As the parents of two high schoolers that could not be any more different, we have a deep…read moreappreciation and respect for the value of Palo Alto Prep (PA Prep) and their amazing educational staff. While one child has thrived in a traditional high school, our eldest did not. They are an amazing creative thinker but also challenged with the headwinds of a variety of learning and related social challenges. While they also handled middle school well, even thrived academically, to say that traditional high school was a train wreck is an understatement. We needed help as a family and PA Prep was there. Thankfully we discovered PA Prep through our engagement with the The Bodin Education Group (also highly recommended). After a careful evaluation of options (Bodin know them all!) and engagement with the team at PA Prep we could see that our son would benefit immensely from all that PA Prep is, and all that it offers to students like them. Is it perfect, absolutely not. But the positives for a student/young adult like our son far far FAR outweigh any minor drawbacks. The great: 1. Incredibly intimate teacher/staff/student relationships. You want your child to be known and know their school staff, they will. The ability to cater and focus on what works for your student is incredible. 2. Incredibly capable and proficient teachers who know how to work with students for whom regular school isn't a good fit. 3. Patience, understand and flexibility. Need to take a "break" road trip with your student on a moments notice? PA Prep understands and accommodates with complete understanding. 4. Diversity of classes and programs to engage an out of the box learner. From art, outdoors to flight training. Just because it's small doesn't limit the exposure of options for your student, lots to offer including independent project programs to nurture student led initiative. The realities (not bad but worthy of mention): 1. It is small, and high school is high school, no matter where you attend. This can sometimes magnify any typical social dynamics. The staff is incredibly attuned to this, but you also should be as a parent. It is important to recognize this is still high school and immediately addressing issues is critical, the staff is exceptional at partnering on this. 2. There is a diverse population of students with a diverse set of backgrounds and needs. With this comes the realities of all their experiences, lives and challenges. Your student will be exposed to this, as they would in any high school, it isn't a fully sheltered and manicured but it is absolutely safe. It is incredibly important to stay aware of this as a parent. I will ensure you the staff is very experience and aware also, together this can help any student navigate the realities of high school life safely and holistically. 3. Passion, intent and caring are the hallmarks of PA Prep staff and teachers. Organization and "manicured administration" perhaps not so much the strong suit. Do not go in expecting perfection in communication, organization or logistics. I promise this is ok, and everything is handled with the best of outcomes for the students. If you are used to the polish of a "elite" private/public high school you will notice a difference here. My strongest advice for a successful PA Prep tenure is to invest in your parental (and student) relationships with staff, they are both open and available. This will help your student, and family, easily manage what is lacking in any size, scale, capabilities on this less critical administrative front. In closing: We loved PA Prep, we could not imagine our son achieving high school success without it. For the right student this IS the right place. Attend one graduation ceremony and that is all it takes to see how different, special and wonderful Palo Alto Preparatory School is for its staff, students and families!

Backup repost from 11 months ago…read more "I'm giving four stars because I do not think the issues and censorship I experienced are an atypical response from a school. When I tried to bring light to bad deeds, I was suspended and threatened with expulsion. I never encountered physical violence. Bad deeds included severe emotional abuses, motivated by sexism, from older staff here. This and sex-based victim blaming - resembling misogynistic patterns - contributed significantly to suicidal my thoughts. Dehumanization was added through transphobia. Newer staff were less problematic than integrated ones, suggesting the administration's leadership is a source of problems. Last time I interacted, the administration did their best to manipulate the image to feign their innocence at all costs. These issues are adult topics, which adolescents like me ideally would not face; my experiences occurred about one year ago, and while I have learned to better describe them, I am not mature enough to understand the issue's whole systemic contexts."

It has been over 1.5 years since my last review, and we love the school as much as we did when our…read morechild started school 2+ years ago! Everyone on staff has been incredibly easy and pleasant to collaborate with, and responsive to my questions. The school expanded over the summer to add 2 more classrooms, so that Burkard now has 6 classrooms: K/1, 2/3, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7/8th. Having experienced a few private schools and a public school between my 2 kids, I am confident this is the best environment for my child, for both academic differentiation and SEL support. It's often lamented that parents have to choose the least bad educational option for their 2e kids, but I truly believe this is a great option. We were fortunate enough to be with his amazing 2/3 teachers for 2 years, and have a new set of teachers we love this year, too. Speaking with parents across grades, they also think highly of their teaching teams. My son continues to thrive academically (measured by his overall engagement, as well as MAP testing), and we are very happy with the math differentiation he receives. Each year, I have been pleased with the attention and care the staff takes to make sure he's challenged at the right level. They take great care to plan engaging lessons across ELA, science, social studies and SEL, and incorporate hands on projects regularly to extend their learning. My son regularly shares interesting facts he learned in class! Math is a subject he continues to be passionate about, so I reach out to the school annually for math acceleration. He is given math assessments at the start of each year to determine the appropriate placement, and is given the option of joining a higher level class, or doing independent study in his classroom. We opted this year to have him join the higher level math class on a modified schedule, and we are grateful for the ability to choose the right option for him. The daily SEL teaching is also very well done. Many schools don't have the ability to go in-depth with SEL, but our BT has devised fun games and exercises for the kids to put their SEL knowledge into practice. It was so sweet to hear that my son's 4th grade class taught new recess games to the K/1 class! The BT's keep a close watch throughout the day, so the students are able to learn and play in a physically and emotionally safe environment. When conflicts arise, the staff is there to help the students resolve the issue in an appropriate way. We get daily reports, and twice monthly newsletters sharing what he's learning, so I know he's receiving a high quality education. If your child is at a school that is not meeting their needs, I encourage you to tour the Burkard School. It is truly a gem of a school!

We found TBS about three years ago and it is quite surprising that there aren't more schools for…read morebright kids who have significant social & emotional challenges, including mood disorders. We unfortunately found very little real understanding and expertise along the way, moving from program to program, from school to school, in every case deeply involved with the IEP process. Then we decided to try TBS. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Our student's self-esteem and emotional intelligence started to grow from the start and has continued to grow ever since. No more calls asking us to come quickly, the benefits to our entire household have been pretty incredible, across parents, siblings, and friends alike. When your student talks to you about how the kids at school are 'just like me', when they express a sense of belonging and common purpose to thrive in the face of big emotions, you can only smile and reflect on the journey. ...and imagine what it's like for other parents to understand you, understand your child, and understand so much of the details of the journey. The TBS community, made up of students, teachers, and parents is one that sees your child as deserving, powerful, and good.

This school is an absolute gem!! I cannot believe that we were lucky enough to find such a perfect…read moreeducational home for our younger daughter, who fits the "twice exceptional" (or multi-exceptional) profile perfectly. Anne Boswell was exceptional during the admissions process. Victoria Trevor is a fantastic and deeply caring school director and math teacher. We also love Mr. Aakash, Ms Ariel, Ms Katy, and everyone else there!

TLDR: best school I've ever seen. The amount of work they put into the emotional well-being of…read morekids is astonishing. Teacher-student ratio is 4 (students) to 1 (teacher), students cherish every minute of the school. Where do I start? Probably 2 years ago, in a public school, where my sweet, bright, curious, always friendly 7 y o turned into a severely depressed, school-hating, crazy-acting, constantly talking about self-harm sad little person. Every day I would receive emails from school saying that my son would go above and beyond trying to escape from English classes. At home, he would beg me day and night not to take him to school. For home much longer could I stomach that? I took him out, and put him in homeschooling. Diagnosed him for dyslexia (that was pretty obvious), and started working with him myself and with dyslexia tutors. And... that did not help much! He was so confident that there was something fundamentally wrong with him, and these special classes made him believe it even more. I tried to see if he would like a couple of small private schools, he made it very clear that he would not. I was at loss, but, luckily, his therapist recommended Athena, and we signed up for a summer camp. On the first day, I had to drag him there, he came back smiling and with a forgotten peace inside. A few more days of camp - and my happy, curious, confident kid was back again!! 1,5 years later, I still feel like crying as I am writing it. It, of course, took him about a year of Athena enrollment to truly believe that he can be anyone he wants, that dyslexia is actually a superpower (now, when they taught him to read, he can read upside down and mirrored text, that is indeed a dyslexia perk). He's made a lot of friends. Teachers adore him, and he loves them back. He reads everything now. I drive him from South San Jose to Palo Alto and back, 2 hours per day. I pay expensive tuition (more that half of what I make), and I regret nothing. I would like to add that every person that works at Athena is very kind, not just polite and smiling, but deeply caring about the students. There is a lot of 1-o-1 work with each child. Teachers prepare the topics that interest students. Students, that have even deeply traumatized by their learning experience somewhere else, thrive. Thank you so much, Athena founders, teachers, and administration, for making this heavenly school.

My son is going to FCSN for more than three months and they r the best . My son loves to go there…read moredaily and they care like family .

The staff here really cares about their adults and children with special needs that use this…read morefacility. They do fun activities with the children every day from 4-5 pm. They give them snacks and free time with puzzles and out door equipment while they wait for the daily activity. With the equipment they have they work well with the children. If you walk in on a random day you may see teenagers gazing at a wall, these are volunteers, there to fulfill their community service requirements. I have met a few volunteers that are great with the kids and excited to work with them, but for the most part they just sit there, which is not the staff's fault. My favorite activity that they do is music class, where a couple of volunteers come with bubbles, tambourines and music to sing and dance with the children, everyone has so much fun! Ms. Campbell, one of the directors is the absolute sweetest woman I have ever met, who deals so well with the children and their behaviors.

Five stars doesn't feel like enough…read more My daughter has been attending PACE (Pacific Autism Center for Education) for almost five years now, and I truly cannot say enough good things about this incredible place. From the very beginning, we were welcomed with open arms, and we've felt like part of a caring, supportive community ever since. Her teacher, Miss Rebekkah, has been with her the entire time--and I honestly believe she is heaven-sent. The level of care, compassion, and dedication she pours into her students is something so rare and beautiful. She has made such a profound impact on my daughter's life, and by extension, on our entire family. I also want to recognize her amazing para, Isabel. She is an absolute gem--kind, patient, and so deeply committed to my daughter's growth and well-being. It's clear every day that she genuinely cares, and knowing that my daughter has both Isabel and Miss Rebekkah in her corner brings me so much peace and gratitude. Every staff member at PACE is wonderful. They go above and beyond, not just meeting the students' needs but truly seeing them--celebrating their strengths, patiently guiding them through challenges, and treating each child with dignity, love, and respect. We are endlessly grateful for the work they do. PACE isn't just a school--it's a lifeline, a safe haven, and a place where our children are empowered to thrive. Thank you, Miss Rebekkah. Thank you, Isabel. Thank you, PACE.

I've been living as a neighbor to this center. Sadly, I must depart my hometown hastily. I'm going…read moreto live in Cleveland. I am a doordasher. And one time I delivered 15-30 boba teas to the fine folks who work at the center. They left a STRONG TIP!! The students and their teachers walk past my window every day. The employees park in front of my house. When school lets out, a minor traffic jam hems up the intersection. It is because these fine folks are doing the best they can without the type of facility they want or need. They are kind, caring, smart, educated people who care about others and the community. The families that arrive to pick up their students are all nice. They don't want to be a nuisance. AND THEY ARE NOT! If you have a person on the spectrum, they would be in good hands receiving education from this fine center. They are good neighbors to have. They've brightened many a dull day for me by simply saying hello. I'm sad to leave this area, my home. I was born two miles from here. But leave I must. This corner is filled with great neighbors. They enjoy the sunsets looking down Pruneridge and also forest. They helped me out for my moving sale. But one of my favorite neighbors is the Autism center for education. It's because the people who work here and attend for education are good people making a difference in this world. This corner is nearly a paradise. I'm kissing all my neighbors goodbye. These people are the best!!!!! So long, wonderful neighbors!

We've had a really positive experience with Ascent Autism…read more My teenage son has always struggled socially, especially with starting conversations and knowing what to say in group settings. He's a smart kid, but social situations have never come naturally to him, and he would usually avoid them if he could. After joining the Ascent social peer group, we started noticing changes that honestly surprised me. At first, he was quiet in the sessions, but over time he became more comfortable and started participating more. He's definitely more confident now than he was a few months ago. One of the biggest things we've noticed is that he's more willing to talk to people outside of our immediate family. Recently we had relatives visiting, and instead of disappearing into his room, he actually sat with everyone and joined the conversation. That may sound small, but for us it was a huge moment. The facilitators are patient and supportive, and they do a great job keeping the conversations structured without making it feel forced or uncomfortable. My son actually looks forward to the sessions, which I never expected. We're really grateful we found Ascent and would absolutely recommend it to other families who are looking for support with social confidence and real-life communication skills.

We had an intake interview with one of their people to assess my 17 year old son for a fit in their…read moresocial program. The interviewer was not personable at all. She didn't introduce herself or attempt to engage my son in conversation. She read her script and asked her questions, barely looking up from what I assume was her computer. The 30 minute session was over in 15 minutes and was really just awkward. I am concerned that someone with the social skills exhibited would be adept at modeling behavior that would assist anyone in improving their social skills. The very first thing addressed was the cost of the sessions which while understandable, combined with the lack of introduction or trying to set anyone at ease much less my ASD son, made me feel as though improving my sons well being wasn't their first interest. In a world where everyone has a service to sell, how a potential customer is treated is tantamount. The potential customer should leave an assessment feeling hopeful, not like hopeless. It looks like they have had one review in a year and it was positive. Hopefully that means someone has benefited. However, we will continue to seek services elsewhere.