Alexa's PLAYC is a truly special center. Our daughter has been there since she was 18 months. She was shy and apprehensive when she started, and has since grown into an independent, spirited, and fun-loving toddler. We are so thankful to the teachers and staff for providing our girl with a safe, welcoming place to explore and learn. There are so many things I could say, but here are a few highlights: * The teachers and staff are all highly trained on, and passionate about, early childhood education. Having come from another daycare, I can really see how Alexa's PLAYC is intentional about every element of the space. They use evidence-based philosophies, reflect constantly on what the children are exploring, and update the different spaces responsively. If the kids seem to want to explore different textures, they will document it and add more sensory materials. * There is a garden!!! It is beautifully maintained by the outdoor teacher. We love that our daughter gets to spend time in nature each week. The playgrounds are also spacious and full of enriching activities. * There is fun programming, like the weekly live music class! Because of Alexa's PLAYC's affiliation with Rady Children's Hospital, there are extra fun events sprinkled throughout the year. We had visits from a monster truck and a penguin from the zoo in the past few months. * The classrooms are mixed-age and inclusive -- meaning that our toddler has been able to make friends of all backgrounds. I believe that she's made leaps and bounds in her socialization and learning as a result. Though she was barely speaking at the time of enrollment, our daughter's language and imaginative play have since exploded. * Alexa's PLAYC's commitment to supporting children across the neurodiversity spectrum results in an incredibly supportive enviroment. For example, they are diligent about maintaining the low teacher-to-student ratio. Truly, though, words fail to describe the everyday magic that Alexa's PLAYC creates... We love seeing our daughter come home with paint on her face and dirt on her pants -- the signs of a creative mind hard at work (play)! It is so fun getting glimpses of her world at daycare. She will play guitar (in the style of the music teacher), water our plants (like she would in the garden), and proudly talk about new friends and hobbies ("I sit bicycle!"). It has been such a joy to see our daughter, and so many other children, blossom at Alexa's PLAYC. read more

Our family has had an incredible, truly life-changing experience at Alexa's PLAYC. Our daughter received her autism diagnosis around her third birthday, and like many families, we were overwhelmed trying to find the right resources, the right environment, and people we could genuinely trust. From our very first interaction with the team at Alexa's PLAYC, we felt like we had found a place that not only understood autism and child development at a deep level, but also understood how to support families with compassion, clarity, and care. We have been at Alexa's PLAYC for about 9 months now, and we have nothing but great things to say about the administrators, teachers, and BCBAs. The staff is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive. They take the time to understand each child's individual needs and goals, and they do a great job tailoring the curriculum and day-to-day activities around those needs. One of the things we appreciate most is that Alexa's PLAYC truly lives out a child-led, play-based philosophy while still incorporating helpful elements of ABA in a way that feels balanced and respectful, never rigid or overbearing. We have seen real growth in our daughter, and just as importantly, we have felt supported as parents throughout the process. We also love the mixed environment of neurotypical and neurodivergent children. It creates a more natural, inclusive setting that reflects the diversity kids will experience in the real world, and it helps foster understanding, flexibility, and empathy from an early age. Finally, the team itself seems incredibly cohesive. The teachers, administrators, and BCBAs appear to genuinely like working together and support one another, which matters so much in an environment where every child may have a different set of needs and challenges. We are deeply grateful for Alexa's PLAYC and would highly recommend it to any family looking for a warm, capable, and deeply thoughtful preschool environment. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. I started sending my daughter here after she received her ASD level 2 diagnosis back in September. I feel like we've been here for years because of how tight knit everyone has become. Nora, the director runs an amazing program where it's technically group ABA but walks and talks like a preschool. This was my daughter's first time in a school or daycare program and it takes her a while to warm up to new people. IMMEDIATELY upon stepping through the doors she ran into the arms of the staff. The staff is incredible and has the level of warmth and patience needed to help every child grow - and it's as if she could feel that upon entering the building. The BCBAs there are very methodological and manage to track progress in a very scientific way, while making it still just look like play. The days are broken up between classroom play, outdoor play, music day, and garden days, with lots of changes happening so it stays interesting and doesn't get repetitive. It also allows them to find the particular interests your child has and weave that into the skills they're learning. I can't stress how amazing the staff is, not just in our classroom but the admin as well. Finding Alexa's PLAYC truly changed our lives and we are forever grateful for the team there for helping us get into the program and how they show up every day. read more

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Our daughter has been attending Alexa's PlayC since she was 18 months old, and the transformation we've seen in her has been nothing short of amazing. As a child who grew up during the pandemic, she started with a lot of anxiety. But thanks to the nurturing environment at Alexa's PlayC, she has blossomed into a less anxious, friendly, and loving kid. We've been through the Octopus, Whale, Shark, and now Dolphin class, and each step of the way, the teachers and administrative staff have been incredible. They've taken such good care of Avani, helping her grow and develop into a confident little girl. We were considering UTK and she was prepared for this but opted to keep Avani at Alexa's PlayC because of how much she thrives here. read more

My two children have attended Alexa's PLAYC. My oldest went during COVID and was placed in a smaller classroom of 6 kids who were traditional learners. His teachers Ms Katy and Ms Laura did an amazing job of incorporating the children's interest in their lessons. They exposed my son to new foods and helped him to feel okay about making mistakes. My daughter is a cat and takes time to warm up to places. All the teachers and staff would always greet her by name with a smile each morning. She can feel shy and quiet in new spaces. She spent the first year playing mainly with the teachers and not engaging her peers. This year she made her first friend and all the teachers would enthusiastically tell me or my partner how excited they were for this growth. You can't beat the teacher/student ratio and your child will learn along side neurodivergent learners. This life lesson is so huge, especially when they transition into traditional school where kids look down or make fun of kids who are different. They will come out of this school having a clear understanding that some of our friends are different and that is okay because we are all different in our own ways. I know everyone says that their school has the most caring teachers and I'm sure that's true but here is not just the teachers, its anyone who comes in contact with the kids. This will be our last year here before she moves on to UTK next year and its going to be hard to leave this place that has meant so much to our family. read more

My son has been going to Alexa's PLAYC since this past March. I was a little apprehensive to move forward after seeing the negative review posted here, because my son was non (now semi) verbal. I am so glad that I didn't allow that to sway my decision. We went in for the "interview" with BCBA Elizabeth and I felt at home right away, and that this would be a great place for my son to learn and grow. During the 3.5 hour daily sessions attending as a neurodivergent kiddo, my son gets to engage in fun activities such as circle time (reading/show and tell/songs), snack, craft, playground, indoor play solo and with peers. All while receiving direction from the teachers (some of whom are trained in ABA therapy). There are 12 kids and 5 teachers in my son's classroom, which is an impressively low ratio. Shortly after his attendance began, my son's biting behavior resurfaced - miraculously, through structured planning and consistency, my son's teachers were able to play a huge role in helping to eradicate this behavior for the safety of the other children, all while being gentle and kind to my son. Alexa's PLAYC has completely replaced our prior ABA services (prior company had friendly and warm BT's, but slower progress for my son and no social environment). It feels like all the teachers and staff know him personally and treat him like family. He has taken particularly to the center's administrator, Fara, who is so sweet and lets my son take her by the hand and lead her around the classroom showing her all his favorite toys. My son's Autism Education Associate teacher, Elyssa, is so gifted in her practice. She clearly pays close attention to the personality traits and communication styles of each child she works with. During our bi-weekly check-in appointments, I always love hearing her share her favorite recent moments about my son, and she gives incredible advice on how to turn moments of play with my son into teaching communication moments. And even though it's not in her job description, she listens and genuinely cares when I voice my "parenting is hard" moments. We will be able to keep bringing my son here until at least when he turns 3, and hopefully beyond (pending insurance). In his four months of attending he has already come so far with being more intentional with his communication. It feels less like there is a wall in front of him and we can finally break through and have meaningful interactions with our son thanks to what our family has learned in our time here. I can't wait to see what breakthroughs are coming next for our little guy! read more

I have known Alexa's Playc since my son attended there and I really wanted to have my daughter there two for a few reasons: I drop her off and leave the school with peace of mind! Do you understand how valuable that is? I know that she will be in a place where she has QUALITY time! She will learn, she will play and more importantly, she will have teachers that are patient, kind and caring towards her! There is not one day that I arrive to pick her up and Ms Judy does not come with a huge smile on her face! Ms Judy is SO special! She is ALWAYS smiling! She is always with good energy! She makes ME happy to see her! Does she realize how happy she makes the kids feel? My daughter was in another family care part time before and she refused to go to school because she was scared of the caregivers...they would carry their personal problems to work and show on their faces...the kids felt it! Ms Judy, Ms Amy and Ms Lara for sure have their own problems...for sure get tired! But they do not reflect that on the kids! My daughter is a super honest kid...she always says: " Ms. Lara, Ms Amy and Ms Judy are super nice! They are always sweet!". That is what I wanted to say. Thank you for hiring kind, patient and caring teachers. I think teachers are not always valued enough by society and they are so important! Our kids sometimes spend more time with our kids than parents do during the week. Ms. Judy, Ms. Amy and Ms. Lara are amazing...kind...thoughtful...great energy! They are building trust, confidence and forever memories in our little ones! read more

The past 6 months has been a nightmare at Alexa's Playc for our 18-24mo old son. My wife and I thought this would be a great place to provide structure, guidance, and overall quality care for our "neurotypical" son. We were MISTAKEN. Here is a series of events that occurred. Coming into the program we told the lead BCBA about our worry with regards to our son's speech only speaking 20 words at 18mo (he is bilingual.) Their first mistake was telling us 9 days into the program that our 18mo child was "overly aggressive and only knows how to say...Hi." What do you expect? He's in a new structured environment with multiple caregivers and a handful of new peers. The message delivered by the manager and lead BCBA felt biased and punitive. They really tease out the toddlers they want in their program (Autistic or not) by speech. Which we found so interesting given that speech is also one of the key characteristics of children at-risk for Autism. So if your child has limited or lack of speech, LOOK ELSEWHERE!!! The lead BCBA in this program has her son enrolled at Alexa's Playc which was also not disclosed at intake giving a very obscure view of your child enrolling and a conflict of interest. Halfway through the program the manager and the lead BCBA told us that our recently turned 2y/o son didn't know how to "turn take." Which we found hilarious given that her son who was A YEAR OLDER than ours ran off with our son's truck in hand with zero verbalization or request (LOL!) We also found that if they really want your child out of their program they will document everything they do even if it is an ATTEMPT of a bad behavior. Our son was given biting incident reports for ATTEMPTING to bite a peer, a peer putting their hand in my son's mouth, and our son biting a peer's SHIRT. Toddlers bite but to be written up for attempts and peers placing their hand in your child's mouth is ridiculous. This was also while he was growing 4 of his secondary molars! There is so much more that occurred that we cannot fit in one review but hopefully this is enough warning for everyone that even wants to look into this program. We give this place 1 star for our son's teachers who hung in there after ALL OF THE TURNOVER that occurred in the last 6 months (5 teachers left or transferred out during our time there.) Save your family the headache and trouble because you too will be looking for a new place like all the other parents that were kicked out. UPDATE: Our son is now in a new school environment with a 5:1 teacher ratio and he has flourished. We are so happy he got kicked out of Alexa's Playc! We would not have found a better environment for him if it weren't for this. We did a re-evaluation of his speech and they said he was at normal/above normal range. We should have listened to our gut months ago about taking him out due to Alexa's being hypercritical on our son. Parents you are the expert of your child(ren) and don't let anyone else think you are otherwise! read more

Alexa's PLAYC - Preschools Near Me - San Diego, California

My daughter has gone here since she was little and now she's graduating. I can't believe it! Alexa's PLAYC has been such an important part of her development. This preschool is designed for children with autism and those without (i.e., typical development). My daughter does not have autism but being around kids at Alexa's PLAYC (some with and some without autism) has helped her become a better friend, supportive of others, patient and well-rounded. I've been so grateful and impressed with the quality care my daughter has received here. She's made amazing friendships. The parents are supportive of each other. The teachers and staff genuinely love my daughter. While I'd prefer to be with her each day, I'm reassured knowing she's in a loving, rich environment that helps her grow as a person. The SD Philharmonic has come to perform for the kids, Sea World or SD Zoo has brought penguins, otters, or other animals for the kids to touch and meet. There's always something exciting happening. Can't recommend highly enough! read more

My son has been at Alexa's PLAYC since he was 2. He just graduated in August. I can not say enough good things about this school! They have been so supportive to me and my son. My son has grown so much in so many ways. He was non verbal and had trouble participating with the group. He is now totally prepared for kindergarten. The people here care so much! I could not have asked for a better experience for my son! I will forever be grateful! I highly recommend this school! read more

I'm not sure how to truly express how amazing this place is. My children definitely would not be where they are today without the staff Alexa's PLAYC. Everyone here is truly amazing I'm not even kidding. We have never met one person that we didn't feel like truly cared about the children and enjoy their job. Every preschool should be based off of this model! My child is now in first grade in public school and on a weekly basis I am told by staff how kind, compassionate and amazing my child is. Thank you, thank you, thank you Alexa's PLAYC! I can never thank you enough for what you've done for our family. read more

Our son attended the Alexa's PLAYC preschool program full time for 3 years. We have loved every minute of the experience. Each classroom is unique in the play-based curriculum they provide and the skills that are focused on, but there is also a lot of continuity as your child grows through the classrooms: The teacher-to-child ratio is the smallest I've encountered, which is wonderful on so many levels; The teachers all have education and/or experience that is specific to child and family development; Staff turnover seems to be lower than at traditional daycares/preschools; Every staff member we have encountered has been extremely kind, gracious, and keen on getting to know about our child's individual needs; Every classroom follows a similar learning program based on monthly virtues, themes, and cultural emphasis; and, perhaps most importantly, we have always felt like our child was safe, loved, and that our input as parents was valued. The facility is very clean, the playground spaces and abundance of toys are stimulating and safe - the equipment is age appropriate and newer, the entry and exit require a badge and there is always someone at the front to greet visitors. There have been times when we have leaned on staff for our own growth and development as parents, too. Their reassurance, advice, and support has helped us continue to grow a child who is cheerful, engaged, and tries his best to spread kindness. We feel like Alexa's PLAYC has helped us to further grow our son into a good human by fostering great social skills, creative thinking, play, and a love of learning. read more

First, let me clear up a big misconception... Alexa's is NOT a school for autistic children. From my perspective it is a preschool that also has a part-time immersion program for children on the autism spectrum. I can't speak for the spectrum side, but I will say that my "typically developing child" attends full time and we are so happy to have found this school. For a mom who was soooo worried about leaving her child all day, I was so happy to see the love and care and special attention that my son's teachers gave him every day. The student to teacher ratio is something you will likely not find anywhere else, it is very low, maybe due to the special immersion program they have. The typically developing children benefit greatly from many things in this program: teachers with an early childhood education or special ed or child psychology degree, a well-thought out, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and lots of interesting activities and play. There are two playgrounds and the outside area is huge. I only wish it had more shade, it gets hot out there in the summer. There is tons of equipment and toys that gets rotated around for the kids to play with and they have a big open space to play. I can't say enough about how warm and friendly and loving the teachers are, and feel total trust leaving my child in their care during the day. read more

Alexas PLAYC has been the best decision that I have made for myself and my children. As the first preschool setting for my children, the first couple of weeks was truly a challenge, but the staff not only helped my children through it, they helped me. The way the staff nurture and care for the children was so comforting and the fact that parents are encouraged to stick around via the observation room is AMAZING, I don't think things get more transparent about care than that! Another thing on my checklist for schools was the food provided, the snacks provided are healthy and sometimes the children get to be involved in the preparation.. I absolutely love that. The curriculum that the teachers provide is very well thought out and fun, so fun that many times my kids have requested to stay until the end of the day. Another great thing that Alexas provides is the community involvement, I have joined in on beach clean up, they had the neighborhood firemen come by, trick or treating at the nearby Radys building.... I couldn't have dreamt a better place for my children. As a bonus for me I get to see these wonderful people everyday at the start of my day and see my children be happy to be there. read more

My daughter was enrolled in the Alexas through regional center. She stayed there for about 10 months and received a lot of help with her needs. My daughter is on the autism spectrum and not the time she was behind on speech and other developmental milestones. My primary focus was her social skills as well as her issues with feeding. Although my daughter would be starving at times she would go long periods without eating even sitting her down with food in front of her she would not focus on eating and should go the rest of the day hungry and Moody and fussy. The teachers in her class did a great job with taking time and effort to specifically work with her with her eating by herself, they made special arrangements for her and I appreciated that a lot. Ultimately in the end those issues with feeding were resolved. Her speech skills improved within the first weeks, and she continued to make progress through the duration of her time there. This facility is also a very secured one, my daughter was my first child and putting her in this day care was the first time that I had ever left her with anyone I had no previous experience with babysitters or leaving her with anyone so this was a big deal for me and I was amazed at how secure and also how transparent everything is for the parents so that there's really no mystery to how your child's day went. all the staff and teachers to try their best to really get to know the parents as well as the children. I'm grateful for our time there and the treatment that my daughter received because it helped her so incredibly much without it I don't know if she would have made the improvements in the short amount of time that she did she might have made them in a longer term but this place is absolutely necessary to anyone it has a child that is on the autism spectrum or maybe on the autism spectrum. I did not personally pay for this care, it was funded through regional center but anyone who is struggling with budgeting or making this financially leap to place their kid in this school I would definitely say that it will be worth it. It's not in any way your average ordinary private school. I didn't really have any issues with the school only one towards the end but it had nothing to do with their agenda. My daughter was in a car accident and was experiencing a lot of issues as far as fear of getting in a car and experiencing a surge of night terrors. I brought this up received a lot of help and advice which I greatly appreciated because it helped my daughter ultimately overcome her fears and her night terrors dwindled but it was not properly documented like other things that have been noted by me. It's pretty common to have concerns noted in a document for both the parent and teacher to share to look back on. Somehow this event was overlooked even though it was fairly major it resulted in me not being able to have evidence that my daughter was affected in any way by the accident to the insurance company. Because my daughter is only three I didn't feel like her experience was validated because of this error and when I try to bring it up to a higher ranking staff member she thought I was attacking Alexas playc and the teacher and she was misconstruing everything that I was saying , putting words into my mouth, I believe she was fearful that I was out to smear their image but I was only making a suggestion that this scenario be discussed in a board meeting or something of the sort see how to handle these situations. I was deeply hurt and let down by this experience it happened towards the end of our time there, for a while I doubted that anyone really cared about my family and I didn't want to allow any more services in our lives it hurt me that bad I couldn't trust anyone....I don't know if anyone could understand what I mean when I say I was let down by something like this But I am still extremely thankful and would highly recommend Alexas playc. I wish I could have paid one more time there and keep her there because she was so happy. My daughter will start preschool very soon , and I partially think Alexas playc for her readiness to transition into public school. Every once in awhile I'll pass the school and I'll have to choke back tears because we had so many good memories and progress in such a short time. unfortunately I didn't maintain any acquaintances are friendships that I made there with other mothers but I can say that a lot of the moms eagerly want to talk to you about their kids and they want to hear from you too. It's very easy to make friends there with other parents. read more

This place is a GOD send for anyone with autistic children, closer attention, better ratio, great management with empathy and positive vibes that trickle down to the rest of the staff. These teachers all know autism and many apply and practice ABA techniques. We've had our first son and nephew attend and now they are in a typical classes and doing very well - using by the benefits of an autistic mind to its benefits all while flowing into mainstream. Our second son is still there and we are very blessed to have him there. When we do 1-1 reviews with the team lead child psychologist, it becomes very apparent that everyone on his team knows him very very well down to little details, it's amazingly comforting. The only drawback is Sarawho is an aid-assistant (not the leader Sarah Denno who is great)....Sarah the time nazi thrives on giving out late passes and holds the slip anxiously waiting to charge ridiculous late fees. She loves doing it, it's odd really. Legitimate to charge just poorly executed. The time used to be 6, and then cut back to 530, so if you don't work at a clock in and click out job you are in for trouble, as they have no reality that some jobs actually require people work outside of their perfect little time frames. read more

My son was identified as "at risk" and was fortunate to be able to begin attending Alexa's Playc shortly after his 2nd birthday. The progress he has made has been astounding and the level of support from staff has been invaluable every step of the way. There are so many wonderful things to say about Alexa's Playc that it is difficult to write a review without writing a book. However, I will try. Whether your child is "typically developing" or "at risk" there are several things about this facility which set it apart and above other agencies where you could send your children. 1. The Staff! It is obvious that every person who works here, from the receptionist to the psychologist to the teachers, LOVE their job. It is also evident that their whole purpose in coming to work every day is to LOVE and GROW your child. It doesn't matter who I speak to or if I know them, every staff member knows and addresses my son by name when we walk through the hallway. 2. The ratio! I don't know of any other facility that offers such a low ratio of children to adults. 3. Security! This place is locked up tight. You need to be buzzed in or have a key. The outside of the building is mirrored so no one can see inside and the outside play areas are very secure and blocked from view as well. 4. Transparency! Ever been to a child care facility where they tell you the kids do art and you see 20 perfectly cut and put together snow men on the wall? Well you know the staff had a great time but the children were probably not that involved. At Alexa's they give you and post a weekly schedule of what the kids will be doing. Every week has a theme with structured activities that promote growth and development in your children. They also send home additional activities you can do with your children that coordinate with the classroom activities. They do art almost every day. I know that my child creates the art because he comes home messy and his artwork was very obviously done by a 2 year old. They love to have you see what they do! There is a private viewing room where you can sit and watch your child's classroom if you like. As the parent of an "at risk" child, I also benefitted from home visits and education, assistance with behavioral interventions and so much more! As my son prepares to transition to the public school system, I am crying big crocodile tears knowing that we will soon have to say goodbye to the wonderful people who have taken him so far in such a short amount of time. However, they are still there, supporting us, completing needed assessments, communicating with the school to make sure my son's needs and known and will be met, and will continue to be there. read more

My son was able to return here, and we are as pleased as ever. The teachers really care for the kids and are super patient. My son is so happy here, and so are we. read more

Ditto to everything in Patricia M's review. My son went to AP for 7 months then got kicked out right when he turned 3. I would've paid anything for him to continue but they said with his minimal speech he didn't pass their evaluation to move up to the 3+ class. I was so disappointed. We both loved the school up until that point. He ended up going to RBCPC with an ABA behavioral interventionist, where he thrived. read more

Alexa's PLAYC is fantastic! Both of my kids (my son and daughter) attend Alexa's PLAYC and have been attending since they were 18 months old. Both will remain until they start kindergarten. I can't imagine my kids attending any other preschool program. The care and collaboration, support and resources that my husband and I receive from the staff have helped to shape our skills as parents. But, ultimately, we really wanted a place that will love and support my kids, and respect them as individuals. My husband and I feel that we've gotten this and more from this daycare/preschool. As an inclusion program, the ratio is better than anywhere else and the staff are trained to provide a social and communication curriculum that is top notch. Most other programs that my husband and I visited as we were exploring preschool options were not able to provide specific information about the curriculum that they provided to the attending children. Here, that is not the case. The staff are able to tell parents exactly what goals they are working on by classroom (there are 5 different classrooms split up by age and development) and the specific strategies that work well for my kiddos. Additionally, the depth of understanding that the staff have, both for typical and atypical development is really amazing. I am provided with information about how to use strategies to help build my children's skills whenever the staff feel that my children have needs and also when I have questions. This is a full inclusion school that involves children who are developing typically and children who have a diagnosis of autism or are considered at-risk for autism. My kids are typically developing, and as a result of the inclusion programming, my children have been able to build even better skills related to their social communication because this is a focus of the school. When my kids have mastered a skill, like sharing, they are encouraged to act as peer models for other children who are still learning that skill. The positive reinforcement that my kids get by acting as a peer model is really exciting. ...oh yeah, and they a staff psychologist who I can ask question of, and they provide objective measures of how my kids are developing. I don't know if this is typical at other preschool programs. I find it really great to get this information. Seriously! Love this school and couldn't have asked for a better place for my kids to learn! read more

This is hands down the best preschool I have found! Both of my children have attended Alexa's PLAYC, and my youngest will be "graduating" this summer. My son graduated last year and is thriving in his school. We absolutely love Alexa's, the staff, the teachers, the facility: everything is beyond any parent could hope for. The children coming out of this program are ready for Kindergarten. My children's social skills are fantastic, they even know how to cope very well! The care for each kid is fantastic, the door is always open to parents for any concern...and these people will tell you if they have a concern (which is not always the case in other programs). My husband and I always say that Alexa's ALWAYS puts the best interest of the child first. If your child is typically developing or if he/she is on the autism spectrum does not matter: he/she will benefit from preschool here, and you as a parent will not have to worry about them when you are working! I love this place and will miss it. read more

Today is the last day of my child's Preschool experience at Alex's PLAYC. He is off to Kindergarten. This is almost always an exciting yet challenging time for many parents and kids. However if you are a parent with a child with ASD you really are feeling anxious about all the upcoming changes. Well let me just tell you that for the last 2 years we felt very fortunate and happy to be a part of Alex's PLAYC. Finally a school where my child was accepted, respected and treated with the outmost love and understanding. The Staff at Alex's PLAYC have an inclusive setting where children with ASD can benefit from interacting and learning with typical peers while having experienced and trained professionals working with your child. My son was redirected appropriately when he exhibited poor behaviors until extinction. The staff works as a team to use data and best teaching practices to help all children in their care. As a parent and educator myself I can only hope I continue to find quality places where the entire staff truly individualizes the needs of each kid and cares for ALL children in such a remarkable way. I highly recommend Alex's PLAYC for being an outstanding Preschool for all children to learn and get along. You have a very special place in our hearts. read more

As a parent of 2 boys with Autism, the choice to send both of them to Alexa's PLACE was the best decision possible for our family. The opportunity for our kids to interact with normal kids in an environment that facilitates their connecting with their peers was invaluable. The insights we gained from from the staff of teaching and therapy professionals at Alexa's was shared among all of our "outside of school" professionals and resulted in great strides for our boys emotionally, intellectually, and in their respective behaviors. Fast forward: It's been 2 years since our oldest son graduated Alexa's (at 5 years old) and he is nearly 100% mainstreamed in a normal elementary school getting straight A's and, most importantly, is a well adjusted youngster with real friends and a real future. We are hopeful for the same result from our latest Alexa's graduate and will be forever grateful for the utmost professional care & love our boys received at Alexa's PLAYC. Thank you again! read more

Alexa's PLAYC is extraordinary. There's no other way to say it. Since the day we were fortunate and blessed enough to enroll our 2 year old son at Alexa's after he received an "at risk" assessment, our already sky-high expectations have been consistently exceeded. My wife and I can say without hesitation that the phenomenal staff at Alexa's PLAYC positively changed the path of our son's future, and consequently our entire family's as well. I cannot understate the significance of their impact to our family and our son now and forever. The difference and progress he has made in just under a year at Alexa's has been astonishing. When I think back to where our son was a year ago and where he is now, and the progress he has made, it's nearly impossible to contain the tears of relief and joy. There is no doubt in our minds that progress was a product of the unique dynamic that is Alexa's PLAYC. Unique, in that the staff, headed by the visionary and incomparable Dr. Jen, is able to effortlessly merge a nurturing, caring, and authentic love for the children in their care with real and effective measures designed to help "at risk" children adapt and assimilate with their typically-developing peers. All the while, the teachers at Alexa's are able to also foster the progress and growth of the typically-developing children more effectively than most child care providers, because of their stellar credentials and experience. Through the concept of immersion, they're able to provide the help the "at risk" children need by allowing them to pattern their behavior to that of the typically-developing kids while the staff seamlessly and consistently works in ABA and other related methods designed to help the "at risk" children. From what I can tell, there are several reasons why this all works so well. 1) They always have a blueprint and a plan which is not static, but instead dynamic and adaptable. Dr. Jen has proven to be extremely adept at diagnosing the areas each unique child needs to work on. In conjunction with consistent input received from the child's teachers, she assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each child, and with the teachers and the parents, develops an ever-evolving plan to work on those areas both at Alexa's and at home. 2) They value communication, both input and output, and work to ensure that they're not only teaching the children but the adults as well. They achieve this through bi-weekly in-home visits and slightly, less frequent on-site visits. There is never a time they are not engaged and open about what they are doing, what they are seeing, and what more they or the parents can do to further help the children. 3) The teachers are outstanding people across the board. To a one, they care intensely about ALL the children in their care. We've been to many day care facilities and have never seen a level of professionalism and love as is shown each and every day at Alexa's PLAYC. I sometimes pick up my son and wonder "do these people ever have a bad day?" They always have a genuine smile and a positive attitude, and I think that comes from an authentic love for what they are doing. My son is in room "Walrus" and the team there is exceptional. It's entirely clear they care very deeply about the well-being of the children and have dedicated their lives to helping them. Noel, the teacher specifically assigned to our son, is simply fantastic and is truly invested in our son's development, as are every single one of the teachers in room Walrus and the school as a whole. This attitude of commitment to the health and well-being of the kids can be seen at every level of the organization from Dr. Jen, who sets all of it in motion, to the administration staff. Which brings me to... 4) The equally amazing administration staff. The school runs like clockwork because of the staff that is equally motivated by their dedication to these children. Headed by Sarah D, who was once a teacher at Alexa's and understands the ins and outs of the techniques and methods, there is never a false step. One of her many roles is to make sure there are no organizational missteps that would distract or impede the therapeutic work being done and in this she excels. Everything runs like a well oiled machine and because of it, the children and families benefit. I realize that this review reads like an advertisement and that's fine by me. The amazing progress that my son has made due to Alexa's PLAYC compels me to write this review. If I could, I WOULD take out a billboard ad for Alexa's PLAYC, if for nothing else than to acknowledge the unsung heroes that work so hard each and every day there to help develop these children, both those "at risk" and those that are not. Our lives and that of our precious son are forever changed thanks to Alexa's PLAYC. And, we are forever indebted. read more

We've been with Alexa's Playc for 2 wonderful years, and were very sad to leave. We only left because we moved and needed someplace closer to home. My boys are "typical" kids who were there full-time. We have had nothing but good experiences. We had the great pleasure of having Fara and Sarah for almost all of our time there, and many other great teachers too. The student/teacher ratio is crazy good, and the teachers are real professional educators, not babysitters. The schedule always keep kids engaged and active, learning, and well-supervised. I especially appreciated the updates on their milestones, achievements and challenges. Also, something I had taken for granted, but after touring other preschools, I see that Alexa's Playc is exceedingly clean and organized. I feel like we're losing part of our family by leaving! read more

My daughter attended Alexa's Playc twice. When she was two her experience was OK. When she was four it was bad. She spends half of her time outside the U.S., where it is culturally and linguistically different. My primary interest was to give my daughter an opportunity to develop her social skills with American kids while improving her English. She does not have ASD. From my perspective, in hindsight, this turned out to be a problem. I think my daughter started copying the social and English skills of the ASD students. Though her vocabulary increased, her social and English skills actually began to deteriorate at Alexa's Playc. She progressively became more apprehensive about even going into her classroom. When I ask her what was wrong, she made it sound like some kids were bullying her. When I spoke with her lead teacher, my concerns were discounted and instead she was labeled as "shy", I even heard them tell my daughter that! What proper teacher labels a child to their face. Are they labeling ASD students negatively too. It took me months to "de-program" her. Being cautious does not mean you are shy. Her teacher made me feel that ultimately their primary concern was with the ASD students. She had no concern whether the ASD students caused leaning problems for non-ASD children, such as my child copying a child with learning difficulties, not knowing that that child's behavior should not be copied. Children copying each other is normal. But that does not mean what they are copying is appropriate. The school is expensive and we were having financial difficulties. We decided, with the problems we were having with Alexa's Playc not helping our daughter, it was best to remove her from the school. My wife notified the school a month in advance, but the school still charged us an extra month. However, they did not notify us about this until much later, so it was too late for us to even have the option to allow our daughter to continue should we decide to get something for our money. I would recommend parents of non-ASD students to be cautious about attending this school - you have to ask what kind of role models you want for your children. It is expensive and I do not think you get what you pay for. I am happy to report, once out of that environment, our daughter began to recover her social and English skills and once again is blossoming. Now, whenever we pass Alexa's Playc, my daughter says, "There is my old school." She pauses; "I don't like that school", read more

Both my sons have attended Alexa's Playc. One son is on the Spectrum and one son is a typical child. Mrs. Sally was very involved in helping my child learn to use the PECS system, giving him his first voice. Mrs. Chelsea gave my other son support in learning how to channel his typical little boy energies... I believe today he is a sensitive, caring boy ~ due to having exposure to all types of children. I would recommend Alexa's Playc to any family of typical child or child at risk of being on the spectrum. Dr. Reinehr was very genuine and sincere when diagnosing and explaining my sons strengths and challenges. read more

" Innovative and collaborative care for every child, every family, every day." That is the sales pitch of this private preschool run by a highly awarded autism institute that denied our 3 year old autistic kid access to their program due to lack of speech. My 3 year old son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and severe expressive language disorder. That does not mean that he cannot communicate - he communicates a lot trying to speak and has the level of a 1,5 year old. This program was a huge disappointment for us as they based their denial on his lack of speech. And I who thought they were supposed to help out autistic kids! Alexa's PlayC has as rigid exclusion criterias as any other ordinary private preschool program in SD. They said we could try again next year. He now attends a public special needs program which btw has helped him a lot. He thrives and has developed tremendously since he started. I just wanted to share this review with other parents. If your child doesn't get access to this program, its really not a big deal! read more