Anyone currently have a child at Katherine Thomas or Ivymount or Diener?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What other schools would you look at for an elementary student (ideally with a middle school option) with minimal behavior issues? Has low frustration with school work, transition, but doesn't act out at school. In upper elementary 2 years behind in most academics standards, very good reading compression though (when read to or multimedia performance closer to grade level), capable or improvement and learning but at a slower pace likely will stay a year or more behind depending on reading progress.
So, we don't want to be in a school with major behavior issues constantly or for DC to shove our kid in a classroom without any real academics. Lost here.

I would look at tutors or a more self-paced environment like Fusion. You're not getting a private placement with that profile.

We have already been approved for non-public. So, please stop telling me what we aren't going to get and either answer the question or just keep going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm at KTS and I think your profile sounds like a KTS kid.

How do you and your student like the school culture??
Are you bussing from MD or DC?

[Anonymous]

The admissions director at KTS was super helpful in telling us that our level 1 ASD kid with dyslexia could definitely attend KTS but that he might be better served elsewhere. The dyslexia is the big issue for my kid- more than the ASD at least right now. OP, your post made me wonder about his reading/writing issue- does he definitely not have dyslexia? KTS said they can deal with dyslexia but it's not their focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The admissions director at KTS was super helpful in telling us that our level 1 ASD kid with dyslexia could definitely attend KTS but that he might be better served elsewhere. The dyslexia is the big issue for my kid- more than the ASD at least right now. OP, your post made me wonder about his reading/writing issue- does he definitely not have dyslexia? KTS said they can deal with dyslexia but it's not their focus.

You know we have been wondering that for a while. our school kept telling us no to they couldn't tell us because of the mix of delays ... blah.. .blah.. which i get might be true. We asked could you still apply some of the same teaching methoods used for Dyslexia and see if it works for them even without the diagnosis?? Or try a different literacy approach then thay had been doing at least... They kind of just looked at us like we had 3 heads.
We are gonna try to get a visual processing evaluation this summer and possibly Lindamood Bell eval as well. I am very willing to try KTS if they offer us a seat though. Cause we need a program where all the classes are built for kids with learning differences vrs everyone acting like it is a big deal to makin accomidations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. thank you all for the responses. Does anyone happen to have a child at any of these schools? Know this can change with new admin, teachers etc. and do these schools cater to children with behavioral issues? My sense was that they do not.

I don’t have a kid at either but I know kids well at both and have done observations at both. In my experience the kids at KTS have a much better experience than the ones at Ivymount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at KTS and I think your profile sounds like a KTS kid.

How do you and your student like the school culture??
Are you bussing from MD or DC?

It’s the bussing poster again. Please stop hijacking all the threads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. thank you all for the responses. Does anyone happen to have a child at any of these schools? Know this can change with new admin, teachers etc. and do these schools cater to children with behavioral issues? My sense was that they do not.

I don’t have a kid at either but I know kids well at both and have done observations at both. In my experience the kids at KTS have a much better experience than the ones at Ivymount.

What does this even mean? They are two completely different schools

[Anonymous]

I am the person who posted about dyslexia and yeah I think a lot of schools. Don’t want to diagnose it either because they don’t know that much about it or they don’t want to provide special services toall the kids that have it. we did the testing with Linda Bell mood and it was really helpful.

Also, my kid wants to day long trial day at KTS and he thought it was awesome. He loved it and said that he felt like the people really understood him. So seems like a great school and the admissions person has a social work background so definitely recommend having a conversation with her.

[Anonymous]

Question: how are Ivymount and KTS for girls with ASD1 and high IQ? (And lots of anxiety/issues being in a traditional school setting….)

Wasn’t sure if these schools have programs for those advanced in academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. thank you all for the responses. Does anyone happen to have a child at any of these schools? Know this can change with new admin, teachers etc. and do these schools cater to children with behavioral issues? My sense was that they do not.

I don’t have a kid at either but I know kids well at both and have done observations at both. In my experience the kids at KTS have a much better experience than the ones at Ivymount.

What does this even mean? They are two completely different schools

It means that the kids I know at KTS have consistently had good experiences where their needs are met, and that the kids at Ivymount haven't had the same type of experience. Ivymount, in my experience, is too rigidly wed to a behavioral model, which doesn't allow them to be flexible in meeting kids' needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. thank you all for the responses. Does anyone happen to have a child at any of these schools? Know this can change with new admin, teachers etc. and do these schools cater to children with behavioral issues? My sense was that they do not.

I don’t have a kid at either but I know kids well at both and have done observations at both. In my experience the kids at KTS have a much better experience than the ones at Ivymount.

What does this even mean? They are two completely different schools

It means that the kids I know at KTS have consistently had good experiences where their needs are met, and that the kids at Ivymount haven't had the same type of experience. Ivymount, in my experience, is too rigidly wed to a behavioral model, which doesn't allow them to be flexible in meeting kids' needs.

Could you give a few examples of types of needs being met at KTS that Ivymont didn't meet? Otherwise it's hard to understand what you mean. Also, Ivymount has different programs depending on behavioral issues - which program are you referring to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. thank you all for the responses. Does anyone happen to have a child at any of these schools? Know this can change with new admin, teachers etc. and do these schools cater to children with behavioral issues? My sense was that they do not.

I don’t have a kid at either but I know kids well at both and have done observations at both. In my experience the kids at KTS have a much better experience than the ones at Ivymount.

What does this even mean? They are two completely different schools

It means that the kids I know at KTS have consistently had good experiences where their needs are met, and that the kids at Ivymount haven't had the same type of experience. Ivymount, in my experience, is too rigidly wed to a behavioral model, which doesn't allow them to be flexible in meeting kids' needs.

Could you give a few examples of types of needs being met at KTS that Ivymont didn't meet? Otherwise it's hard to understand what you mean. Also, Ivymount has different programs depending on behavioral issues - which program are you referring to?

Bumping to see if PP cares to add anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question: how are Ivymount and KTS for girls with ASD1 and high IQ? (And lots of anxiety/issues being in a traditional school setting….)

Wasn’t sure if these schools have programs for those advanced in academics.

KT and Ivymount both have diploma programs. KT majority of kids are on diploma and a large group at least 6-12 grade are near grade level in most of their subjects. They incorporate a lot of technology and different teaching methods. They don't take any behaviors that need seclusion or restraint. Not to say kids have to be 100 calm and perfectly manners or anything. They have lots of support for students and help kids learn to manage their anxiety, frustrations and sensory needs. There behavior model is relationship based and positive. They do not use ABA. They have a number of kids that go to college and others that enter the work force after highschool.


Ivymount has both diploma and certificate track as well as different levels of behavior programs. Ivymount is heavy on ABA in all the programs from what I understand. Which works great for some and not others. I know they do have kids that go on to college and other that do not. But, I don't have good insight into number or academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at KTS and I think your profile sounds like a KTS kid.

How do you and your student like the school culture??
Are you bussing from MD or DC?

It’s the bussing poster again. Please stop hijacking all the threads.

Not highjacking at all. Same OP poster. I am trying to learn about both the schools and getting there. We have a child that will be starting KT in the Fall which we are excited about.
However, we are in DC. So, unless we can find a carpool we will need to use OSSE /DC bussing. I know very little about them. We were eligible for bussing within DC due to our IEP but never used it. Our kid hasn't been on a school bus other than field trips. It is a very big deal for us and our kid. Trying to understand the rules, how to make the time more comfortable and enjoyable. As well as any tech that will let us stay in contact with our kid. Something we didn't need before when we were driving them to school.

So, be helpful please or just don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the person who posted about dyslexia and yeah I think a lot of schools. Don’t want to diagnose it either because they don’t know that much about it or they don’t want to provide special services toall the kids that have it. we did the testing with Linda Bell mood and it was really helpful.

Also, my kid wants to day long trial day at KTS and he thought it was awesome. He loved it and said that he felt like the people really understood him. So seems like a great school and the admissions person has a social work background so definitely recommend having a conversation with her.

Thank you. We did talk with the staff at KT. They are very helpful and the school is really a nice environment.
I can see why many kids and families would like attending.