Every child is different, and finding the right environment matters.
Is your child ready for Summit? This short readiness guide will help you determine whether our learning environment is the right fit.
Summit supports a wide range of learners, including many students with ADHD, learning differences, and other individual needs.
At the same time, we are a school setting—not a therapeutic or clinical program. Some students may require a level of support beyond what we can provide within a classroom environment.
This readiness guide includes a series of questions to help you reflect on whether Summit is the right setting to support your child’s learning and overall well-being.
How to Use This Guide
This guide includes 5 short questions.
For each one, choose the response that best reflects your child’s current experience in a school setting.
There are no “right” or “wrong” answers—just answer as honestly as possible.
How to Think About Your Responses
Mostly A or B: Your child likely has the skills to thrive in Summit’s learning environment
Mostly C or D: Your child may need a level of support beyond what we can provide in a school setting
A mix of A/B with some C’s: A conversation can help determine whether Summit is the right fit
Attention and Engagement
1. Can your child engage in learning activities with reasonable support and redirection?
A) My child can manage frustration and follow expectations with minimal reminders.
B) My child occasionally struggles but responds well to movement breaks or visual reminders.
C) My child frequently struggles with emotional regulation and requires ongoing adult intervention to prevent disruption to their learning and peers.
D) My child experiences frequent emotional dysregulation that significantly impacts the classroom environment and requires specialized, individualized behavioural intervention.
Independence and Problem-Solving
2. Can your child work independently or with peers for short periods with reasonable support?
A) My child can work independently and ask for help when needed.
B) My child needs structured guidance but can complete tasks with check-ins.
C) My child requires frequent direct adult supervision to stay on task and complete activities despite structured interventions.
D) My child requires one-on-one support for all learning tasks and is unable to work independently or with peers for short periods.
Communication and Social Engagement
3. Can your child participate in social interactions and express their needs using the supportive strategies we provide?
A) My child communicates effectively with peers and adults, adjusting their language as needed.
B) My child sometimes struggles with communication but benefits from strategies like visual prompts or structured conversation supports.
C) My child requires frequent adult intervention to initiate and sustain social interactions and struggles to engage appropriately with peers.
D) My child requires intensive support to communicate and participate in social settings and frequently avoids or becomes distressed by social interactions.
Impulse Control and Self-Regulation
4. Can your child manage impulses and regulate emotions with support strategies in place?
A) My child can manage frustration and follow expectations with minimal reminders.
B) My child occasionally struggles but responds well to movement breaks or visual reminders.
C) My child frequently struggles with emotional regulation and requires ongoing adult intervention to prevent disruption to their learning and peers.
D) My child experiences frequent emotional dysregulation that significantly impacts the classroom environment and requires specialized, individualized behavioural interventions.
Safety and Community Participation
5. Can your child follow safety rules and expectations in off-campus activities?
A) My child understands and follows safety rules with minimal reminders.
B) My child needs extra reminders but can follow rules with support.
C) My child requires frequent reminders and close adult supervision to follow safety expectations in community settings.
D) My child requires constant one-on-one supervision in community settings due to safety concerns, including running off, aggression, or non-compliance with safety rules.
Reflection
Mostly A or B: Your child likely has the skills to thrive in Summit’s learning environment
Mostly C or D: Your child may need a level of support beyond what we can provide in a school setting
A mix of A/B with some C’s: A conversation can help determine whether Summit is the right fit