The Learning Clinic is a second home for sure. Every single person working in here has something…read moreunique to offer. This is the place where dreams become possible. There is nothing that the learning clinic cannot do. Whether it be ACT, SAT, math, science, reading, comprehension, the learning clinic will give you the necessary skills to make you a resourceful, proactive, and more confident individual. I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Jordi Kleiner, for two years and what we have been able to accomplish together is beyond what my parents and I could have ever imagined. I would also highly recommend Craig Elerkin for ACT and SAT (though he has been able to help me beyond preparing for these tests). The learning clinic grows with you. I have been able to use the clinic throughout high school and I am certain I will continue to use their services in college. Whether your child is 5 years old or 17 it is never too soon or too late to consider the learning clinic. Bring your kids here to allot them the tools to be independent learners and thinkers. The location, the experts, the environment, the guaranteed success, what is there not to love about the clinic!

From the owner: Learning evaluations, educational support, and standardized test preparationread more

My son entered the Northwestern Music Academy as a beginner cellist with limited skill but much…read morepotential and talent. Mindy Park is an outstanding educator who was born to teach children music. Her pedagogy is rooted in technique and skill rather than route memorization. Within two semesters, she was able to place my son far ahead of his school group. NMA offers unparalleled group and individual concerts and recitals in grandiose halls, where pupils learn to play in a professional music setting at a young age. We are excited to see how he grows in his musicianship throughout the years through this prestigious program.

I was so surprised to see that Kindermusik has not been reviewed yet and we've only known about…read moresince 2009 when we became parents! One of the important things to us as parents was to introduce our kids to music at an early age. We have tested out a variety of different music options here in Evanston, and our favorite is Kindermusik through the Music Academy at Northwestern University. You can start as young as newborn in the Kindermusik Village where both my kids have started - my daughter just finished up the Kindermusik Village session this summer and loved it. She went from just humming songs and melodies to actually having 4 songs memorized and singing very loudly and proudly! Their Our Time is the 18 months - 3.5 years session where it's a parent/tot activity. My son just recently wrapped up Kindermusik's Image That series where he loved the fact that he was dropped off for 30 minutes (it was our Saturday morning coffee break routine while he was in class) and then, we rejoined the group for 15 minutes sharing time. The classes are really great - you have quality materials (books, dvd, toy, etc) and the teachers are really fantastic. Julie Friend is an amazing resource, personable, talented, and we have really loved having her as our teacher. I'm most excited for my son who will be starting Kindermusik for the Young Child, Year One with Pat Heinenman this year because he'll be learning how to play the glockenspiel and sight reading, which is an essential tool for learning any musical instrument. Year Two is learning how to the two-stringed culcimer and the soprano recorder. The other music places are good, too, but our personal preference is Kindermusik as both my children will continue their music education here. They're great to work with, their schedules are flexible and accommodate both the stay-at-home parent and the working parent. The quality of the music education is proven through the results that I've seen with my children.

It took me 10 min to make sure i typed th address right but much fasterthan it use to!!!! LOL Kim…read moreis the bestest evah!!!!!!!!

My son was diagnosed with dyslexia in first grade and by 5th grade was several grades behind in…read morereading, despite the Title I interventions that the district provided him. His dyslexia was affecting all of his coursework because he simply couldn't get past the words to get to the content. I decided to look for a dyslexia specialist and found Kim Ainis. Her program absolutely put him on the right path; he's now in 7th grade and reads at grade level. Her program is intensive and requires dedication; it's an ongoing process. But the time my son and I have put into the program practices was worth every minute, resulting in his new confidence in the classroom and outside of it.

Cherry is a wonderful safe place for kids to grow and learn at their own speeds. It is inclusive…read moreand loving!

From the owner: As a developmental early childhood education program, Cherry Preschool offers a safe, consistent,…read morenurturing environment that encourages the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of children at their own rate. We include children of all abilities and backgrounds and teach understanding, and acceptance. We welcome children who are at-risk due to special needs, financial and other family challenges, partnering with families to provide quality education and a sense of community.

Ok, i just graduated from ETHS this year and despite my many mixed feelings i considered it to be a…read moremostly positive experience. First let me start off by saying i have a lot of anxiety, both social and academic, and i took a while to adjust, but i did eventually. The pros- -all sorts of after school activities are available. Yes we have football, debate, honor society, basketball, and all the typical stuff. But we also have quiddich club, ceramics club, Latin club, Israeli culture club, photography club, classic film club, etc. -the school is ethnically diverse -yes, it's not in the nicest area and there are some troublemakers, but ETHS has TONS of security guards that will do things like split up fights immediately. Unless you are someone who goes around looking to pick fights you are probably safe. -the school is big enough that people are not too into your business or gossipy because you are just 1 of over 3000 kids. -tons of support systems available AM support (before school), Wildkit academy (on Saturday, but also feeds you and clears detentions), and a study center/ lab for every academic subject. The cons- -The "achievement gap" is VERY noticeable, and although the school has tried to integrate classes, it has made many of the parents of the higher achieving (yes, mostly white) students upset. -the security can sometimes be a bit overkill, do we really need them in every corner yelling at us to get to class? Shouldn't we be able to figure that out on our own? -the school looks intimidating and is big, and can be difficult for freshmen (and certain people in general) to navigate. -I have friends that have learning differences and forums of anxiety different from my own who have had bad experiences with the special ed department.

The lady in the front office is literally no help :\ I've called two times, and she has just…read moredirected me in the wrong direction. She always has an attitude as well.

I have always had a fiercely inquisitive mind, constantly questioning everything (For instance, if…read moreevolution produces the best and brightest in the species, why does it produce people who don't believe in evolution?). So I was happy to find the interactive, monthly lecture series, Science Cafe. You know this free event is legit, because it's sponsored by Northwestern. Who else knows science better? DePaul? Right. Alumni pay to have their names taken off of buildings. UIC? Uh-huh. I've seen more sophisticated scientific breakthroughs in a Dustin Diamond science project. The event is held at the bar, FireHouse Grill. Ironic that I'm visiting an alcohol-filled venue to improve my brain when such venues have previously done so much damage. Too bad the venue couldn't also improve my damaged fender or make that kid walk again (But on the plus side, he no longer has to wait in line for rides at Disney Land). The patrons are a shockingly older group. Still, great to see such fervent curiosity from folks so close to death. If I were FireHouse Grill, I'd ask patrons to pay their tabs in advance. Anyway, when you show up, pick a seat, sit down, and like a panda mating ritual, you know its game on when someone starts presenting. The lecture I attended was called "The Array of Things," dealing with Argonne Lab's efforts to put sensors all over Chicago to help improve our quality of life. For instance, sensors could change cross-walk signals more quickly based on BlueTooth signals from pedestrians' mobile devices. That means when the city is all wired up and you want to cross the street more quickly, find the intersection with a lot of people with smart phones. Or, find an intersection near an Apple store. Another example is if you're a young woman walking home late at night, sensors could tell you what streets had lots of people, so you could avoid muggers. By the same token, if you're a mugger, you could see the streets with only a single lone woman walking. That saves time! It may sound scary that there are all these devices tracking what we do, but its coming, so we might as well embrace it. As the old saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Or to put that in a more modern context, if you're kid already has autism, might as well get him vaccinated.

Yelp removed my review because it wasn't "business-oriented" enough for them. Let me see if this is…read morebetter for you, yelp. Dear Parents, The staff supervision at this facility is seriously LACKING. It has a claustrophobic little time-out room with a tiny little window on the door. That's it-three walls and a door with a tiny window. If your child's teacher believes your kid deserves it, he'll be thrown in there for HOURS at a time, with no one checking in on him. This may be okay for prisoners when they are thrown in the hole, but not for mentally disabled children. I would sooner set my flesh on fire than see any relative of mine sent here. My brother was left in there for hours with a bully who was much larger than him and TOUCHED HIM INAPPROPRIATELY. This was possible because THERE WAS NO STAFF SUPERVISION!!!!! You can message me for further info...I'll be more than happy to give it. How's that yelp...is that 'business oriented" enough for you? What's it going to take to warn other parents/family members?

From the owner: The Jewish Child and Family Services Therapeutic Day School (JCFS TDS) provides services for…read morestudents in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. JCFS TDS believes that the best education cultivates the academic and personal potential of every student, helping them to become their best selves, discover their passions and prepare them for success in the larger community. We serve students who are classified in the following special education categories: Emotional Disability (ED), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Intellectual Disability, Autism (includes autism spectrum disorders), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Other Health Impairment (OHI). We work with Chicago Public Schools and with school districts from the North Shore, Lake County and the Western Suburbs to receive referrals of students who need an alternative to traditional public schools.

After three years since finishing up my stay at Yellowbrick, I continue to see the benefits of…read morebeing a part of the YB community in my life today. Since finishing YB, I've graduated college, moved to a new city, started a full-time job, successfully transitioned to a second job, and really have embraced adulthood. Life is not without its bumps and I'm still someone who deals with depression and anxiety. But that's a part of life and I'm not scared to face all the emotions and feelings that once derailed me and my family. I was talking with a fellow alumni from my time at YB and we continue to look back fondly at the experience. YB was a special place that fostered vulnerability and self-discovery. Again, in the moment, there were definite struggles. It was the most challenging work of my life. But I feel proud of the work I was able to accomplish and have so much love for my therapist, the other doctors, the staff, the patients, everyone who cultivated a community at YB that allowed me to be, well, me. I've taken this experience with me into other environments and settings that has allowed me to really thrive as a more confident and loving person. I sincerely hope young adults and families who feel hopeless take a look at Yellowbrick. It's an investment that saved my life and I will forever be thankful.

I had to advance funds to get my son admitted while YB and United worked out a Single Case…read moreAgreement when United had no in-network facilities available. SCA covered the stay. But I'm still in court trying to get my money back. 3 and 1/2 years later they created a bill to claim services were billed as extra/different than the SCA. The place is not worth the headaches they will cause, go somewhere else. Here it is all about moving money from your pocket to his. Run.