I love the work they do with the children. Over time you see a difference in their behavior,…read moreconfidence and significant growth. When it comes to the children they will go above and beyond to help the children achieve their best.

My son went to this til he transitioned back to his high school. He blossomed there and really…read moreenjoyed the inclusiveness and respect. They are all remarkable and I highly recommend sending your child there. My son spent 4 years at GLA.

This place trmatized me as a child I went there from 2013-2014 and it was the worst school I ever…read moreexperienced. From locking us in rooms even when hostile things were happening inside we could not get away from until a teacher would let us out. We had to be walked around everywhere we go even to and from the bathroom. The hands on method there was abusive at best. They would put their knee in your back and put your hands behind you and ask you are you calm are you calm and if you weren't saying I'm calm in a calm fashion with a knee in your back you were just held there until they think you have calmed down. Even in situations you were not fighting. Maybe disrespected a teacher or yelled and they punished you by giving you hands on. They make you sign an agreement with you rparents that you can't sue them if they hurt you and they did and they will. I don't know how this is legal or how they are still running the principal literally died at the school which was very traumatized for us and there's nothing nowhere online about it! This place is scary fight tooth and nail for your kids not to be placed here! It will ruin their innocence.

I've had 2 Deaf autistic boys enrolled in their DHH program since 2014 and they've thrived in…read moremainstream classes with SASED support. Sign language was a MUST for us and a lot of place don't do that for DHH kids. Also, I've worked at Southeast, that review is based on something 20+ years ago, that his parents were in charge of. Things have changed, laws have changed, views have changed. We learn. We grow. We thrive!

School staff does not listen to your requests. They keep sending behavioral reports about your…read morechild instead of fixing the issue. At this point, I feel as if they're bullying my child.

My son attended the Transition program at GS and he did well. The staff were pretty great and did…read moretheir best to help him. They truly do care about the students they serve and we are very grateful for that.

I'd like to say that working at Giant Steps has been absolutely outstanding. The teachers there are…read morethe epitome of professional, as well as possessing an innate and frequently used sense of care and consideration for their students. I've been working there for four months, and could not be more impressed with their conduct and empathy. Their passion for their work shows in their attitude and actions, as well as the laughs and smiles that surround them in the classroom. My compliments to all of them, including the staff that have to oversee all of the classroom.

I am so confused with the poor reviews! Helping Hand Center has been so instrumental in the…read moredevelopment of my son, who was diagnosed with Autism. He attends their school for autism. My son has flourished in their environment. We have seen such improvement in his day-to-day, behavior, and speech. The staff truly care about the children and are so attentive and thorough. They are the best of the best! HHC has open communication with teachers and staff, constant feedback and reviews on our sons goals and progress, and 1:1 assistance/teaching aides. My son loves being there! We are so thankful for the quality of care they provide. Would not know what to do if we didn't have HHC! They are family.

Hi - my daughter has been have ST and OT services at Helping Hands for about 3 years now - every…read moreMonday. The clinicians we've had have been top notch -- and my daughter has had consistent progression. She enjoys going to Helping Hands -- also, Carol Boyke is always very nice. Also, the clinicians are so passionate about what they do. Thank you everyone for what you do every day! Donna K.

Absolutely amazing child advocate. He came to all the meetings. He really made the school…read moredistrict hold themselves accountable and worked to make the best outcome for my child. He was constructive to the whole situation and made the group actually work together to find a solution for my child. Everything had been so overwhelming until he came on board. As a parent, his knowledge about the laws and the school system and communication skills when the school officials were not doing their job was amazing. I would recommend him to any parent needing an advocate in the school setting for their child.

From the owner: We strive to help families bridge the communication gap with school districts when there are…read morequestions. These questions often range from the general education setting to children that require an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A collaborative approach is used with families and the school districts to achieve the most appropriate and supportive outcome for the child. Call or email for a free initial consultation!

Merlin Day Academy has been a wonderful, supportive place for our son. He has thrived there and we…read moreare grateful for all of the kindness and patience that the staff has showed to both him and all of the children. He has made real gains with using his AAC device and also learning strategies to help him control behavior. They have also presumed competence in his education and have helped him move up the ladder academically. He has benefitted from all of the therapy modalities and I have been impressed with everyone he's worked with: parapros, teachers, and therapists.

This is our 3rd year at Merlin; before that our son was at Blue Bird Day, a preschool also under…read morethe Eya's Landing umbrella. We have only had positive experiences at both schools. Merlin provides comprehensive therapeutic services, including ABA, ST, PT, OT, and Social Work, in addition to educational services. The staff are insightful, creative, patient, compassionate and fun, and my son absolutely loves his time at school. The learning mixed with therapeutic play is just right for him developmentally, and his therapists take a holistic approach to building social and academic, and other skills he'll need to function throughout life. As someone who taught for nearly a decade and has worked in school settings since, I can fully appreciate the level of individual attention he gets from his therapists and therapeutic assistants, the extensive communication with families to stay up to date on our goals for our child and to let us know how his day is going (including notes and photos throughout the day!). And mostly I appreciate that he is not just sitting around at a desk all day doing differentiated work--I he is active and thinking, engaged, and having fun as he builds new skills. I see the review from two and a half months ago, and I think the context there is important: hers was the very first child to transition from private insurance to ISBE funding, so it makes sense that she personally would have experienced the growing pains as they adjust to a different system. I can imagine that this is a steep learning curve, and I'd extend some grace to them as they figure it out. In our second year at the Avondale location, I'd say they have worked out a lot of kinks, and that this is a joyful place for my child to learn throughout the day. We have found it to be a godsend.

I reached out to Tara, The Written Word, Co-founder, based in Wheaton, IL. by phone regarding my…read more6-yr-old son. Allow me to share a little nugget of information: I'm a business owner 15-years, newspaper and and media industry, and member of several executive boards. I share this to emphasize two points: I make it a practice to be balanced and objective. When doing business, I pick up the phone and call prospects as a courtesy not only out of appreciation their time and consideration, but to better understand the clients/partners needs. Now with that said, let's get down to the good part. The following are the communications between Tara and myself (sent from her iPhone) : TARA: "Hello Nicole, Thank you for contacting me. Are you interested in receiving help for your son?" ME: Hi Tara. Yes, I am seeking assistance for my son, Joseph, 6.5 yrs in the 1st grade, Joseph recently transferred from a private outdoor school, (located) in Wheaton.... The transition (to his new school) has been challenging. Joseph is extremely intelligent, altho he's a left brain thinker. His brain filters and processes information from left to right. He performs exceedingly well in math, in some aspects, but struggles with math concepts presented in traditional school. He's an unbelievable narrative and conceptual thinker. Although he struggles, which is an understatement, with numbers transposition, letter transposition, phonics and short-term memory. His long term memory goes back to the womb. What's the best time to talk or meet? -- Still no phone call -- TARA: Hello Nicole, I'm sorry to hear your son has had a rough transition. It sounds like he has a lot of strengths. Unfortunately, I am not accepting new students. I am full before and after school. ME: I'm not seeking before or after school assistance. I'm seeking during school (hours). Joseph will be homeschooled next year. -- Still no phone call -- TARA: Nicole, Are you available to meet during the day? If so, what day and time would work for you? I'll stop the email banter right about here, for now. I set an appointment with Tara. I rescheduled our initial appointment more than 72 hours in advanced due to a work conflict. Prior to our appointment, I suggested we facilitate the meeting over Facetime or Skype. I mean why drive 30 minutes to meet someone who cannot pick up the phone and call a prospective client. In reply to this request, sent from her IPHONE, she stated: TARA On Monday, December 3, 2018, 11:12:14 AM CST, Tara Chapman tara.chapman@thewrittenwordtww.com wrote: Hello Nicole, "We can talk over the phone. Neither one of those options (Facetime or Skype) work for me. Thanks, Tara Sent from my iPhone" ME: "BTW Facetime is standard with iPhone, but if you prefer to talk minus video that's fine, too." Now seeing that Tara's preference of communication is email, and a bit impersonal for me given the subject is a child, I was bewildered that she didn't jump on the Facetime/Skype-wagon. I said to myself, "young kids today just don't understand the value of interpersonal communication and its importance in business". However, when I looked up Tara's picture online before writing this review I see that she's old enough to know. In Tara's last communication, which I received less than 24 hours before our "meeting" TARA: "Hello Nicole, I heard back this evening from a family I met with last week. They decided to hire me, so I will be enrolling this new student. Unfortunately, I will not have any additional availability during the day next year. Best of luck to you as you interview other tutors. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me." Perhaps Tara knew innately she would be out performed by other tutor candidates who show more sincerity and professionalism. She certainly did not discern from the credentials in my email that newspaper folks write and interview with our noses - or least she doesn't care.

Tara Chapman's teaching credentials, years of teaching experience and dedication to her students,…read moremake her an amazing teacher. Tara co-founded The Written Word Center for Dyslexia and Learning in Wheaton Illinois. Like Tara, the Center is warm and welcoming for all of the students she teaches, and offers an entire room full of resources for parents to learn more about dyslexia. I know Tara both personally and professionally and I am inspired by her daily commitment to helping children reach their highest potential. Speaking as a parent of a child with dyslexia and as a teacher, I feel very grateful to know Tara and to have The Written Word Center for Dyslexia and Learning in our community.

I LOVE this school. My children attend J Low for the special education preschool program and…read morereceive speech therapy services. The staff/team is very involved and very welcoming of parent involvement. The child's needs are first priority, always. There are all sorts of fun activities going on throughout the school year. I genuinely feel like my children are safe and cared for when at school. My son's teacher for the past 2 years was Mrs. Theresa Maloney and she is GREAT. My daughter's teacher is Mrs. Raksha Papa-and she is GREAT too! The school psychologist is also awesome, as well as the speech pathologists and social workers. I am heartbroken that my son has to leave this school and go to John Jay next year for kindergarten (Jay is our assigned school for our residence). John Jay is also a great school, according to reviews on GreatSchools.org but I really wish my kids could stay at Juliette Low FOREVER! lol I would definitely recommend this elementary school!

SPED Child on homebound since 2019 due to what District allowed its adult employees to do. They…read morecould not keep child safe before COVID, they will not keep US safe with COVID as psy. disabled parent would possibly not survive due to disabilities/medical. The first tutoring of 2022 was done via a Dist. 58 Teacher (L.V.) who decided she was not going to continue. This after child given math & every step for every problem that needed to be done showed in Google DOCs with all answer keys visible so it was easy to get 100% before uploading &/or to teacher L.V. Then for approx. 3 weeks after she stopped, there was nothing & the only option offered was ClubZ through J.S. Assistant Superintendent for Special Services. Recently, recording sessions was brought up & I requested consent to record as every worksheet given to child to work on with ClubZ tutor, the child is given all "hints" &/or "suggestions" to correct it 100% before it is uploaded to M.C./ELA teacher. No homework is given not even one of these worksheets. Now J.S. is claiming, & I QUOTE: " We are concerned the recording may impact the tutor's delivery of instruction..." Then stating, & I QUOTE: "The District prohibits audio and video recording at parent-teacher conferences and IEP meetings unless the parent has documented disability and requires the recording as an accommodation to participate in the conference or meeting." Still attempting to get consent to record. Guess both Dist. 58/ClubZ do not want to show their methods for 100% correctness before uploading to M.C. & I still can't get a straight answer on certain questions inquired about ie are the worksheets graded?

Our child attended Indian Trail for first grade. It was a disaster. He was bullied by children and…read moremishandled by the school. Many other parents reported that their children were bullied as well. But the principal did nothing to resolve the problem. She blames "the type of kids we have" for the problem. Our son is a bright child with learning disabilities. We got really good testing for him. The school ignored our testing and came up with their own incorrect diagnosis and hid the fact that they had done so from us. They then tried to have him removed from the classroom. This school is way into technology, but the principal holds parents in low regard and the teachers are not properly trained in classroom management. We had an expert in 2E children come to the IEP meeting with us. She has been to many school meetings, and she said this was one of the two worst meetings she had ever been to in terms of the way the school handled the child and the way the parents were treated. We moved two suburbs over and he shone and thrived. Though he was still affected by the trauma of Indian Trail, Field Park in Western Springs was kind and helped him to adjust. He made friends and started to love school. We did everything we could to help Indian Trail serve our child, and they still failed horribly. It was a relief to find out that it wasn't our kid. It was them. He is doing brilliantly now. A former teacher myself, I am now getting my M.S. in counseling to help other parents navigate these systems effectively. I look forward to writing and publishing about our experience to try to prevent other families from going through what we did. I would not recommend Indian Trail Elementary School to anyone.