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.

I am a forty-one year old woman with autism and other diagnoses , although being a person…read more/Individual with autism is my primary diagnosis. I attend the adult program Mondays through Thursdays and work with a very nice person named Kiara Allen . She is helping me with establishing my newsletter "Our Voices" and Magazine "Women with autism : The Magazine" - I was a little hesitate at first - but Kiara's wonderful smile and bright personality make me feel very welcomed - although sometimes it's hard being somewhere that has other participants that might have more complicated disabilities than my own. that being said Kiara always puts me at ease and asks me what I think and takes into consideration my thoughts, feelings, and Opinons on certain issues and shout out to Sheryl Bobroff with the big erase on her desk that says "My Bad" - meaning that her and her staff are willing and able to learn from their pass mistakes.

My son was attending Mission Valley Academy ( middle school) and the teachers were awesome very…read more professionals and caring but as soon as my son started to attend Cook Center (high school) it was a nightmare his teacher was not patient at all and the principal didn't support the needs of my son, they didn't do anything to help him in his transition from middle school to HS. They never tried to have a meeting with us to try to find a solution for his needs, the principal just said that he cannot assist to Cook Center anymore.

I tried ALP with a big dose of hesitation. Many in the adult autistic community state that ABA is…read moreabusive, and I regret not trusting them and my own gut on this. This company not only employs terrible tactics, but preys on special needs families with extra charges and hidden costs. The only good part of this story is that we pulled out as quickly as we did. First off, after months of waiting for an RBT match, I was told that 1) they could not guarantee that the RBT had any experience working with children ; 2) that the RBT had any knowledge of sensory needs related to autism; and 3) they could not disclose my RBT's vaccination status "due to HIPAA." (Sidenote: I'm in the medical /public health field and vaccination disclosure is absolutely NOT a HIPAA violation. And this was important to us since our child is too young to be vaccinated against COVID.) I should've taken these red flags and run, but we were soon matched with an RBT who seemed decent enough. She had a masters in psychology and was passionately pro-vaccine. So I thought everything might be ok. There was nothing I could say against her. She was kind and caring, and most importantly, did not apply the outwardly abusive ABA practices I had feared. I genuinely liked her. Just as she had started to establish rapport with my son (which took a few weeks), though, I suddenly received a cryptic message from our BCBA that she was no longer with the company. She was just... Gone. Overnight. We were back to square one, and I wondered what we had accomplished over the previous few weeks. I was told we were back on a months-long waiting list for another RBT whose qualifications would never come under serious scrutiny. I realized that our first match was probably an odd stroke of luck, and at this point, we terminated services. Our BCBA joined the sessions virtually to "supervise" a few times, a cost that (I assumed) was covered by my insurance, as ABA has traditionally been applied by BCBAs. My spidey senses went off during these sessions. Discussions centered solely around "compliance," not the well-being of my son. When he got upset, I was instructed to ignore him and withhold affection (which I will NEVER do). There was no concern for his sensory processing differences or his needs. Just strict behavioral compliance. After our last session, I was honestly near tears. I knew nothing we were experiencing was right. We were charged over $60 extra for each of these sessions, which was not disclosed in the parent handbook they provided. On the topic of extra charges, we also had a problem with the functional behavioral assessment. I've had two identical charges on my billing statement for our FBA (with identical billing codes). We have one child, so clearly, we received only one FBA. I emailed the compliance department about this, and they claim that the two identical FBA charges are legitimate since one is for the assessment and another is for the report write-up. What? When you need a CT scan, you don't get charged 2 CT scans to enable the radiologist to write up your report. This seemed incredibly disingenuous to me. One of the challenging things about parenting an autistic child is sorting through the providers who driven by their passion to help children vs those who are just part of the huge "autism industrial complex." Unfortunately, ALP is the latter. We've since found truly caring providers through the Floortime community, and the care my son is receiving is incredible. Know your people. Build a good team. Make sure ALP is not a part of it.

Update: An intake manager reached out to me and we have been going back and forth for a week. As of…read moretoday they finally have everything they need although I did not provide anything extra. I apply back and February and since applying availability has changed and it will now take another 3-4 months for my son to get an FBA to start attending, when I was originally told they had immediate availability.

My son has been working with Tanja for a little less than a year. He has a host of learning…read morechallenges including but not limited to dyslexia and working memory. He also has ADHD combined type. When he first started working with her, he was about two grades below grade level in ELA work. Now, having recently taken the state standardized testing at school to benchmark the start of the year point, he is at grade level. His confidence has definitely increased! He is happy to work with her too so that is an added bonus!!!

From the owner: Does your child struggle in school and you've tried everything to help them? There is hope!…read more As an Education Specialist, Tanja Sutton provides expert tutoring for K-12 students and adults who may or may not have a special needs diagnoses. Her students are typically 5 to 18 year olds who struggle in school due to unique learning profiles (or special needs) that may or may not include: specific learning disability (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, visual processing disorder, nonverbal disability), autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), and speech and language impairments (expressive and receptive language delays, apraxia, dyspraxia). She blends various multi-sensory, research-based programs to fit her students' learning profiles so they can gain confidence in their ability to learn making them more motivated, independent learners. During tutoring sessions, students build skills that underpin success in school and in life including: reading, writing, math, communication, organization, critical thinking, social thinking, effective use of tools, and self-advocacy.

Stay away from this place, it's a joke. Lack of communication, refuse to take responsibility for…read morethere action. Instead, my daughter was refuse to be reassess due to my unhappiness with old staff. This company does not care with kids disabilities.

The Dyslexia Training Institute presents itself as a parent centered resource, but families should…read morebe aware that it also operates inside the school system. On their own website, they advertise customized trainings for school districts and webinars for district staff, while at the same time encouraging parents to purchase advocacy tools and services. In other words, the same organization can profit from both parents and the districts they are supposed to be resisting. To me, this is a clear conflict of interest. Parents navigating dyslexia need to know this dynamic exists so they can make fully informed choices.

Kelli is an angel. You will not find someone who cares more about your childs needs than she does…read more She has helped my son and myself so much. If you have a child that is dyslexic or struggling with reading and you aren't yet sure why call her, meet her, and go there. It will be the best thing you ever did for your child.

Alexa's PLAYC has been truly life-changing for our family!…read more Both of our children have attended PLAYC, and between them, we have experienced nearly every classroom in the program. As parents, there is no greater gift than knowing your children are loved, supported, challenged, and celebrated every day. That is exactly what we found at Alexa's PLAYC. Our son was diagnosed with autism while attending PLAYC, and the support we received during that time was extraordinary. The staff not only embraced him for who he is, but also partnered with us every step of the way to help him grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Because of the foundation built at PLAYC, he successfully transitioned into a general education kindergarten classroom and continues to thrive. We will forever be grateful for the role this program played in his journey. Our daughter has also flourished at PLAYC since she was a toddler. The warmth, care, and dedication shown by every teacher and staff member have made her school experience joyful and enriching. What makes Alexa's PLAYC so special is its commitment to serving all children. It is a remarkable model of inclusion where children with autism and their typically developing peers learn, play, and grow together in a supportive environment. The sense of community is unlike anything we have experienced elsewhere. The teachers and staff go above and beyond every single day. Their passion, professionalism, and genuine love for children are evident in everything they do. PLAYC is not simply a preschool, it is a place where children build confidence, friendships, independence, and a love of learning. We are incredibly grateful to the entire PLAYC team for the impact they have had on our family. If you are looking for an exceptional early childhood program that truly changes lives, I cannot recommend Alexa's PLAYC highly enough!!!

Alexa's PLAYC is a truly special center…read more Our daughter has been there since she was 18 months. She was shy and apprehensive when she started, and has since grown into an independent, spirited, and fun-loving toddler. We are so thankful to the teachers and staff for providing our girl with a safe, welcoming place to explore and learn. There are so many things I could say, but here are a few highlights: * The teachers and staff are all highly trained on, and passionate about, early childhood education. Having come from another daycare, I can really see how Alexa's PLAYC is intentional about every element of the space. They use evidence-based philosophies, reflect constantly on what the children are exploring, and update the different spaces responsively. If the kids seem to want to explore different textures, they will document it and add more sensory materials. * There is a garden!!! It is beautifully maintained by the outdoor teacher. We love that our daughter gets to spend time in nature each week. The playgrounds are also spacious and full of enriching activities. * There is fun programming, like the weekly live music class! Because of Alexa's PLAYC's affiliation with Rady Children's Hospital, there are extra fun events sprinkled throughout the year. We had visits from a monster truck and a penguin from the zoo in the past few months. * The classrooms are mixed-age and inclusive -- meaning that our toddler has been able to make friends of all backgrounds. I believe that she's made leaps and bounds in her socialization and learning as a result. Though she was barely speaking at the time of enrollment, our daughter's language and imaginative play have since exploded. * Alexa's PLAYC's commitment to supporting children across the neurodiversity spectrum results in an incredibly supportive enviroment. For example, they are diligent about maintaining the low teacher-to-student ratio. Truly, though, words fail to describe the everyday magic that Alexa's PLAYC creates... We love seeing our daughter come home with paint on her face and dirt on her pants -- the signs of a creative mind hard at work (play)! It is so fun getting glimpses of her world at daycare. She will play guitar (in the style of the music teacher), water our plants (like she would in the garden), and proudly talk about new friends and hobbies ("I sit bicycle!"). It has been such a joy to see our daughter, and so many other children, blossom at Alexa's PLAYC.

I have worked with this company for over 2 years and I can honestly say that this is the first job…read moreI actually like! The environment is very inviting and my boss has an open door policy in which I've been able to express my questions and concerns without feeling judged or incorrect. We also have clients that have been with us for years that we pretty much consider family by now. I wouldn't trade my experience of working here for anything else!

I was an employee at ABA Adaptive services. I had a child that parent pulled them out quickly. I…read morewas thrown in to tutoring their child without supervision. Under the guise that I was binding/ pairing. Needless to say the mother was not happy with their services and they pulled out. To no fault of my own. I only did my job. I met the kid played without supervision. After this scenario the mother quit the services and I got fired. It's ok because I would rather be associated with a place that sends trained RBT's. Beware.