I am in just the beginning of working with Deborah Bloom. So far I have had a pleasant experience with both Catherine and Deborah. Catherine has been very clear on what we need to be prepared for and have ready for the school. It helps that they are both direct and to the point. It helps me stay focused with a clear set goal. I'm impressed with how quickly they've accommodated uto meet our goals in such a short period time. Follow up after a Zoom meeting with Deborah Bloom (The new way to meet during the Corona Virus). I found Deborah very reassuring when reviewing our sons report. She gave simple tips and offered the best resources available to us during these times, and what to expect in the near future. All of this helps us out in the home and we have received a phone call already from one of the resources she mentioned. That was 1 business day. The professionalism and reduction in anxiety as she leads us on a path to success is so needed when we are so lost in these times, while having 2 working parents in health care is amazing! read more

When you are dealing with such a delicate issue (special needs child in public school), it is necessary to have someone that is knowledgeable in your corner. I thought that this would have been Deborah Bloom. Sadly, it was a very expensive mistake. During the intake, she seemed knowledgeable and asked all the right questions. We discussed a plan and it was set into action within a few days. However, there are a few areas that made me cancel my contract with her and went elsewhere for representation. First, the letter that she wrote to be dropped off at the school district was full of misinformation and I had to rewrite it. Not to mention that she charged me 130$ for the letter she wrote that was useless. Second, many emails and phone calls were left unanswered. When you are dealing with the school and have a few questions about the process, it is imperative that your hired advocate is there for you. I had a hard time getting Deborah to call me back. Third, I dealt more with her office assistant than Deborah. I'm sure her assistant is very knowledgeable, but I think that having her assistant do all the legwork made the room for the issues that I faced during an IEP meeting with the school. Lastly, during the IEP meeting, Deborah was extremely unorganized and unfamiliar with my case. She missed many important topics and asked the school district for something that was never discussed between us. I was in shock when she asked this and frustrated that she did not have notes for the issues we needed to bring up during the IEP meeting. Hence, a waste of money and everyone's time. After the meeting, I called and canceled our contract. Thank goodness I could get some of my retainer back. read more

I am writing this review not because of the time and money wasted, but for the unprofessional and lack of attention Deborah puts on my daughter's case. My daughter was in H.S. Special ED and I was having very hard time with the school; and Deborah was refer by someone I knew. I believe Deborah took my case knowing that it was not her expertise and after she didn't answer my calls, or numerous emails; she just gave me an incredible respond lacking of skills, attention and time. I believe Deborah missed represent herself, making me believe she was good but far from true. After my experience with Deborah, I hired a lawyer which was far less expensive and did very well with my daughter's case. read more

Deborah has made a huge positive impact in the life of our son and our family. Her ability to discern exactly who to reach out to, how we could get the services our son needed and the best ways to support our family during the process proves how invaluable her professionalism and caring have been. She always told us what we could expect and what we were truly entitled to. Our son is finally getting the education support necessary and he is a happy, successful student as a result. read more

It's been 7 years since Deborah Bloom changed the course of my daughter's life. I am so grateful I hired her. My daughter was in middle school and her IEP was not working for her. I had been spending endless hours with school personnel trying to change it, but didn't understand the system, and wasn't getting anywhere. When Deborah Bloom came on board everything fell in place. She was absolutely a gift from heaven for my child. Deborah is a passionate advocate for special needs children who has knowledge of the laws, great connections with specialists and has tons of experience working with many school districts in the Bay Area. She is a great listener, understands the obstacles and is a nimble problem solver.... all the makings of a great negotiator. The pivotal IEP Deborah lead with 19 attendees was beautiful. At the end, all of my daughter's teachers and specialists were thrilled that they would have the support they needed to help her. read more

Our family has been with Deborah for 7 years. I can't say enough positive things about her. She is passionate and knowledgeable at what she does and very responsive to our needs. Knowing that she has many clients I do t expect an immediate response because I k ow if she was I an IEP meeting with me or taking care of issues with our child, I would want us to have her I divided attention. And we always have. If not for Deborah and her knowledge we would not have been able to navigate the system. She was instrumental in getting two of our children IEPS with the resources they needed and deserved. We consider the money we have spent with Deborah as an investment for our children a an avenue for peace of mind for us. She has often calmed me down because as a parent emotions can run high and we are not always at our best to advocate for our child if we can't separate emotions from the subject at hand. Deborah always knows how to reassure me and get me to think I'm a more rational way rather than a knee jerk reaction. Her office assistant is equally as professional, responsive, knowledgeable and caring. I have recommended her to several friends and would not hesitate to do so agsin. The only bad thing I have to say is I wish I would have found her sooner when we started our journey. read more

After years of fighting with a district that can't support each individual we decided to seek help. When we called Catherine greeted me with a warm welcome and schedule a consultation. Deborah took the time to understand what we needed for our child. She had been a blessing for our family. Having her changed our child's life for the best. She and Catherine care so much for our family and are always there to tell us the true. Not just what we want to hear. read more

I called to get an appointment for a consultation with Ms. Bloom and had to endure an unpleasant grilling by the apparent office manager. She started the call with giving me notice that the way they did business was to be direct, no feelings spared, and to the point. She then launched on citing to me all the graduation requirements for my child's grade level. I could barely get in the factors complicating our situation, which is why I was calling for an education consultant's appointment in the first place! If this business wants to deter people from their services, they have the right office manager! A wholly unpleasant experience! I'd give them 0 stars if I could. My daughter's physician recommended Ms. Bloom but I will be sure to tell the practice to not refer anyone else to this business. Left a bad taste in my mouth. I shouldn't have to tell an office manager our private information. It would be like being forced to tell a Medical Assistant not just the simple "why are you here", to having to tell him/her all the details for your visit. Very unprofessional!! read more

Last week, Deborah Bloom changed our daughters life. We have spent so many hours at hospitals, clinics, testing facilities and worthless IEP meetings, we were getting to the point of giving up. We could go on and on about what she got accomplished for our daughter. The services she was able to get for her through the school district are now in place and everyone is on board and now working like a team FOR her and not against her. We cannot say enough about Deborah, her help, guidance, patience and knowledge of special education made a difference in the life of our whole family!! read more

I consulted with Deborah Bloom Educational Consultant and paid her outrageous retainer fee. It took months getting her all of the paperwork she wanted. Deborah Bloom is very hard to schedule. It took over two more months to schedule my daughter's IEP meeting. When we finally got to the meeting, she pulled out a tape recorder and demanded to record the meeting. When her teacher and speech therapist started talking, she called them both stupid. I think Deborah Bloom got my daughter mixed up with another one of her clients because then she started making accusations at the school that had nothing to do with her! And she called my daughter the wrong name, twice! The school people just keep looking at the table and giving me the "I feel sorry for you" look. It was the longest and most painful meeting I have ever been in. I was so embaressed by her aggressive and confused behavior, I just wanted to crawl out of the room. After meeting Deborah Bloom I never expected her to act this way. She seemed like a kindly grandmother who just wanted to help the kids. I just wanted to make sure my daughter was getting everything from her IEP that she should be getting. A friend told me that you have to get an advocate these days. But, this is not the way to go. read more