toddlers in order to determine their acceptance into a school is abhorrent, and parents should not stand for it. "Everyone does it" is not an excuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus 1. What private dose t ask for the tests? Seriously?

Doesn't make it right. Discrimination in school admissions on the basis of an innate characteristic, be it race, gender or IQ, should be illegal. A person with a lower IQ can work extra hard and do as well as any other. It's not the same as taking actual past performance (grades, SAT scores, etc) into consideration. Giving IQ tests to toddlers in order to determine their acceptance into a school is abhorrent, and parents should not stand for it. "Everyone does it" is not an excuse.

Although in theory I agree with you, I do believe schools are trying to make sure the child can handle the workload and pressure by administering these tests (and WIS is far from the only school doing this). It may seem discriminatory on the surface, but if you've ever seen a child suffer from being overwhelmed and "lost" you would agree that it's best for the child not to be in that learning environment. I agree that children with a lower IQ can work hard, but at what cost to them personally? I don't have an answer as to what would be a better measure, but I do know that children should not be made to suffer in their learning (i.e. being pushed by a parent to go somewhere that is not a good fit academically).

[Anonymous]

I feel sorry for a toddler already expected to work extra hard. Why not put him in a group where he is average and has room to grow. He will be happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is bright but struggles with dyslexia and ADD (inattentive). He gets B+s in school, but French is one of his weber subjects. Would WIS be a poor choice for a kid like this? He likes French and it is very important to his father that he learn French well, but I am worried that a school with such a heavy language focus would be tough to enter in high school for a kid who is not super strong in languages.

Maybe a better solution would be to send child to 4week immersion French program every summer? If he is a B+ student in french this forced immersion/speaking experience repeated over several
summers may be enough to gain him some increased fluency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you have opted against WIS -- too many other places that will be a better fit for your child's needs. And for their emotional health!

What's wrong with emotional health at WIS?

(New PP here) there is nothing wrong with the school, but I'd agree it is not a good fit for those with poor emotional (or cognitive) health. Standards are high.

[Anonymous]

WIS has an 8 day schedule which is also becoming common at other schools- this is by definition hard on kids with executive function issues.
Its so much easier to get up and have a regular schedule- math, then english, then french, lunch, then history and science, sports after school. Day after day you always know that in the am you have certain books, after lunch other books, in the backpack.
Its very hard to keep organized for any kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus 1. What private dose t ask for the tests? Seriously?

Doesn't make it right. Discrimination in school admissions on the basis of an innate characteristic, be it race, gender or IQ, should be illegal. A person with a lower IQ can work extra hard and do as well as any other. It's not the same as taking actual past performance (grades, SAT scores, etc) into consideration. Giving IQ tests to toddlers in order to determine their acceptance into a school is abhorrent, and parents should not stand for it. "Everyone does it" is not an excuse.

well, PP above , why are you even on the private school forum then ?

Here is a reality check:

1) "private schools " don't necessarily use IQ results to screen Pre-K students. Repeat . repeat. and repeat again. This is Washington. Private school entrance is competitive . This means that the schools will pick who they want based on parent's profile ( are you a big law partner, a POTUS admin member, a media elite ? If so, great, if not , are you an URM ? If not, DC 's IQ better be off the charts. Its not a criteria in other words, its a convenient way to say " no". get it ? AND it is NOT illegal.

2) Remember , they do not get Fed funds, they are "private" and they have it in their contracts that they can deny renewing a contract " in their sole discretion". PERIOD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WIS has an 8 day schedule which is also becoming common at other schools- this is by definition hard on kids with executive function issues.
Its so much easier to get up and have a regular schedule- math, then english, then french, lunch, then history and science, sports after school. Day after day you always know that in the am you have certain books, after lunch other books, in the backpack.
Its very hard to keep organized for any kid.

I agree this can be hard on a kid with executive functioning issues in regard to the backpack, etc - it means a concerted effort needs to be made to make sure your child goes through the backpack each day to ensure he/she has what they need each day. It definitely took my DS (who does have executive functioning issues, albeit minor) awhile to get into the habit of checking his backpack each night (well…ideally every night. Honestly, it sometimes spills into the morning….which is not ideal…) However, in the long run I find it's actually good because the kids do not necessarily have homework in each subject every night which makes a difference. Also, it forces them to clean out their backpacks more often, allowing them to have a more reasonable amount in their backpack each day - rather than carrying around everything they own! Just a thought.