Both my children went to this school for a year of preschool, even though the school considered…read morethem both to be neurotypical, after my older son got kicked out of his preschool for behavioral issues. I can't say enough good things about Williams. They have on-site behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Each classroom has a quiet sensory room attached for children who get over stimulated, and there's an indoor gross motor room that my son was able to able to utilize when he became too hyperactive. They have smaller class sizes, and were able to work with him one-on-one when he needed it. The teachers and other staff were all very competent and capable. We interviewed at several different schools, most of which had said that they would be willing to take him and might be able to meet his needs, but it gave me a great deal of Peace of mind KNOWING that this school would be able to with with him regardless of his behaviors. Both my children thrived at the school, where they were only surviving before. I also think it was a very valuable experience for both of them to be surrounded by this diverse population and the teacher was even able to challenge them both academically, even though they were only in preschool. They both loved going to school there, and they learned a lot! My older son was eventually diagnosed with ADHD, sensory integration disorder, and a tic disorder. He's now transitioned to public school. Well see how that goes. Williams set the bar really high.

Amazing school! I worked there for over 2 years and can honestly say I would send my own child with…read morespecial needs their in a heart beat! Please consider opening a south Austin location as well have numerous south Austin Autism families that would benefit!

One of the best schools in Austin Texas. If I had the money I would definitely send my child here…read moreso I definitely recommend checking this place out.

The word that comes to mind first is this - GIFT. Capitol School is a treasured gift to our family…read morethat has given us so much hope and light after a long period of worry and anxiety and incredibly difficult times. The teachers and support staff are unbelievable. Kind and loving and true EXPERTS in their field. I am in complete awe of the way they interact and teach our children! Our daughter has been there for 4 months now with Ms. Brooke and Mr. Oscar, and the progress she has made brings tears to my eyes! I feel so much HOPE! Her communication skills, social skills, confidence, physical coordination and strength, joy for seeing teachers and friends ... the list goes on and on! She couldn't hold conversations and now she comes home telling me bits of her day and what she did and can answer questions! I can't believe there aren't more schools like this to help children with language and learning differences -- it should be a model for others to open schools like this in other cities to change even more lives. I also think its important to call out the amazing community of families here! Having a village to help raise our daughter, including the wonderful moms and dads that truly understand our unique lives has been such a breath of fresh air! The friends I have made here have filled my cup, and I am grateful every single day for gift of Capitol School and everyone here!

My child goes here, and it has been a wonderful experience. The attention and care he receives are…read moretruly exceptional. The staff is incredibly kind, patient, and attentive. The moment you walk in, you're greeted with such warm, positive energy--it immediately puts you at ease. The facility is always spotless and well-organized, which reflects their high standards of cleanliness and care. It's a nurturing, cheerful environment that makes both kids and parents feel welcome and comfortable.

From the owner: Success on the Spectrum is a dedicated Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy clinic committed to…read morehelping children with autism reach their full potential—with no registration fees and no wait list. Our evidence-based approach features individualized treatment plans tailored to each child’s unique needs, fostering growth in communication, social skills, and daily living abilities. Backed by a compassionate and highly trained team, we provide a supportive, engaging environment where children thrive. Our mission is to empower families and equip them with the tools for lasting success—both in therapy and everyday life.

SPARK LEARNING IS THE BEST My kiddo loves everyone there. Amanda, Kayla, Laura, Melody, Liz,…read moreMichelle, Casey, Rachel, Erica, America, Masha... everyone is just amazing! My son has developed a lot since he started going there. Everyone is very experienced and they put so much effort into each kid so they can learn and develop :). I'm thankful for everyone there Would highly recommend this ABA center to everyone

We've been working with Spark since 5 and a half month. Kristen and her team are amazing. And I…read moremean, AMAZING. We've seen huge progress in our son with his expressive communication skills, social skills and behavior. Not only that our son is a much more happier child but we're a much more happier family working together to give him the resources he need and we have Spark to thank for that. When I first met Kristen, I did not want to look anywhere else and knew this was the place for our son.

Wow, what can I say, I feel like we won the jackpot when we found Magellan. our daughter started in…read moreKindergarten and although she isn't very good at adapting or transitions, she immediately fell in love with her teachers and school friends.. There are no cliques and no bullying and when we have had issues we have raised them with the teachers and they have jumped on them to solve them immediately, and unlike other private schools there's no sense of entitlement from the parents or students. Also, because the school is so good at awarding scholarships not everyone is 'rich'! The school also has a great parent teacher association which offer weekly meet-ups and play dates as well as adult only events. Each class also has a WhatsApp chat group so parents can easily communicate with each other. If it sounds like one big happy family you'd be right, that's exactly what it feels like. In terms of academics my adhd child has thrived. Diagnosed at 4 we thought she would struggle but the school has been amazing at supporting her needs and accommodating her. They also offer many different seating types from a bouncy ball chair, to cushions on the floor and other such. It's very holistic and non political and offers many diverse ways of learning. They have a calming corner, encourage reading and emotional open communication as well many other ways of teaching emotional and academic intelligence. They teach in Spanish from day one and introduce Mandarin from 3rd grade, they also teach following the international Baccalaureate which is amazing. It teaches the children self confidence through weekly presentations and teaches them autonomy. Honestly this school is amazing and now it goes until 12th grade we are obsessed and so you will be too. But, sshh don't tell anyone about our secret slice of heaven.

My son has attended Magellan since the age of three years old-- he is now in second and we have…read morealready registered him for third grade. Hands down, my husband and I feel it is best decision we have made for his education. Although it can be a bit pricey, we have felt that it has been worth every dollar. He is growing up to be a well spoken, well thought, caring little human. I love that he is bilingual, but I really love his open minded views and his eagerness to learn. The teachers... the teachers have all been so amazing. They are loving, caring and really take each student's personalities and abilities into consideration as they grow from year to year. As I said, it's not the cheapest option and we do discuss yearly if we will be renewing his tuition-- and, with each year this answer comes easier and easier with an astounding "YES". We love the school, the community, the parents and look forward to many more years at Magellan!

Our family loves St. Francis School (SFS, a pre-K through 8th-grade private nonprofit…read moreinterdenominational school operating for 30+ years near the ACC Highland campus in north-central Austin). After a mixed but ultimately disappointing experience in 1st - 3rd grades at a crowded, overpriced, chaotic start-up foreign language immersion school, our family needed a fresh start. Our once confident and joyful learner of a child had been reduced to an overstressed student who loathed school and struggled through hours of tedious homework each night. St. Francis provided the small, truly diverse and welcoming community environment we wanted for our child, with a balance of challenging academics, ethics reinforcement, and attention to the nurturing & development of the whole child by experienced educators who really know how to differentiate instruction to many types of learners. This approach has totally turned around our child's experience of school and his learning & achievement have skyrocketed over the past 2 years. His school grades are now more in line with his always high standardized testing results, and homework no longer comes to tears! Another parent reviewer said it well when she described the diverse and "unpretentious atmosphere" at SFS. Every imaginable demographic is represented in both the student body and faculty. People are kind and friendly and welcoming, and individual differences are celebrated. Every time I'm on campus, I just feel inspired and hopeful. Because SFS keeps class size (max of 15) and total enrollment (around 400) in check and teachers love the place so much they stay for decades, the small, cohesive "neighborhood school" feel is maintained. Huge props go to the incomparable founding head of school, Barbara Porter, who has since 1985 guided SFS on its core mission of "excellence without exclusivity." SFS backs that sentiment up by supporting 25% of the student body with scholarships and charging one of the lowest private school tuition rates in the Austin area, while consistently graduating their students into the most competitive public school magnet programs and private high schools. Another wonderfully unique feature among area private schools is the SFS Learning Center, where students with special needs can receive tutoring and additional services to support their success in school. Kids with learning differences are fully integrated into SFS classrooms and are able to thrive as part of a truly diverse school community. At the same time, a large proportion of the student body would be described as "gifted & talented," demonstrating highest performance in academics, the arts, and sports. Each Friday morning, an optional hour of "chapel" is held in which the entire student body and faculty, as well as any parents & family members who wish to attend, gather together in the gym to share an uplifting community-building and/or character-building assembly or pep rally to celebrate that month's achievements. It's not actually religious (although some religious content is shared from time-to-time; the school is named for St. Francis of Assisi, after all). The 8th-grade year culminates in a transformative Spring Break trip to Italy to visit the hometown of St. Francis (among other sites), and the kids raise all of the money for the trip themselves over the course of their years at SFS. I could say much more about all the reasons we love SFS, but if you are considering private school or are just looking for a better school for your unique learner, I encourage you to take a tour and see for yourself. Curriculum and other details are available on the school website at http://www.stfrancis-school.org.

Well run institution with a great culture…read more Pro: - Long Term: with over 35 years in operation, they've had time to build a strong program that will last through economic downturns. - Culture: teachers, students and parents are fully bought-in to the schools values (see school site for details). - Student attention: lower than average student/teacher ratios plus a dedicated, free-standing tutoring building adjacent to the school. Con: - Playground: nice but not inline with the quality of the rest of the institution. - Admissions: it's a centrally located, high quality private school in a growing city, meaning demand is high Personal lessons from our school search: After spending 12 months searching for the 'best school', we realized the importance of finding the 'best school for our child'. Initially, I was too tied up in rankings to spend the time to understand what was important for our family and how that lined up with each program. In the end, we loved the goals at St. Francis of (1) excellence without exclusivity, (2) a meaningful commitment to diversity and (3) attention to the needs of every student. Covid-19 update: School is really stepping up to deliver for students in a difficult time. The teachers are really going above-and-beyond.

I thought this school would be great for my daughter. But she currently has a math teacher that…read moretells students to kill themselves, or rude comments. His profile picture has him shirtless which is highly inappropriate. Rather than the principal stepping in and trying to diffuse the situation, nothing is said, allowing this teacher to be what tears children down. The Spanish teacher has been a blessing, helping my daughter even in subjects outside of Spanish. Helping her students build confidence. Since this was taken down, I would like to add since then Mr.Rivera has been speaking with the class stating "some students and parents are too sensitive to understand jokes" "don't tell anyone because I will probably get in trouble" He also told the children in his class about this yelp review, and allowing them to look it up during class telling them "this is how sensitive parents can be" When principal Hagan FINALLY responded to the issue it was a simple "the students know he's joking" So many school fail the students, guess this is another one..

Four-hour days, small classes, structured homework and curriculum, dedicated and involved teachers,…read moreand sympathetic, organized and communicative administration - just check out this place. There is no other school like this in Austin or the surrounding areas. All three of my children attend CSA and are thriving despite their different interests, learning styles, academic strengths, and personalities. My children's teachers know more about them than just their names and where they sit during class. Because in a small class setting children may have the same teacher for slightly different subjects and across the years, children and teachers form constructive relationships. And I appreciate the teachers' efforts to engage and guide our three mischievous children!

After 2.5 years at Ladybird Montessori, it's clear that the "perfect" farm image hides a chaotic…read morereality. The school prioritizes enrollment numbers over child safety and quality education. We experienced extreme instability, with at least 10 teacher turnovers in our classroom alone. Without lead teachers, the environment lacked structure, leading to incidents of teacher's yelling and writing up excessive incident reports. Major Safety & Management Red Flags: * Severe Negligence: My child was left outside alone and was banging on the door to come back in (documented with the state) and was left in a bathroom with an unauthorized adult without staff realizing she had left her group. * Unstructured Aftercare: Most incidents occurred during the 60-kid aftercare "nightmare," which lacks any meaningful supervision. * Financial Gatekeeping: The school often holds children back in YCC (Toddler) longer than necessary just to collect higher fees, regardless of whether the child has mastered the curriculum. * Exclusionary Practices: Extracurriculars like soccer are restricted by age (4+), effectively excluding half of the mixed-age Children's House (2.5-6) classrooms. * Retaliation: Be prepared for your child's hours to be cut to half-days as a way to slowly push you out. Communication is a "secret" here; I never received enough communication or updates on my child's progress. Enough was enough. If you raise any concerns, the director deflects blame onto the child. Please check the state's licensing website for their violation history. Your child deserves a safe, attentive environment--not just to be a number in a crowded room. Disabling Google reviews to limit transparency is a clear indicator of the issues present here.

I am sharing our experience to alert parents who choose Ladybird Montessori School (LMS)…read morespecifically for its AMS "Verified" status and its promise of a high-fidelity Montessori environment. The school markets itself as a development partner. However, our experience revealed a systemic failure. They did not follow basic Montessori principles when faced with a child's natural developmental whirlwind. 1. Interaction with Administration: A Failure to Lead. My interactions with the administration were consistently dismissive and lacked the pedagogical depth one expects from a Montessori leader. The Director utilized administrative pressure to silence concerns. pick-up incidents occurred, I was met with visible frustration rather than a collaborative, "connected" approach. It became clear that the administration prioritizes its own convenience and "harmonious" image over the actual hard work of supporting a child. 2. Inability to Handle High-Energy Children. This school is fundamentally equipped only for children who are "perfect" or passive. If your child has high energy, curiosity, or a "whirlwind" personality, LMS will likely label them a safety liability rather than a student. Despite Montessori literature stating that high-energy toddlers often need "heavy work" or movement outlets to regulate, this school treated my son's natural physical drive as a critical safety "impasse". They simply do not have the patience or the staffing expertise to handle children who don't fit into a quiet, compliant box. For parents considering any Montessori program, I strongly recommend taking a close look at how the school accommodates children with different temperaments. During a tour, observe whether classrooms offer movement opportunities or "heavy work" materials for children who benefit from physical activity. Ask staff how they support children who are active or struggle to remain still, and what strategies are in place for channeling high energy in a positive direction. Look for evidence of patience, flexibility, and an individualized approach, not just for compliance or calm. By being proactive in your questions, you can determine whether the environment will truly support your child's natural development. 3. Lack of Developmental Expertise The school consistently mislabeled age-appropriate milestones as behavioral "red flags." Most notably, my three-year-old son's natural development of oral-motor skills--commonly known as "raspberrying"--was documented as "spitting" in multiple incident reports. It was only after we clarified this developmental milestone that the school's documentation began to shift. Discouraging a child during a peak phase of speech development is a direct contradiction of the principle of "following the child". 4. Non-Montessori Disciplinary Practices Despite claiming to follow the AMS 5 Core Components, the school used interventions that are fundamentally non-Montessori. My son was removed to an administrative office to "sit and take breaths" while being lectured. This practice ignores Montessori guidance on toddler development. Authentic practice requires classroom-based "Grace and Courtesy" lessons and a prepared environment with "heavy work" for high-energy children. LMS chose administrative isolation over pedagogical support. 5. Dismissal Instead of Partnership When we formally requested the school realign its practices with AMS standards, the Director responded by immediately terminating our enrollment. This pattern of "quick dismissal" is echoed by other parents who report their children being asked to leave for behaviors like separation anxiety, without any attempt at modification. 6. Concerns Regarding Qualifications Public testimony from former staff members suggests that the "Lead Guides" at this school may not all hold the years of in-person training and practicum required for high-fidelity Montessori, with reports of "hiring off the street" and relying on online courses. This would explain the staff's inability to differentiate between developmental milestones and behavioral issues. How to Verify These Patterns: I encourage any parent considering this school to read the employee reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed, as well as the 1-star parent reviews on Yelp. You will see a consistent pattern of administrative dismissal and allegations of unqualified staff that mirrors our experience exactly. Furthermore, parents should check the Kyle/Buda community boards on Facebook, where numerous other families have expressed similar concerns about LMS. Finally, you can verify on the AMS School Locator (amshq.org) that while they are a "Verified" member, they have NOT attained full Accreditation. Conclusion: If your child is "perfect" or already accustomed to a school setting, LMS may suffice. However, if your child exhibits the "tricky behaviors" typical of a three-year-old such as darting, physical play, or vocal exploration, thi