I am so grateful to have Sarah on my team. My autistic daughter has a great Speech and Occupation…read moreTherapist; and an excellent ABA team. We work together to help my daughter making so much progress at home, but she kept struggling at school. I was having a hard time communicating with the school to provide for proper supports for my daughter. I am searching for an advocate who can help me navigate the special education program/ public school system. I found Sarah. Sarah is kind, calm, and knowledgeable. She used to teach a Special Day Class. Sarah understands the system and knows what a student needs to succeed in school. She is a valuable member of my home team.

I highly recommend Sarah to help you with your special education IEP process. When my son first got…read morean IEP I felt so lost. I didn't know what it was or what my rights were. I'm so happy I found Sarah. She made it all so easy for me. She explained to me how everything worked so I knew what services my son was getting. She is always in your corner to be there to help you and make you feel confident going into your IEP meetings. She is so knowledgeable about everything with it. She is also so friendly and easy to talk to. She genuinely cares about the kids and wants what's best for them.

This is a great specialty school for students in special education. I take kids here who need lots…read moreof one-on-one attention, and the staff are very dedicated and patient with each student.

I do NOT like this school. I went here a couple of years ago and let me start off with talking…read moreabout the primetime staff. The old supervisor sucked balls and was a very sh1tty person she would always yell at kids and not care about them. The supervisor would always make up lies about children and even talk sh1t about them when all of them left which is why I had to drop out because of how careless they were to kids. Let me also talk about the music teacher she was racist,disrespectful and judged kids about how they would play with certain instruments that she provided us the p.e teacher is also a very careless person and I don't not like her at all she was very very bratty and had a bad attitude towards kids?

I've had 2 children attend McKinley Elementary School. One just graduated from there and one is…read moreentering 3rd grade. This school has been phenomenal and has gone above and beyond. We have experienced different teachers year, and each one has been more than exceptional. They have been absolutely lovely, caring, thoughtful, smart, and have the best interest of our kids, their classmates, and even their community in mind. They have been taught not only the basic academics, but also how to be a good human in this crazy world, and how to lean on community and their peers to grow and become educated. I have felt like the teachers have always kept the individual student in mind, and advocated it on their behalf for all of their needs. The school, the teachers, the staff, down to the janitors....Absolutely lovely. The community that is involved at Mckinley Elementry school is the absolute best. There is a constant fundraising happening by the parents and community to support Mckinley's vast programs. The jog-a-thon, Sono Fest, the Gala, etc. Programs like music, theater dance for, art, and Spanish, our kids have been getting a very well rounded experiences in elementary school.

Crystal Sanford was very helpful in assisting us with the IEP process with our son's school. Our…read moreson is 5 years old with autism and wasn't getting the attention he so desperately needed. His old IEP wasn't being followed, so we needed assistance to be aware of our rights and make sure the new IEP included everything he is entitled to. She reviewed the new IEP and proposed various changes and corrections to it, which the school accepted.

My husband and I decided to use Sanford Autism Consulting to help us with our son (5 years old)…read moreIEP. She offered us free initial interview where we sat down and voiced our concerns first. After our intial meeting we decided to use her service. We gave Crystal a copy of our son current IEP, she reviewed it and developed a proposal action plan/suggestions geared toward getting the best help for our son at his school. Crystal was very professional, well experienced and genuinely helpful. I will personally recommend Crystal to every parents of a child with IEP. Please consult with an advocate first before signing an IEP. She undertstand and helped us with our concerns that we don't know how to ask with school district, she gave us pointers and typed it all out for us to bring on the meeting. We are very thankful for her and definitely recommending her to other parents.

We feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a warm, welcoming, and enriching school community…read more From the very beginning, our family has felt supported not just academically, but personally as well. The teachers and staff truly go above and beyond to create an environment where each child feels seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. We currently have three children at the school, and each of them has had such a positive and unique experience. The balance between strong academics and character development is something we deeply appreciate. It's clear that the school is focused on nurturing the whole child, building confidence, kindness, and a genuine love for learning. One of the highlights for our family has been the musical program. Our daughters have been involved in the school musical, and it has been such a meaningful experience for them. Not only have they grown in confidence and creativity, but they've also formed friendships across different grade levels, which has been so special to see. The sense of community that comes from these programs is truly something unique. We couldn't be happier with our experience and feel lucky every day to be part of this amazing school. It's a place where children are encouraged to thrive, friendships flourish, and families feel genuinely connected.

I have only GREAT things to say about Mt. Helix Academy!!…read more My little 3rd grader has THRIVED at this school. Known to be very shy and often wouldn't participate in class, we were desperate. There wasn't ever any trouble, just no willingness to be part of school functions, class projects, and we were about to succumb to the idea that was just the way it was. No joy for school or even extra-curricular activities. Well... these teachers did amazing things!! My child is like a whole new kid. The small class sizes helped them focus on my child's needs, and the care the teachers showed made such a difference. Now my child loves school, can't wait to "try" math (it can still be hard) and is in the school play! I would have never thought this could happen. I was just looking for a place where a child could feel welcome and loved, and, oh yeah - learn. I am so very thankful that we took a chance on Mt. Helix Academy. I can't recommend them enough!

Karla has been a lifesaver for our family. The school district repeatedly refused to identify our…read moreson's dyslexia. They insisted he was "fine". But he couldn't read, write or do math (all those word problems require a lot of reading). Worse, he was beginning to think he was stupid. The IEP process is complicated. You absolutely need someone with experience to guide you and advocate for your child. Our son is now reading above grade level due to an appropriate school placement and related services. Karla literally saved our son's future.

If she has a waiting list wait for her. For me, the key to a great advocate is someone who will…read morelisten to my child's story, his experiences, his challenges, and his strengths and combine them with the knowledge of how an IEP works to create a plan that actually moves my child forward. IEP San Diego gives you that, as a parent she makes me feel fully heard in my concerns, most importantly she knows how to express those concerns in a way that carries my child's education forward with meaningful goals in a setting that allows him growth, safety, learning, and friendships. I admire the depth of analysis she gives to each one of the assessments, protocols, and many documents that make up the file. She is really interested in understanding what has been done and how in order to create an IEP that is appropriate for the child.

I applied for the lottery believing this was the best possible school my daughter could go to. I…read morehad previous connections to some staff and the best principle I've ever met, Greta Bouterse. I absolutely love Frau Claudia & Holt, and despite my multiple requests being denied for my daughter to be in the latter's class, after jumping through all of the other hoops, we put her in the school anyway. Sadly, just after the cutoff date for applications to other charter schools closed, Superintendent David Sciaretta and the Board deviated from their charter, firing Principal Bouterse under suspect circumstances, truly undermining the foundation of the school and damaging relationships with parents, faculty and staff. This single blow has been truly devastating to our community, and has shattered our confidence in Sciaretta and the Board, who seem corrupt, power-hungry and lack transparency and integrity. We have yet to receive a reason for this firing, after 23 years of excellent service by Greta, 12 as Principal. Furthermore, despite parents and faculty showing up en-masse to meetings, airing grievances and raising objections, with hundreds more emailing in, requesting that Superintendent Sciaretta and the Board hold true to their charter and divulge information, all requests unheard or denied. On site, there is consistent physical assault, bullying, teasing, and unhealthy, unsafe, and unnecessary negative interactions that are not being resolved in quality manners. Office staff deny requests for restorative justice, there is no on-site nurse, and many of the teachers lack quality pay or resources to support their needs. Many of whom are paying out of pocket for supplies, with parents also donating to make up the difference. All this while Sciaretta has spent over 300,000$ on advertising and has a ridiculously large salary as well. The administration of Sciaretta and the Board is appalling, injust, disheartening, and disappointing. Many efforts are being made to protest, demand transparency and a return to the schools charter. I will be enrolling my child in a different school next year. It is pathetic and unconscionable to see the downfall of this school, once a heralded, prestigious institution of our community. Do NOT SUPPORT this corrupt administration, demand justice be served!

Love this school, my daughter is blessed her teachers and staff are amazing and a great influence…read morethank you all

Exceptional educational program/school but at a huge costs. Unfortunately I don't fall into the…read morecategory of being able to afford their services. My son made huge strides for the 2 months he went there. It's frustrating how private institutions can show the capability of your child but I would literally have to sell my kidney to keep him in the program. If you got the dough, I highly recommend!

From the owner: We specialize in working with students who struggle with dyslexia, reading, writing, and math,…read moreauditory processing, attention, memory, anxiety. We have years of experience with IEPs and special education. Students who are bright but working too hard have found our methods life-changing! The inspiration behind the Learning Center is the banyan tree. This amazing plant grows in regions where the soils is not able to support the heavy branches. It has learned to compensate for the weakness by growing support limbs as the tree branches out. Like the banyan tree, our goal is to provide support and strengthen foundations for learning as students mature into lifelong learners. In addition to the concept of the Learning Center providing support to learners, the foundations, or roots of the tree, must also be feeding the tree and entwine to make a strong trunk. The foundational skills that must be in place for efficient processing are memory, attention, language, reasoning, and integration. When these are intact and working together, students are ready to branch out... and learn basic skills, develop their unique gifts and areas of interest, and find success academically, socially, and emotionally. At Banyan Tree Educational Services, we can assist students in developing skills in any of these areas, either academic or foundational. Please browse our site to find how we can help students at all levels of learning.