Anonymous wrote:I have a student at Ivymount and we were also accepted to KTS. Both are excellent schools and a spot in either would be a huge bump for your child. A few other posters have offered advice, but here's a bit based on my experience -

1. KTS fills classes by grade while Ivymount fills based on level. At the beginning of this year, KTS had an open seat in 5th and we were offered it. However, Ivymount couldn't tell us if they had space until the reviewed then entire package to see if they could accommodate him in a setting of kids at his educational level. Kids in his classroom range in age from 10-12ish. Because Ivymount tailors things so aggressively, it's harder to know if they have spots available.

2. Neither school will provide a tour unless you have public funding or declare intent to pay on your own. However, I found the admissions directors to be extremely kind and flexible and they acted very fast once we secured the placement.

3. Both can cater to a child with ASD/ADHD, but Ivymount is very much an autism school. It is very structured and integrates ABA throughout the curriculum. The place runs like clockwork. KTS is also very well-run, but doesn't have the same methodical feel IMHO. Depends on what your kid needs. Mine loves his very tightly-managed day.

4. Neither school can handle significant behavior issues, so don't present any in the application package. The students in my son's class at Ivymount are better behaved than those in his general education classroom in public school.

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.

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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.

What's the diagnosis? If autism, your choices are limited. If SLD, there are many choices.

Most of the school people recommend only take kids through public funding. Through DC schools so what are those options??

What are the schools that allow private pay and take Autism and or ID ?? I wouldn't even know where to look for that.



If you are depending on public funding. Your choices are really limited.

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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.

What's the diagnosis? If autism, your choices are limited. If SLD, there are many choices.

Most of the school people recommend only take kids through public funding. Through DC schools so what are those options??

What are the schools that allow private pay and take Autism and or ID ?? I wouldn't even know where to look for that.



If you are depending on public funding. Your choices are really limited.

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.

What's the diagnosis? If autism, your choices are limited. If SLD, there are many choices.

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.

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.

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Anonymous wrote:What about KTS students? I have a current 8th grade girl and we are considering KTS. What is the current 8th grade class like at KTS's middle school?

The individual classes are so tiny at KTS that it's really not fair to talk about them in an online forum. The kids are wonderful and shine each in their own ways. If you tour, you will see the whole class.

Anonymous wrote:What about KTS students? I have a current 8th grade girl and we are considering KTS. What is the current 8th grade class like at KTS's middle school?

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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.

We have been at diener for years. The common refrain re the academics have no bearing on kids like yours and mine who are two years behind, IMHO.

I am not a current Diener parent (former parent) but your child’s social emotional needs seem to fit Diener. Still, I don’t understand this previous poster. If you think your child has the capacity to move towards grade level with appropriate instruction, then Diener’s academic program may not be a fit (or you will need to go in knowing you will need to supplement academically)

Well, respectfully, I think it depends on your child’s iq and abilities. Many kids at diener snd other SN schools are not equipped to move to grade level. Maybe for special education the standards adjust.

I agree with you. I was trying to address your point when I referenced the child’s capacity.

I think you are correct that for some students, grade level is not an appropriate / expectation or goal. For some special needs students with a learning disability but an average to high iq (or high component of iq), such a child may be able to advance with better instruction (some dyslexic students who can make progress with better instruction). It is this latter group who are less of a fit at Diener (without supplemental instruction)

I don’t think that’s a fair overview. There are many kids with average to above IQs doing well in the middle school. The kids I know that needed more support Still need that extra support even at other more intensive schools. They still have to supplement. There are also kids at all these schools with behavioral issues that interfere with learning and mean that the academics have to move more slowly. Look, the whole thing is so individual that it works for some kids and not others and there’s not really clear cut rules.

But, do the students in the middle school at Diener with average to high iq also have learning disabilities? That is the group I suggest might to have their academic needs met at Diener if they are “behind” academically (my comments are focused on experience at the elementary school level, not middle school).