Wonderful facility and staff! We had such a positive experience with their summer camp this year --…read moreour 8 year old joined them for two sessions and came home full of stories and excited for the next day. We loved how supportive the counselors all were and are could tell how much everyone cared about the kids and their program. Outdoor classrooms, variety of activities, animals and environmental education, combination of facilitated and open play, great communication, gender neutral facilities and all gender supportive community, easy drop off and pick up, sliding scale enrollment fees based on ability and scholarships available. It's tough to register, though, as spaces are swooped up VERY quickly, and this year they capped families at two weeks for the summer.

The Hitchcock Center is a place that offers education on here, the place we live. It's really nice…read moreand important to take a look around and learn about what you are looking at. The plants and animals in the area. Public schools should really do something like this. My son and I are taking a class and it's one of my favorite things he does after school.

My daughter has attended Simply Social Kids for the past 2+ years. It's been a great learning…read moreexperience for her, with in-the-moment social coaching and short, entertaining lessons to help her learn about/understand social expectations and self-regulation. Nadine and her team do a great job leading the weekly sessions. Periodic check-ins with Nadine and/or other class leaders have been helpful to us as parents to know what progress our child has made, and give us ideas of how to help her at home. Highly recommend!

I have a 10 year old boy who has been diagnosed with mild autism (ASD). He struggles most with…read moresocial interactions, the "give and take" of conversations, how to show interest in others' conversation, and how to appropriately join a dialogue. We have a full fall scheduled but this summer we attended a weekly class at Simply Social Kids. I am so glad we did! The instructor was wonderful! We spoke on the phone and over email and she was very receptive to keeping me updated on the week's activities. I learned behavior cues, to help my son stop and pause to allow other to speak. My son really enjoyed the activities, which to him were just play, while important social practice was embedded creatively by his instructor. I wish we were able to continue in the fall, but hopefully we can revisit in the spring. The director is committed to keeping her staff trained, comes with a great resume herself, and was extremely helpful. It is obvious these instructors have a passion for helping children be their best selves. Thank you Simply Social Kids for providing a safe and natural learning environment for my son to relax and be himself, learn about others and grow socially, without the critical eye of the world around him. I cannot thank you enough!

I've taken three Son-Rise Program courses here! This is such an amazing, life changing experience!…read moreThe approach is so loving. Letting the child with autism initiate and lead interaction by respecting and joining in their stim or "ism". It is an amazing way to bond with your child in their world so that you can then build a bridge for them to cross into yours. It gives you the tools to improve your attitude. Then you may better help your child to learn and grow and have happy, healthy relationships.

Thanks to Sonrise (Autism Treatment Center of America) my son is recovered from autism just like…read morethe founders' son Raun. He now has friends and even a girl friend, and the director at his school says he is the most mature, kind, and compassionate 14 year old boy she has ever known. We spent 5 years on biomed and saw some improvement, but the great improvement happened when we started Sonrise. Now after 3 1/2 years of Sonrise we have met our goals. You can call and talk with their program advisors at any time. They are extremely helpful.

Amazing campus, although it would be better if they had a flagpole out front of the school and…read moreflags in each classroom and a flag in the gym to make it feel more like a school and comfortable

In 1994, I attended The Ivy Street School when it had only three students: Mary, Melissa, and…read moremyself. My experience there was deeply troubling and traumatic. The environment was unstable, and the students were treated as if they didn't matter. The treatment I received was beyond what any young person should have to endure. Things became so unbearable that I ran away, terrified of what was happening to me at the school. After leaving, I found myself homeless. Thankfully, I met kind people who helped me get back on my feet. Through my own determination, I earned my GED and went on to attend college. Looking back, it's clear to me that the school was more interested in the funding they received than in truly helping students. In fact, they kept several thousand dollars that rightfully belonged to me. When I recently called them to request my records for a legal matter, they refused to provide them, something I find very suspicious, especially since schools are required to maintain records. It raises the question of what they might be trying to hide. I also recall that one of the staff members lived permanently at the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and was using the school's programs, and its students, for personal gain. To any parents considering this school for their children: please think twice. My experience was damaging, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. There are better, safer, and more supportive environments out there. This was not one of them.

If you are perspective, parent thinking about sending your child to Franklin Perkins school DO…read moreNOT!! It is not a safe environment and the staff do not have adequate training to deal with the population that they have. On Tuesday November 20th 2025, my 9 year old son and I went to go tour Franklin Perkins for an out of district placement during our visit there my son was physically assaulted by another student. The assault occurred as we were being shown down the hallway by our tour guide Jennifer McGrail. There had been absolutely no prior interaction between my son and the student. My son had walked down the hallway as directed by the tour guide Jennifer McGrail, and as he walked past to go to the next stop on our tour, the student punched my son very hard in the face after this happened, I immediately took my son and removed him from the building, as it was very clear that the staff at Franklin Perkins do not receive the proper training to deal with the emotional dysregulation of the kids in their care. Jennifer McGrail Disclose to us that the student who assaulted my son had been at Franklin Perkins for six months that is certainly adequate time to understand a student's needs and have a comprehensive safety plan in place to keep the student as well as others safe. Furthermore, at the time of this incident, the student who assaulted my son had a one on one aid with him in the hallway and that aid failed to react and prevent the situation from occurring .An apology was never issued to my son in person. Upon leaving the school, we went straight to seek medical attention. Later that night, the vice principal Dawn Bentley called us. It was very clear in the phone call that she does not have adequate training or experience to talk to parents or deal with situations like this as much of a phone call was sitting in silence with her, not knowing how to deal with the situation and very much felt like she was reaching out to us to make herself feel better/gauge our response. I feel very bad for the students at this program who are not being given the support that they need/deserve. Jennifer McGrail and Dawn Bentley are an absolute embarrassment to the educational field save yourselves and your children, the trauma, and skip this joke of an establishment

Horrible place with abuse and will neglect your children. My son almost committed suicide because…read moreof the treatment he received and the staff and administratiom did not try to prevent it at all and ignored my son. He jumped off the roof and broke both his legs and a few ribs and the staff just stood there and watched. It was a student who ended up calling emergency services and the staff stonewalled emergency services saying they didnt see anything. Nothing good was done for my son in this place. Don't believe anyone who tells you this is a safe place for your children. They are covering up their abuse because of the money they receive from the state and private donations. If you value your child's life and safety DO NOT SEND THEM TO DR. FRANLIN PERKINS SCHOOL! Lives are ruined there.

Thank you Jenny for helping my (2nd) client with her family issues…read more I already notice a swing in her way of handling the situation, even after 2 sessions. Great work!!

From the owner: At Calm Education, we believe every child and family deserves tools to thrive...academically,…read moreemotionally, and socially. Based in Rhode Island, we specialize in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs that help children build confidence, resilience, and strong relationships. What makes us unique is our whole-family approach: we support kids through one-on-one and small group lessons, guide parents with practical strategies, and partner with schools and educators through wellness workshops. All of our lessons are rooted in the nationally recognized CASEL's 5 Core Competencies, blending mindful practices with hands-on learning in a fun, engaging way. Families choose Calm Education because we create a calm, supportive space where children feel seen and empowered to be their best selves at home, at school, and beyond.

The Forman School quite literally changed the course of my daughter's life. The caring and…read moresupportive faculty know how to make the educational experience amazing for every student. My daughter went off to her first choice college and will graduate in weeks. She was ready for the rigors of college and had the tools and knew how to use them to get the most out of her college career. I would not hesitate to recommend Forman to any parent who thinks their child needs a little more guidance to not only succeed academically but to enjoy learning again. These are amazing, smart kids who learn differently. Forman gives them opportunities to explore subjects that they are passionate about and supports and encourages their passions. The state of the art Visual and Performing Arts Center is to open in Fall of 2017 and the Fabrication Lab opened this year. It is the perfect school for an "outside the box" kind of student who wants more from a school.

We are so thrilled that we found Forman. It has certainly been a game changer for my son. He came…read morein as a rising Junior full of self doubt about his future and capabilities, and will graduate in a few months as a Senior who has been accepted by an excellent selection of quality colleges. He "found" his learning style with the help of the caring, talented educators at Forman. This DID NOT happen at his large public (highly rated) high school. Socially, he "found" his voice and "his people". If you have a child who struggles due to learning differences, please give Forman a look. They KNOW what they're doing, and do it well.

UPDATE: I rarely post negative reviews so I hesitated about writing my original review, thinking…read moremaybe NECC has changed over the years. Last week, I spoke to a BCBA who knows many people who worked at NECC in the past five years. He said, "everyone I've met who worked at NECC says what you're saying. NECC does miracles for the kids, teachers get so little respect and support." I hope parents advocate for staff, especially the parents who are big donors. Aside from the horrible working conditions for teachers, the residential workers (responsible for the safety of kids at night, along with a Level 2 teacher) work six days/week. I'd forgotten that until I spoke to the BCBA. The Boston Globe did a good article about the ridiculously high salaries of Directors of private SPED schools. Vinny Strully (CEO of NECC when I was there, has a different role now) has made millions.

My child had a BCBA that works there - Christine M and she, in my opinion, fails to use common…read moresense. She seems to think it's ok to push a child that has a strong will with regard to non compliance of a task to the point the child enters timeout/isolation rooms and is physically restrainted instead of using common sense to understand the profile of a child with regard to the child's cognitive and social level of functioning. You do not put children in situations that will lead to such emotional distress. You work on understanding where they are developmentally and then provide appropriate curriculum with working interventions and strategies. If your client is in time out rooms and getting restrained, it is a failure of the program and teaching / support staff. A child functioning like an infant is not able to tolerate flash card drills and pre-school curicullum when they are at that stage of development. Best to learn how to work effectively with special needs children by observing successful interventions with similiar cases.

Review Lisa is a…read morecollaborative, knowledgeable, and skilled speech pathologist who cares deeply about her clients. I met Lisa after she reached out to find an SLP for a client who was moving to CT. She went above and beyond to ensure a seamless transition for her client and his family. In getting to know Lisa, I learned how she takes meticulous care of her clients. She has a high level of clinical skills and uses effective therapy techniques to produce optimal outcomes. I would highly recommend choosing Lisa as a Speech Pathologist for your child. Danielle Carley @ Collaborative Speech and Language Therapy - Trumbull, CT

Lisa is absolutely fantastic! She helps kids and families feel welcome and one can tell that she…read moretruly cares. My daughter made wonderful progress here after a bad experience elsewhere. I'm so thankful that Lisa was recommended to us. She's wonderful, knowledgeable, and innovative in her approach. Hands down I recommend this practice to anyone seeking speech therapy.