2023 Admissions | The Westview School

ADMISSIONS

The Westview School

A P L A C E W H E R E Y O U F I T

WELCOME TO

THE WESTVIEW SCHOOL As the leading school in the greater Houston area dedicated to the education of academically capable children with autism spectrum disorder, I would like to extend our warmest welcome to you.

Our intimately scaled learning environment allows us to provide individual attention to support, guide, nurture, and coach our students in the development of academic and social skills.

Our goal is to continue to expand on the foundation of the visionary leaders who built a unique program known for meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of children on the autism spectrum. We look forward to the opportunity to build on this legacy in partnership with students, faculty, staff, and families.

We truly celebrate each student for the interests and skills that he or she brings to our community. We view education as an individual path of growth and recognize that the journey begins when a student comes to us with unique strengths and needs.

When I first visited Westview, I was struck by the deep-abiding passion and commitment for the school and its mission. Over and over, I heard stories of connection demonstrating Westview's great pride in forging enduring relationships.

When you enroll your child with us, you are not just part of a school but a valued part of the Westview family.

As you review our admissions materials and get to know us better, I hope you will come away with a sense of the following guiding principles that make our school unique:

Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice interactions with their peers and other adults to develop social skills and facilitate language acquisition. Children at The Westview School are routinely provided with opportunities to develop responsibility, empathy, and kindness.

Our students build reciprocal relationships with peers and learn what it means to be a friend. We believe that experiences such as field trips, art, music, and physical education provide students with opportunities to explore the full range of their interests and potential. Our students’ active participation in these activities makes The Westview School a vibrant and exciting place.

I encourage you to visit us and see all that we have to offer in person. It is difficult to capture why The Westview School is such a special place on paper; we hope that you will visit our beautiful campus, speak with our teachers, and experience for yourself the unique program that Jane Stewart created years ago.

I look forward to greeting you when you come.

Sincerely, Bevan Koch, Ed.D. Head of School

OUR MISSION The mission of The Westview School is to provide a unique, specialized, and nurturing learning environment offering outstanding educational and social opportunities for children on the autism spectrum.

ABOUT US Many people believe that putting children with autism spectrum disorder in a traditional educational setting – around "typical" children – will help them develop social skills. However, children with autism spectrum disorder often do not learn merely from observation. They must be intentionally taught the social innuendos that many naturally acquire through experience and observation. Many children on the autism spectrum have a strong desire to "belong." It can be difficult for children to find this sense of belonging when they learn how to socialize differently from their peers.

Because of this, educating students with autism spectrum disorder in the appropriate environment is critical. Because they "fit" at Westview, many of the challenges they would face in a traditional classroom setting disappear. Anxiety, stress, and depression levels drop, not only for the child but for the entire family.

Children at Westview build reciprocal friendships and truly learn what it means to be a friend. Teachers arrange and support social interactions, provide incidental language coaching, and build toward a generalization of skills. All students receive art, music, and physical education as part of our program. Library use, computer instruction, science, drama, outdoor recess activities, and field trips are also an important part of the curriculum.

Westview facilitates a structured learning environment that includes opportunities to develop and practice important social skills, a low student-to-teacher ratio, a challenging curriculum, appropriate behavioral supports, and open communication with parents. The Westview School offers a challenging curriculum at all program levels and blends several methodologies to provide for the unique needs of each child. In addition to the academic curriculum, key focus areas include language and communication, social communication and social skills, sensory integration, gross and fine motor ability, and cognitive development.

STUDENT PROFILE WHO ARE OUR STUDENTS? Students at The Westview School range in age from 2 through 15 years.

Our students often excel in academic areas; however, they may struggle with social interactions and social communication skills.

Students are appropriately challenged and supported as they engage with a curriculum that is aligned to state standards.

Classes are kept appropriately small, usually ranging from five to eight students. Early Childhood through Elementary classes are staffed with a teacher and a full-time assistant. Middle School classes are staffed with one lead teacher and a team of assistants who rotate based on need. This intentionally low ratio throughout our program allows instruction to be modified as necessary to meet individual students’ needs.

OUR PROGRAM The Westview School's program is comprised of two main components: academics and social communication/social skills.

ACADEMICS We offer a well-rounded curriculum that includes a full range of academic programs. These may be modified, if needed, to accommodate individual students’ needs. While we believe that children should be challenged with high expectations, we also believe that goals should be reasonable and achievable based on individual student strengths and abilities.

SOCIAL SKILLS The other core component of our program includes social communication and social skills. We focus on language and communication, social relatedness, and the development of independence so that our students are equipped with the skills they need to navigate the social world in which we live successfully. Formal social skills instruction in Early Childhood and Pre-K classes is playbased. Teachers in Kindergarten through Middle School incorporate formal social skills instruction into designated social skills times in their schedules using the Fly Five Social Emotional Learning Curriculum. In addition to formal social skills instruction, our teachers work with students to generalize the social skills they are learning in class by facilitating interactions throughout the day.

There is a strong focus on putting our students' needs first and meeting them where they are. We use a studentcentered approach that helps to develop autonomy and independence.

Jackie Hampton, Early Childhood Development Teacher

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PROGRAM Our early childhood classes serve our youngest students. Most children in these classes are 2 to 4 years of age. ECD classes typically contain 5 to 6 children with a teacher and an assistant.

The focus in our ECD level includes pre-academic skills, language, imitation, interaction, self-help skills, and the acquisition of appropriate developmental skills. Students in our early childhood classes are working on the development of self-regulation, attending skills, and joint attention.

Westview utilizes the STAR program (Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research) for our ECD-level students. STAR is a researchvalidated, comprehensive program that includes detailed lesson plans, teaching materials, data systems, and assessment for teaching young children in six curricular areas. The strategies used in the STAR Program utilize evidence-based practices identified in the 2015 National Standards Report and recommended by the National Research Council for use in programs specific to students on the autism spectrum and other developmental delays. The STAR assessment component identifies present levels of performance of each student, based on a scope and sequence of developmental skills. The assessment report is utilized for tracking and reporting student progress and identifies next instructional skills to be targeted in the classroom as well as individualized student instructional goals.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN & KINDERGARTEN LEVELS Students in Pre-K and Kindergarten are grouped primarily by social skills, maturity level, academics, and receptive/expressive language abilities. The curriculum for Pre-K is aligned with the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines and the curriculum for Kindergarten is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Formal handwriting instruction begins with Handwriting Without Tears materials. This program was developed by occupational therapists and has expanded into a full, multisensory program. The core curricula for both levels are supplemented by other commercial resources, as well as teacherdesigned activities. Developmentally appropriate practices guide daily routines, delivery of instruction, creative playtime, and social skills development. Appropriate social skills and peer relationships are acquired through guided play and interactive group games and activities. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard that supports the use of technology to enhance learning. Throughout the day, students are encouraged and guided in appropriate interactions with their peers and adults to enhance social skills and facilitate functional language acquisition.

Individual attention is given to each student with a goal of helping the child reach his/her potential.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN Each Pre-Kindergarten class typically has up to seven students with a teacher and an instructional assistant. The Pre-Kindergarten program provides a language and literacy-rich environment which promotes the growth and development of each individual child. Pre-K uses the Learning Without Tears: Get Set for Learning program. This research-based, hands-on curriculum combines purposeful play with multi-sensory experiences to prepare students for Kindergarten. The curriculum is divided into the six learning areas of language and literacy, readiness and writing, numbers and math, oral language, science, and social studies to develop the foundational skills necessary for overall academic success.

I truly believe that every child has the ability to learn. Something Westview does really well is to give good, positive praise to enhance learning. It is transformative for our students. They learn at a young age that they can do hard things.

Liza Reyes, Kindergarten Teacher

KINDERGARTEN Kindergarten classes generally have up to eight students with a teacher and an instructional assistant. Students are grouped primarily by social skills, maturity level, academics, and receptive/expressive language abilities. In Kindergarten, the curriculum places emphasis on language/communication, social skills, functional routines, and academics. A combination of a strong phonetic and whole language approach is used in Language Arts to facilitate beginning reading. Math instruction stresses the development of conceptual understanding and the use of manipulatives. Resources include McGraw Hill Wonders for Language Arts and My Math for Mathematics instruction.

ELEMENTARY LEVELS The Westview school is comprised of Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary. Lower Elementary classes are located in the Lower School building of our campus. Upper Elementary classes are located in our Upper School building. Each elementary class typically consists of up to eight students with a teacher and an instructional assistant. Each class focuses on providing an academic curriculum that challenges learners while also being sensitive to their unique needs. There is also an emphasis on teaching social skills, independence, and effective communication strategies.

The core classes of Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies are taught by the homeroom teacher, assisted by the teacher assistant. Science is taught in a lab setting by a specialized science teacher twice a week. Ancillary classes are Art, Music, Physical Education, and Technology. These provide opportunities to explore new areas of interest, for students to learn how to work with different teachers, and for students to practice transitions, which is a critical skill for success in school and beyond.

The curriculum for elementary classes is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Other commercial resources and teacher-designed activities supplement the core curriculum. Instruction is aligned to facilitate progression from one level to the next. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard that supports the use of technology to enhance learning.

Students are encouraged and guided throughout the day in appropriate interactions with their peers and adults to enhance social skills and language development. In addition to teacher-guided instruction, students work in pairs or small groups and often combine with other elementary classes to build relationships and practice social communication skills.

Because our classes are small, each student is given individual attention to meet their potential. Building self-esteem and appropriate social behaviors are an important part of the program.

We strive to meet each student where they are and then help them grow socially and academically through teacher and student-led activities that incorporate engaging and interactive lessons, group projects, and partner activities.

Julie Gulliford, Upper Elementary Teacher

MIDDLE SCHOOL The Middle School program is designed to provide students with a typical middle school experience. Similar to other middle schools, there is a different teacher for each content area. Each student follows a unique schedule and is assigned a locker. This requires students to become familiar with changing classrooms throughout the school day and to learn to take responsibility for managing their schedule, time, and materials. Classes include Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Social Skills, Life Fundamentals, Health, Drama, Music, Art, and PE. The Middle School curriculum is aligned to facilitate progression from one level to the next. Special focus is placed on age-specific social skills, such as collaborative learning, conflict resolution, hygiene, peer pressure, and relationships.

Westview’s Middle School is a 1:1 technology program in which every student is issued a Chromebook. Students are supported both in core classes and in the technology lab in acquiring computer skills such as using word processing programs and the how-to of presenting work in a digital format. The focus is on using technology to encourage collaborative and cooperative learning. Additionally, Clevertouch Interactive Displays are installed in each classroom, and Middle School teachers use Google Classroom for both in-class assignments and homework.

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in school dances, after-school hang-outs, and Student Council as well.

We strive to foster independence in Middle School. Our entire design is to hold students accountable while also providing them with the resources and support they need.

Jared Dawkins, Middle School Teacher

OUR CAMPUS

FACILITIES THAT SUPPORT OUR ROBUST PROGRAM

OUR CAMPUS Westview has two buildings on a seven-acre campus specially designed for the needs of our children. The Lower School building, located on the north end of our campus, contains our Early Childhood Development through Lower Elementary classes, administration offices, and our business office. In addition to 18 classrooms, this building contains speech therapy offices, a behavioral support office, a motor room, an occupational therapy room, a library, a science lab, and a multi-purpose room. The Upper School building, on the south side of our campus, houses the Upper Elementary and Middle School classes. This building has eight classrooms, a science lab, a library, a computer lab, therapy offices, a social and living skills room with a kitchen, an art room, a gym/auditorium, and a music room.

OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACES To facilitate outdoor learning, Westview boasts an outdoor classroom, amphitheater, and nature garden.

Students contribute to the nature garden by planting flowers and learning how to water and take care of the plants. The outdoor spaces on campus also include two covered playgrounds, a walking track, and an outdoor recreation space designed specially to meet the needs of our older students.

LIBRARY Westview is home to two student libraries that feature age- and grade-appropriate books. Our librarian takes great care to promote literacy throughout the school year by planning a variety of engaging activities such as “Spooky Reading” with flashlights, “Campfire” reading, book character visits, reading dogs, book fairs, and more!

Our younger students eagerly anticipate visits from Middle School guest readers. In the Spring, our Upper Elementary and Middle School students participate in a Read-a-thon. Additionally, all students in ECD – Middle School visit the library each week to check out books.

TRACK, SOCCER FIELD & PLAYGROUNDS Some of our best learning takes place on the playground! In addition to PE and Motor classes, students are provided opportunities to move their bodies and get outdoors for fun in the sun and additional social time. Our teachers facilitate social activities while also allowing students to navigate social opportunities independently.

CampusLIFE FIELD TRIPS

HANG-OUTS + SOCIALS

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

Field trips are an important part of the Westview curriculum. These experiences offer both academic and practical opportunities. Students have the opportunity to practice social and life skills with outings such as museum visits and cultural events.

Our Middle School students participate in after-hours "Hangouts" twice per school year. These social events are complete with pizza, movies, games, and karaoke. Additionally, evening socials for Middle School students are hosted twice per year where students from the nearby Grace School come to our gym for evenings filled with music, dancing, snacks, and photos.

Outside providers offer extracurricular activities for students in Kindergarten through Middle School that are scheduled in the afternoons throughout the week. Specific offerings and times vary from year to year but past activities have included karate, yoga, coding, chess, and Scouts. Activities are based on the level and age of the child.

SPECIAL EVENTS

CAMP S.M.I.L.E.

SUMMER CAMP

At Westview, all holidays and events are a celebration! Our parent organization, People of Westview, coordinates activities throughout the year, including Trunk-or-Treat, Family Fun Day, and more. The school also sponsors events such as a holiday play, drama performance, spelling bee, and talent show throughout the school year.

Our Upper Elementary and Middle School students attend Camp S.M.I.L.E., Students Maturing in Life Experiences. Camp is located at Camp for All in Burton, TX. Camp for All is a barrier-free camp experience designed to allow children with special needs to experience camp.

Camp activities are designed so that all children can access them, regardless of ability.

Just say "NO!" to a boring summer!

Our summer camp is packed with fun activities that allow students to continue to practice the social and academic skills that are learned throughout the school year. There's even water play each week! Summer camp sessions are held for three weeks in June and three weeks in July. Tutoring, academic clinics, a full range of therapies, and more are available on campus during this time for an additional fee.

Support Services BEHAVIOR SUPPORT

Our two Support Specialists support students and teachers in the classroom and create individualized behavior plans when needed. Parents may also schedule meetings to discuss problematic behavior outside of school or to receive referrals for assessment or specialized services. When the time comes to transition to a new program, our specialists and administrative staff will provide assistance and guidance.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Occupational Therapists are trained in areas specific to autism spectrum disorder. Individual therapy sessions may address sensory integration, neurodevelopmental techniques, therapeutic play, and daily living activities.

Treatment focuses on fine and gross motor coordination, motor planning, visual perceptual and visual motor skills, developmental activities, and handwriting strategies. These services are billed separately from tuition.

SPEECH THERAPY Individual speech therapy services begin with an assessment and development of individual goals. Sessions may address areas such as articulation, receptive/expressive language, fluency, social skills, augmentative communication, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, and oral motor therapy. Our SLPs provide skilled intervention, utilizing current, researchbased approaches in individual, partner, and group sessions.

Speech Therapy services are billed separately from tuition.

PSYCHOTHERAPY Individual and group therapy sessions are offered by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Our therapeutic approach is clientcentered. We will look at all aspects of the client’s life including their emotional health, mental health, and all the systems they are a part of, such as family, work, and/or school.

PLAY THERAPY Play therapy helps children with various concerns, including but not limited to, adjustment, adoption, aggression, anger, anxiety, behavioral issues, depression, developmental delays, divorce, friendship issues, grief, parent-child relationship, school issues, and trauma. The ability to process and discuss certain experiences typically begins to develop in the late teen years, so young children need a different option. Play therapy allows children to process different parts of their lives using their natural language - play. Play therapy is for children, what talk therapy is for adults. Both individual and group therapy sessions are offered.

THE STEWART CENTER The Stewart Center at The Westview School is a therapeutic clinic staffed by professionals with specialized training in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.

The Stewart Center serves children, adolescents, and their families both from The Westview School and from the community, offering speech therapy, occupational therapy, play therapy, individual/family therapy, and a number of therapeutic groups.

To inquire about services at The Stewart Center or receive information about services, please visit our website at www.stewartcenterhouston.org, call (713) 973-1842, or email info@stewartcenterhouston.org.

SUPPORTING THE WHOLE CHILD The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning

BY: BEVAN KOCH, ED.D.

In the past ten years, there has been growing recognition supported by an extensive body of research that social and emotional curriculum is not only as important as the core curriculum but also an essential contributor to high academic engagement and success. With that recognition comes the understanding that the time given to teaching the social and emotional curriculum is a critical component of a high-quality education.

Every school has a mission statement that includes a statement of its intention to prepare students for citizenship and success in their everyday life.

At The Westview School, we believe that when students are educated in a nurturing and supportive environment, they learn, grow, and develop a strong sense of self and an appreciation for others.

Social and emotional competence is vital for students to imagine and pursue a bright future for themselves and their community. This competence develops when students are provided the time to learn and practice developmentally appropriate skills that prepare them for citizenship and future success in everyday life.

Social learning focuses primarily on oneself in relationship to others, including demonstrating responsible citizenship and acting in ethical ways for the benefit of not just oneself but also for society.

Emotional learning focuses primarily on one's relationship with oneself, specifically one's responses to emotions, and includes learning to recognize and manage those emotions to stay on a trajectory that leads to the best and most desirable outcome.

Social and emotional competence prepares students to learn, play, work, and form friendships and relationships in school with people who are different from them and to learn to manage change more effectively. It enables students to be more cooperative and responsible, increasingly control their own behavior, and make good choices and decisions for themselves.

COOPERATION Cooperation is the ability to establish new relationships, maintain positive relationships and friendships, avoid social isolation, resolve conflicts, accept differences, and be a contributing member of the classroom and community in which one lives, works, learns, and plays.

ASSERTIVENESS Assertiveness is the ability to take initiative, stand up for one's ideas without hurting or negating others, seek help, persevere with a challenging task, and recognize one's individual self as separate from the environment or circumstances.

RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility is the ability to motivate oneself to act and follow through on expectations, define a problem, consider consequences, and choose a positive solution.

EMPATHY Empathy is the ability to recognize, appreciate, or understand another's state of mind or emotions, to be receptive to new ideas and perspectives, and to see, appreciate, and value differences and diversity in others.

SELF-CONTROL Self-Control is being able to recognize and regulate one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to be successful in the moment and remain on a successful trajectory.

LEARNING TO SOCIALIZE FLY FIVE AT WESTVIEW Through a generous grant from the EANS Program, The Westview School purchased the Fly Five Social Emotional Learning Curriculum to support students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 in their acquisition of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills.

The C.A.R.E.S. Standards are based on the five social and emotional competencies that were identified through research conducted by the Center for Responsive Schools in 1985. The C.A.R.E.S. acronym comprises the traits of cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

As students prepare to go beyond the school walls, they will face the push and pull of societal dilemmas. We hope that acquiring these skills will prepare them to be respectful, empathetic, and assertive. Mastering these social and emotional competencies will also enable them to be empowered citizens who exhibit prosocial behaviors and demonstrate respect for self, others, and property. Finally, our students will be prepared to manage adversity and meet challenges and difficult circumstances with hope, resilience, and a greater sense of efficacy to solve problems or successfully resolve conflicts.

A NURTURED HEART

FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

BY: MICHAEL MCKEE, ED.S., LSSP, NCSP Since 2013, The Westview School has implemented The Nurtured Heart Approach® to shape interactions with students and support them in ways that make them feel valuable, competent, motivated, and empowered. Support Specialist Michael McKee shares a snapshot of how NHA works and how Westview uses "positive energy" to shape students’ behavior.

The Nurtured Heart Approach® is the philosophy that The Westview School has adopted to help promote positive relationships between our staff and students.

One thing that is vitally important to understand from the beginning is that the Nurtured Heart Approach is not a behavior management strategy, per se. It is a program that requires intention and dedication. Many people who look to Nurtured Heart are looking for interventions to help at school or home, such as a simple adjustment to help address a common but frustrating problem.

But those who seek to use the approach temporarily to fix a specific concern will likely see it fail because that is not what it is designed to be.

The Nurtured Heart Approach is comprised of three main stands. The first is “Absolutely No.” This stand means that negative behavior should not be “energized.” The purpose of the first stand is to refuse to give “energy” (i.e., direct or indirect attention) to negativity and not to become “energized” in response to negative behavior. Even when negative behavior is ignored, most kids can tell they have “hit a nerve,” and it is important for the adult not to show that.

While many parents and teachers can “ignore” bad behavior, adults sometimes have a difficult time (even indirectly) not energizing or showing that a child’s behavior has “gotten to them.” The core basis for this stand is that positivity does not work until we establish that “energy” is no longer provided in response to negativity.

The second stand is “Absolutely Yes.” With this stand, adults persistently “energize” (read as “provide enthusiastic and specific attention”) others by recognizing success and building positivity. In short, make the best of the time that you spend with children by using sincere acknowledgments and recognitions of appropriate/positive behaviors (i.e., “Thank you so much for putting away your toys. That shows me that you are respectful and responsible.”)

Sincerity is very important in this stand as the child must genuinely believe that you mean what you say.

This gives the acknowledgments more “energy.” For this stand to be successful, adults must shift their mindset. Similar to starting a diet or correcting a bad habit, a person has to truly set their mind to the idea that it will work or else it will not.

The final stand is “Absolutely Clear.” This requires that the adult maintains clear, unambiguous rules and gives brief, “un-energized” consequences when a rule is broken. This is the foundation for the “reset” that has become synonymous with Nurtured Heart.

Rather than yelling or preaching when a rule has been broken, a simple “reset” is given to inform the child that the expectation is not being met. From there, the child has the opportunity to correct their behavior and get back to conduct that allows them to receive “energy” from the adult. To be successful, the response is given devoid of emotion or energy.

The “reset” is simply a signal, and any other word or phrase could be used in its place, but it signals a pause in engagement that follows a broken rule.

Once the rule is no longer being broken, the adult then reconnects with the child, typically in a manner that involves praise or energy (i.e., “Right now, you are no longer hitting me, even though I can tell that you are still upset. Thanks for resetting and showing such great self-control.”) From there, either the connection continues, or another “reset” is needed.

When done correctly, the Nurtured Heart Approach helps foster positive, successful relationships that will help address and improve many behavior problems that arise at home or in the classroom.

The core of the Nurtured Heart Approach is that a positive parent-child or teacher-student relationship is fundamental and integral in helping children learn self-regulation. Without the connection of the positive energy between the child and the adult, the removal of that energy has no consequence. On the flip side, if the child can receive “energy” from an adult for their bad behavior, there is little incentive to change what they are doing. Broadly speaking, adults should focus more of their energy on identifying and acknowledging the positive things that children do than they do on correcting negative behavior. When done correctly, the Nurtured Heart Approach helps foster positive, successful relationships that will help address and improve many behavior problems that arise at home or in the classroom.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I schedule a tour of the school?

How do you determine my child’s “grade level?”

We offer parent tours of our campus and are proud to show you the great work being done at our school each day.

Please reach out to our Admissions Department at 713-9731900 to speak with our Admissions Director. Following a phone interview, we can schedule a parent tour of the school. Tours last approximately one hour.

After Kindergarten, specific grade levels are not assigned; students progress through Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School. Some classes contain more than one curriculum grade level and students are placed based on their academic and social abilities, rather than where they are chronologically “supposed to” be. Because of our small class sizes, we get to know each student on an individual basis and understand the dynamics of each class.

Do you require a formal evaluation as part of the admissions process?

An informal observation, via Zoom and/or an in-class visit, is completed by The Westview School prior to admission.

Kindergarten, Elementary, and Middle School applicants must provide a recent psychological-educational evaluation and school records. All parents are encouraged to have a full evaluation of their child completed by a developmental pediatrician or psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorder. Once enrolled, an updated evaluation must be submitted every three years.

Do you offer financial assistance?

Yes. Families are encouraged to apply using the FAST system, found on our website below. Assistance is awarded based on the FAST need-based financial analysis and recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition and available funds. www.westviewschool.org/admissions.

If accepted, what other forms are required for enrollment?

Every child who is admitted to The Westview School must have a completed medical examination and immunization report, and children ages four and older must have vision and hearing screenings. We also follow all additional required screenings by the State of Texas.

Do Westview students wear uniforms?

While we do have a dress code that outlines clothing that is appropriate for school, Westview students do not wear uniforms. Due to licensing regulations, all students must wear a Westview shirt on field trips.

Is therapy included in tuition?

Licensed speech and occupational therapists are on staff and allow our teachers to have access to all therapy resources that can be used in the classroom. Therapists are available to work with staff to modify instruction and/or classroom environments to accommodate special needs of our students. Individual occupational therapy and speech therapy services are available on campus; however, these services are not included in the cost of tuition.

Where do children go after attending The Westview School?

Our teachers and therapists start the conversation about where your child will go after Westview long before it is time to transition. Often, students transfer to private schools to maintain the smaller class environment. Others succeed in public schools. Some students continue on at more specialized schools for students with social and/or learning needs. Our Support Specialists will work with you to help you make an informed decision that will be best for your child and your entire family.

Do you accept new students in the middle of the school year?

Yes. Westview has a rolling admissions policy. Students can enroll at any time during the school year if there is availability at the appropriate level. Students may be placed into a wait pool if no openings exist.

Does Westview offer transportation or bus service?

We do not offer transportation, but many of our families do form their own carpools to assist with transporting their children.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Office of Admissions at 713-973-1900.

WESTVIEW PUBLICATIONS VISIT US ONLINE

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Parent Phone Interview

STEP 1: PARENT PHONE INTERVIEW WITH ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR

Tour and Submit Application

During an initial parent phone interview, our Admissions Director will get background information about your child to determine if Westview might be the right fit at this time.

At the conclusion of the phone interview, our Admissions Director will make a recommendation to continue with the admissions process or will discuss other program recommendations. A tour of our campus can be schedueld at this time as well.

STEP 2: SUBMIT APPLICATION MATERIALS After completing a phone interview, parents will receive an email that contains a list of materials needed to complete their child’s admissions file.

Once all application materials, including the application fee, are received, the admissions file will be reviewed.

Files are reviewed in the order of completion.

STEP 3: VIRTUAL SCREENING INTERVIEW After the admissions file is reviewed by our team, we will schedul a virtual screening interview for your child, which will be held via Zoom.

This screening interview is a short, informal virtual session with your child and our Admissions team that will help determine if your child is a candidate for a classroom visit.

If your child is not recommended to continue with the admissions process following the virtual screening interview, our Admissions team will provide recommendations for alternate programs that may be a more appropriate fit for your child at this time.

Classroom Visit and Final Decision

Virtual Screening Interview

STEP 4: CLASSROOM VISIT Following a successful virtual screening interview and recommendation of the Admissions Committee, a classroom visit is scheduled. Prospective students visit in one of our classrooms for one full day.

During the classroom visit, prospective students participate in all classroom activities scheduled for that day. Members of our Admissions Committee will observe in the classroom during the child’s classroom visit.

STEP 5: ADMISSIONS DECISION The final step in our admissions process is a meeting of our Admissions Committee to make a determination of Westview’s ability to meet your child’s needs at this time.

If accepted, an enrollment contract will be issued. The contract and enrollment fee will be due to secure your child’s spot at Westview.

If your child is accepted but no spaces are available in the appropriate level/class, your child will be placed in to a wait pool and parents will be notified when there is an appropriate vacancy.

If not accepted, our Admissions team will provide recommendations for alternate programs/settings that may be a more appropriate fit for your child at this time. **Children are admitted to The Westview School on a six-week trial basis. Some children have academic, emotional, behavioral, or medical needs that cannot be met in our environment. In such a case, a family will be supported in finding alternate programs that are more capable of meeting their child’s needs.**

FACEBOOK The Westview School

INSTAGRAM @thewestviewschool

LINKEDIN The Westview School

The Westview School | 1900 Kersten Drive | Houston, Texas 77043 | 713-973-1900 | info@westviewschool.org

Notice of Non-Discrimination: The School acknowledges its obligations to prohibit discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability/handicap, or religion in admission to its educational programs, activities, and services, and in employment opportunities. Retaliation against an individual for filing a complaint under this policy or participating in the informal or formal resolution is prohibited.