The Westview School

This school is wonderful. Everyone is so helpful. The teachers, staff, OT's and Speech Path's are amazing! It changed our lives forever. Thank you Westview family!
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended this school, and it honestly saved his life. The good people here are nothing less than miracle workers.
—Submitted by a parent

I highly encourage anyone who is looking for a school for their ASD child to come and tour Westview. Only then, can you really tell if the school is for you. It was the right FIT for our family, and for our child. ASD kids are all different - and so are all schools and individual teachers. So far, Westview has exceeded our expectations. It is the best value for our kids in the Houston area and offers experienced staff in a nurturing environment. As our child's advocate, it is imperative that we continually reassess our choices. The amount of support we have received, the barrage of questions answered, and the great strides our child has made and CONTINUES to make is a testament to the collective effort of not only the Westview school, but therapies, doctors and our own individual child's capabilities.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has spent one year at Westview and I continue to be amazed at the progress he has made. When we started, he had very little language and severe behavior problems. In just one year, he now talks in short sentences, is very socially active, loves to help others and rarely has a meltdown anymore. The staff at Westview, from the Director down to all of the teaching assistants and office staff, are amazing and always have time for questions and just to talk. They truly care about our kids. Westview is not only a great school but is also a caring, loving environment. They have truly addressed all sides of my son and we are excited to start our second year in the fall.
—Submitted by a parent

What a blessing to live in Houston and have Westview. When my son was diagnosed with Autism at 2 1/2 I was devastated. All the milestones that would never be reached were dictated in media, internet, doctors and society. After attending Westview for 2 1/2 years he is prepared to move on. He has grown in ways I never thought possible. He is way above average academically, his motor skills are excellent, his vocabulary is above age (although would prefer not to talk in most situations), and can be social and make friends. I look forward to what tomorrow brings. As to the comments about watching out for your child, that should ALWAYS be done rather they have special needs or not. No one will ever know your child better than you. Trust your gut and stand up - always. Love the school, staff and administration.
—Submitted by a parent

My son started at Westview nearly 9 years ago and my daughter will be going for her third year this year!!! When my son walked through the door- he had very little intelligible language and was not potty trained!! He is now entering middle school and is at or above grade level in most subject areas. He still struggles with language and writing and probably always will to a certain extent. But I now have a child that is eager to learn, is learning (however slow it may be) to make friends, and is beginning to socialize with typical peers on an equal level. This is sooo much more than I could have hoped for when we started there 9 years ago. My daughter is entering into the pre-kindergarten program and over the last two years has developed an age-appropriate vocabulary and is potty trained!!! And she is eager to learn!!
—Submitted by a parent

I see the other parent here wrote a not so nice review so i suggest she try public school and I think she would tottaly change her mind about this school. I love this school and the staff my son has made a huge turnaround compared to the teacher's in the public school system and that is a place where the the principal's and board member's in charge truly do not care about a child with special needs. My son is going on his second year here and i love it i thank God I found a place where my son can be himself and not be judged and the teachers were awesome.
—Submitted by a parent

This is solely an Autism school, but the staff doestn't understand Autism, if that makes sense. They have little respect for the human side of Autism, and see the kids as robots who better fall in line or risk being berated, Teachers seem like they are burned out Day-Care workers. I always say attitude starts from the top and filters down, but when the attitude ends up on your child who is their student, you'd better be carerful. The negative reviews other parents have put on here are very credible. You would do better to find a Catholic School or private school then risk years here, as a High Functionnig Autism kid, and find that your child is worse off then when she/he came. Just because someone says they 'know' about Autism, doesn't mean anything in the Autism world. We Autism Parents learn this the hard way with schools like Westview.
—Submitted by a parent

There are good teachers at Westview and many children who attend the school do well. But there are many children in the school who have potential that is never developed. I know many children who went through this school without making any real progress or even regressed, only to go to another academic institution and thrive. My son attended Westview for several years and we saw him lag behind. When we moved him to another school we found that Westview s assessment of him was completely wrong. He was far more capable than Westview ever gave his credit for. Stand up for your child. Ask about the education and training of the director, your teachers and the administrative staff. Especially ask about their qualifications to work with children with special needs. Be involved in your child's educational plan every step of the way, or your child may pay the price.
—Submitted by a parent

My son started attending Westview this year and he loves it! He a little over 2 years old, and he loves his teachers and classes, we have to hide his school bag on the weekends, because he hangs it on his arm and wants to go to school. They've helped us in finding the best ways to work with him, and welcome feedback from his therapists. Before Westview we heard a lot 'he might not...', but from Westview we hear a lot of 'he is starting to .....', or 'he is now ....' At Westview, he is safe, happy and care for.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended Westview when he was 4 yrs old. I loved the rotating classes in which the pre-K children were given cards when it was time to change direction/classes. My son gained so much social skill knowledge and speech. He developed a greater understanding of his environment. My husband and I decided to try the public school. Wrong move. Now, even though he's in the 3rd grade, he struggles to understand a lot of the teaching and concepts in public school. We will do our best to return to Westview after this school year.
—Submitted by Angela, a parent

My daughter has attended this school for 6 1/2 years now. She had very little language when she started at 3 and now at 9 she is reading writing and finishing up her 2nd grade curriculum. She will always be behind, but with the individualized help she gets she will continue to make steady progress. This type of individualized help can not be found anywhere else in the area. I have looked at just about all the other viable schools. Her self-esteem is fantastic, she continues to make progress academically and really enjoys going to school. The teachers are fantastic. Parent involvement is extremely high and you are welcome to visit the school any time to check on your child or talk to the administration or teachers. The tuition is also the most affordable of any of the other 'special' schools out there.
—Submitted by a parent

Parents, Be alert. Stand up for your child. If you don't...your child may regress backwards vs. making progress in all areas of mental, physical, and social health. Remember, you know your child better than anyone else. Do not set the school director or its teachers or any of their staff up as God's to be all knowing.Question their actions or in-actions regarding your child. Your child deserves respect. Your child deserves to be treated with kind consideration for their needs. Remember your paying a large sum of money to have your child's need accomodated, so get what your paying Westview for. And don't be afraid to say the word no to any teacher or director. Serve your child's needs.
—Submitted by a parent