Reply to Do you have to share ASD diagnosis when applying to GDS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We get this DX when trying to see if he needs OT due to his low tone. It was unexpected. I’m actually not sure if it is called a diagnosis when done by early stages. I know that I’ll have to reassess when actually applying to Kindergarten (currently in PK-3). But I was raising a hypothetical question to see what’s GDS approach to this issue. We like the school and we would love to see our both children together at the same school. But of course we are only going to do what’s best for him at the moment and in the long term. [/quote]

Gds's approach to the issue of disclosure is the same as every school: they want you to provide all the information you have. But that's the wrong question. [b]What you should be asking is what is gds's approach to students who need X, Y, and Z supports, either now or in the past[/b].[/quote]

This also depends on the age of your child.  If your child is still young (LS or early MS) and has already had good school experiences without accommodations needed, then you can apply and see how things go as they age.

Join the parent group at GDS for neuro-divergent learners.

However - be more careful if your child is applying for HS.  I would not apply to any HS (not GDS specific) until you know how the school matches with your child's needs or potential future needs.  HS anywhere is a big step both on many social dimensions and academically.  Many students start to face challenges that didn't exist in younger grades in smaller classrooms with lower workloads and where teachers have fewer expectations on student independence.  You need to know that the school will work with you, how they will work with you, and how they will work with your child. (note - some schools are very arms length for parent involvement in HS student issues - we have found GDS does not immediately revert to a "talk to the hand" stance for parents - so that's a positive)

Get advice from your medical professional support system to know what types of issues may arise in the future so you can ask about them with any school you are considering.
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I don’t blame parents for being confused with how very easily diagnoses are being handed out these days. As a mom of a kid who is 2e I can’t really understand who is embracing an autism label when there were no support needs. Either your kid is getting supports and you are in denial about it; or your kid never really qualified for the diagnosis. Autism is much more than just being “quirky.” And let’s not even get started with ADHD. What I sometimes feel like is that maximizer parents want the label when it suits them (maybe to assuage anxiety about younger kids who don’t seem to precisely fit a mold they had in mind) but then get rid of it when it no longer suits them (“my kid is neurodiverse but needs no supports at an academically rigorous and socially sophisticated school like GDS” … until of course it becomes time for SATs and then the label gets resurrected to get double time).

My guess though is that schools like GDS are good at understanding this dynamic and probably would not immediately bounce a kid with autism or ADHD on the application this point because that would be excluding like 50% of the applicant pool. But they will look more carefully at past accommodations, IQ, how the parents behave, and how the child presents. So just be honest with yourself about whether your kid is actually autistic or not and you will probably understand your chances. [/quote]

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