My daughter is in the second grade at Bright Water Waldorf School with Jennifer Quinn as her…read moreteacher. She has had a wonderful experience in MS. Quinn's class. We have found Ms. Quinn to be a teacher with great heart and dedication. We have loved her inclusion of diverse cultures and the care with which she teaches our child. She has helped her become confident in reading and develop a great joy for learning. Our daughter has blossomed in Ms. Quinn's class and we are so grateful. This is a school focused on developing the whole person. It teaches children how to think and question as they work towards an answer, not just memorize. It may not be for everyone but it has a beauty and depth that we find stunning in this quick paced, sound bite world.

My two children went to BWS. While there were several aspects that were delightful including…read morespecific teachers and the community, as some of the only people of color - it was a very damaging experience. Unfortunately, one of the faculty that was responsible for the most humiliation and damage is still teaching at the school. That is quite unfortunate. I would not recommend the school for BIPOC kiddos.

We are thrilled to have our son at a school that looks at what he can do instead of what he cannot…read more Things are constantly changing for the better as our son progresses. Having a child that is non verbal can be very hard in school settings. CHILD is supportive with his AAC device and any other resources to make our son successful at school. He is actually in a program that is catered for him as an individual. We feel the school cares about all of their students no matter of what differences their are.

Our 11-year old son has difficulties with emotional regulation, attention, transitions, and other…read moredifficulties related to severe neglect and abuse in his biological family. He spent too much time non-educative time in isolation in the Seattle Public Schools and did not learn new skills to help him regulate himself or interact with others. I spent most of every school day at his Seattle elementary school trying to help him get his school work done in his self-contained classroom. The Children's Institute has been a life-saver in terms of allowing him a safe place to learn these skills as well as move on academically. They are able to accept him the way he is and have never called me to come and get him. If he does have outbursts, they are able to staff to allow time for someone to spend time with him out of the classroom without putting him by himself in the "quiet room" Plus, he loves it there! I highly recommend this school if your child is not doing well in a traditional public school due to emotional/behavioral differences.

My son goes here. He has excelled here since the 8th grade. He is now a senior. If you're child has…read morea learning disorder or disability this school is geared towards that.

Great place for children with learning differences to explore and thrive in their individual…read morelearning styles. Helpful teachers, low teacher to student ratio, and numerous student lead ASB activities gives the feel of a larger welcoming education community. Their mission states this is a place where students come first and it's definitely apparent in the effort and caring attitude of their office personnel and staff.

This school is so good! We have been with this school since 2016, and might I say, it is so good. I…read morelove how not only to they teach the kids to strive in academics, but they also encourage leadership using the 8 habits. I also love the staff, who teach and encourage the students daily. This year, my fifth grade daughter is graduating, and we are so sad to leave! Last of all, thank you to the Head of School, who made their Washington D.C trip so fun!

The school has an excellent teaching staff, and the teachers have a great relationship with the…read morechildren. My child enjoys going to school very much

My son went thru the step ahead program for speech services. Everyone was very kind and gave my son…read morethe attention he needed. He received in home services and they assisted in getting him into preschool within the district when he turned three. The Care and attention he received was very reassuring in hopes of strong his goals met. He learned a lot and thrived

From the owner: A Step Ahead in Pierce County is one of the region's most progressive organizations for children…read moreages birth to three who have one or more developmental delays. We provide convenient, home-based therapy and educational services, including speech, physical and occupational therapies and special education. Our team of talented and tenacious professionals work with families as partners, advocates and a support system of care. Our pledge is to unlock the full potential in every child we see.

Friendly and great staff. They really care about the kids they work with and it shows.read more

From the owner: The Madrone School provides an alternative to the public school system in the greater Seattle area…read moreand offers a more affordable and individualized approach to those affected by autism using proven behavioral therapies. We utilize Applied Behavior Analysis to help each child reach their maximum potential. ​ The school is named after the Madrone tree that grows across the Pacific Northwest. Each Madrone tree grows in a different manner based on its environment. Just as the Madrone tree is unique, each student is a unique individual that benefits from being in an environment that allows them to grow in their own way.

My experience with Spring Academy was the best phone interaction with a school I have ever…read moreexperienced. Andy Smallman went above and beyond in helping me feel heard and offered suggestions for other support in the Seattle area (our son is a 5th grader and not qualified). I will not hesitate to reach out to Spring Academy in the future. Andy called weeks later after our first phone call to check in. His compassion and encouragement is wonderful.

We had a great experience with Spring Academy. My son attended Spring Academy for the second half…read moreof his freshman year and all of sophmore year. He is highly intelligent but had some challenges with anxiety. Spring Academy was great for him. He loved his teachers and enjoyed engaging with them one-on-one (the school he left was so large he wasn't able to connect with any of his teachers). His anxiety subsided and he had time and desire to pursue his own interests and found that spark of joy and enthusiasm I hadn't seen in him in a long time. Andy Smallman, the Principal, was very supportive and really made sure that we were able to communicate what our son needed and how we was doing there. I would say this was a real saving grace for us and provided our son with exactly what he needed to navigate a challenging period.

Awesome program. A must to check out. Kobi rocks!!! She is amazing with our kiddos young and old.read more

From the owner: Different Paths provides multiple types of support and education to individuals and families. Our…read morespecialty is working with kids, teens and families who are impacted by special needs, such as attention challenges, sensory issues, autism, and social or emotional challenges. You can learn more about our work on our website! We also run the Social Skillz Theatre School. Right now we are focused on our Summer Camp for kids and teens with special needs. Camp is an inclusive environment for neurodiverse children and teens going into 3rd - 12th grades, regardless of experience or special needs. Social skills are taught through the fun and confidence building magic of theatre. You can learn more or register for camp on our website. Different Paths provides the following types of instruction and support in the Tacoma Area: summer camp day camp theatre classes social skills group social skills classes life skills parenting classes behavior support behavior coaching special needs supports autism support sensory support attention support academic support specialized instruction curriculum modification IEP support

This institution is all about the money. they say what the parents want to hear to persuade them to…read moreenter their institution. Numerous attempts to receive records and other information were disregarded. Other testing facilities would be recommended.

When I came to the ARK as a 34 year old adult learner in college, I never thought I had dyslexia…read morebecause I didn't see words backwards or write my letters backward but I did know I was a slow reader and would often mix up words with similar letters like who and how. I never enjoyed school because it was hard for me and I didn't perform well on testing. I went to the ARK and had an assessment by Caroline and finally got some answers. I was indeed dyslexic which helped me realize that I wasn't unintelligent, I just had to find different styles of learning that would help me overcome my learning disability. Caroline put together and instructional plan to help me with reading comprehension and grammar. It has been 6 years since that instruction and I am still using those tools today. I am forever grateful to the Ark institute of Learning for restoring not only my confidence but my enjoyment in learning.

For 3 years now I have volunteer for United Way at this location. We do taxes here from January to…read moreApril and I love it. While volunteering I was able to get a tour of the facility to see what they'd offer to the students training there. I then was able to refer a client from my day job there who completed the training and returned to work able to maintain his lodging. They placed him with an employer that offer him competitive wages. If your interested in returning to work and need to brush up on a trade or even computer skills I recommend this place.

I am a former participant in the office skills program. I also spent time working at the front…read moredesk as a participant. It's true this place helps people with disadvantages find work in the community. However, when I was there as a participant in 2017, there were only 3 or 4 job developers and too many participants per job developer. Because of this, it was sometimes a little difficult to get help from my job developer, as she was so busy helping other participants. One time she said she would help me with a cover letter for a job application but did not get to my cover letter before the job closed a few weeks later. Also, this place does not like for participants to take days off to take care of things like family emergencies. For example, my aunt passed away unexpectedly and I needed to go out of town for a few days for the memorial service. I was given a hard time for asking to take one and a half days off so I could get to my aunt's service. My job developer made a big deal about me needing to take time off, as if it were an unforgivable sin to have a life outside of work. It seemed a little ridiculous to me.