As the mother of a vulnerable nonverbal special-needs child, this has been one of the most…read moreemotionally distressing experiences I've had with a school.
My son returned home from transportation with a bloody mouth. Because my child cannot reliably communicate what occurred, I calmly asked questions regarding whether an accident may have happened during transportation or student transfer. I did not accuse or blame any employee, driver, nurse, or staff member because I understand accidents can happen.
What deeply disturbed me was the response afterward.
I received a highly confrontational phone call from Shirley Gil, the headmaster and owner of the school. This was my very first interaction with her after my child had attended the school for an entire school year. Throughout the year, I primarily communicated with other members of administration, my son's teachers, and teacher assistants, many of whom were kind, patient, and supportive toward both my son and myself. I also interacted positively with another administrator named Shirley, who I understood to be the principal, as well as her daughter, and even offered support and advice where I could.
When my son first enrolled, I donated supplies to help ensure the school was equipped to support his needs because I genuinely wanted to believe in the environment and support the staff working with special-needs children.
That is why this interaction came as such an extreme shock to me.
Instead of approaching the situation with professionalism, reassurance, or concern for my child's well-being, the conversation immediately became defensive and accusatory in tone. I felt intimidated simply for asking reasonable questions regarding my son's safety after he came home injured.
During the conversation, concerns I raised regarding transportation communication barriers were also dismissed. The driver responsible for transporting children was unable to effectively communicate with me in English and relied on another child to help translate during pickup discussions involving my son. For a school entrusted with vulnerable special-needs students, this raised serious concerns for me regarding transportation communication and student safety procedures.
More than anything, this experience has left me questioning my own instincts as a parent. I ignored prior reviews because I believe children with autism deserve grace, patience, understanding, and opportunity, and because autism support is still an area many schools are learning to navigate. I wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to believe my child was safe and cared for.
I am sharing this experience because parents of special-needs children deserve transparency, professionalism, compassion, and the ability to advocate for their children without feeling dismissed or intimidated by school leadership. I strongly encourage families to ask detailed questions regarding transportation supervision, communication procedures, incident reporting, and administrative handling of parent concerns before enrolling.
