Merlin Day Academy has been a wonderful, supportive place for our son. He has thrived there and we…read moreare grateful for all of the kindness and patience that the staff has showed to both him and all of the children. He has made real gains with using his AAC device and also learning strategies to help him control behavior. They have also presumed competence in his education and have helped him move up the ladder academically. He has benefitted from all of the therapy modalities and I have been impressed with everyone he's worked with: parapros, teachers, and therapists.

This is our 3rd year at Merlin; before that our son was at Blue Bird Day, a preschool also under…read morethe Eya's Landing umbrella. We have only had positive experiences at both schools. Merlin provides comprehensive therapeutic services, including ABA, ST, PT, OT, and Social Work, in addition to educational services. The staff are insightful, creative, patient, compassionate and fun, and my son absolutely loves his time at school. The learning mixed with therapeutic play is just right for him developmentally, and his therapists take a holistic approach to building social and academic, and other skills he'll need to function throughout life. As someone who taught for nearly a decade and has worked in school settings since, I can fully appreciate the level of individual attention he gets from his therapists and therapeutic assistants, the extensive communication with families to stay up to date on our goals for our child and to let us know how his day is going (including notes and photos throughout the day!). And mostly I appreciate that he is not just sitting around at a desk all day doing differentiated work--I he is active and thinking, engaged, and having fun as he builds new skills. I see the review from two and a half months ago, and I think the context there is important: hers was the very first child to transition from private insurance to ISBE funding, so it makes sense that she personally would have experienced the growing pains as they adjust to a different system. I can imagine that this is a steep learning curve, and I'd extend some grace to them as they figure it out. In our second year at the Avondale location, I'd say they have worked out a lot of kinks, and that this is a joyful place for my child to learn throughout the day. We have found it to be a godsend.

I reached out to Lakeview Speech for an evaluation for my child. Initially I emailed Tracy about…read moresetting up the evaluation. We then set up a time to speak on the phone to discuss the situation in further detail. She was very helpful and told me that another therapist, Erica, would be getting in touch shortly to schedule the evaluation. We set up the appointment shortly thereafter. Erica arrived at our home right on time and was wonderful, patient, responsive, and knows her stuff! I was very impressed. We also decided to do an evaluation at my child's school which was easily scheduled. My child's teachers noted how great Erica was- they were also impressed. I was very happy with the knowledge and services of this group!

I am so grateful to be working with Lakeview Speech and Language Clinic. Tracy was very responsive…read moreto all of my questions when I first sought her out, and helped answer all of my crazy questions. Our speech therapist, Erica, is so great with our 5-year old son. It has probably been about half a year now, and we have seen so much progress in his language development. Our son looks forward to his speech sessions and has fun while learning. I love receiving the detailed summary after each session, as well as helpful / relevant assignments that we can print out and work with at home. Erica is engaging, patient, friendly and professional. The activities continue to evolve as our son's language develops, and it's clear that the plan is individualized and personalized to his specific needs. As you know, there is no "one-size-fits-all" plan for these kind of things. We could not be any happier with Lakeview Speech and Language Clinic. If you are looking for a speech therapist for your child, just call up Tracy. She is the best!

During my time in this school my life was a living hell as a person of color and with multiple…read moreconditions. The staff do not give a fuck about your accommodations and in-fact aren't certified. They treated me and others horribly and especially if you have conditions that hinder your communication skills as when I was struggling so much with selective and autism. They would yell at me, take away my only resource to communicate. Not to mention I was being bullied for my skin color and they favored the kids who BULLIED me. THEY LIE AT YOU IN TOUR.

Britten has transformed my kid's entire attitude about school! He's happier, calmer, and much more…read moreready to learn. After endless struggles with a traditional school environment, we're so grateful to have found such a great fit for him.

My son attended the Transition program at GS and he did well. The staff were pretty great and did…read moretheir best to help him. They truly do care about the students they serve and we are very grateful for that.

I'd like to say that working at Giant Steps has been absolutely outstanding. The teachers there are…read morethe epitome of professional, as well as possessing an innate and frequently used sense of care and consideration for their students. I've been working there for four months, and could not be more impressed with their conduct and empathy. Their passion for their work shows in their attitude and actions, as well as the laughs and smiles that surround them in the classroom. My compliments to all of them, including the staff that have to oversee all of the classroom.

I have found my nonverbal special needs child potential through spell to communicate program…read moreoffered at "found my voice". My child's cognitive ability was under estimated prior to this. Through this program I feel confident and hopeful about my child's future. Paulette is an amazing tutor. she has treated my child with respect and shown patience towards her challenging behaviors. She seems to be dedicated to help nonverbal kids get their voice. I highly recommend "found my voice" services to others.

From the owner: Found My Voice, Inc is dedicated to helping those with disabilities through a variety of…read moreprogramming. Spelling to Communicate (S2C) for Nonspeakers, Unreliable speakers or echoic speakers, tutoring, special events, social activities, birthday parties, advocacy and more. We are currently located in Joliet behind the Target and Barnes & Noble off Rt 30 on Division Street. Conveniently located close to I-55, a short drive to I-355 and I-80. Special event: Spellers Movie May 10th in Oswego, IL at classic cinemas

If anyone needs a good advocate Judy Ruffalo is the one to call. She went above and beyond my…read moreexpectations to advocate for my Autistic daughter. She is very informative and knowledgable in her job and if she does not know the answer she will find out and get you the answers. She is not afraid to stand up for your child and will not take no for an answer if its not in the best interest of your child. Shes a fighter and sweetheart all rolled into one and will stop at nothing to get the best placement for your child.

From the owner: Comprehensive educational records review, special education eligibility, IEP analysis and…read morerecommendations, empowering parents to advocate for their children, school meeting attendance, expert negotiation and mediation for improved outcomes for students.

This place trmatized me as a child I went there from 2013-2014 and it was the worst school I ever…read moreexperienced. From locking us in rooms even when hostile things were happening inside we could not get away from until a teacher would let us out. We had to be walked around everywhere we go even to and from the bathroom. The hands on method there was abusive at best. They would put their knee in your back and put your hands behind you and ask you are you calm are you calm and if you weren't saying I'm calm in a calm fashion with a knee in your back you were just held there until they think you have calmed down. Even in situations you were not fighting. Maybe disrespected a teacher or yelled and they punished you by giving you hands on. They make you sign an agreement with you rparents that you can't sue them if they hurt you and they did and they will. I don't know how this is legal or how they are still running the principal literally died at the school which was very traumatized for us and there's nothing nowhere online about it! This place is scary fight tooth and nail for your kids not to be placed here! It will ruin their innocence.

I've had 2 Deaf autistic boys enrolled in their DHH program since 2014 and they've thrived in…read moremainstream classes with SASED support. Sign language was a MUST for us and a lot of place don't do that for DHH kids. Also, I've worked at Southeast, that review is based on something 20+ years ago, that his parents were in charge of. Things have changed, laws have changed, views have changed. We learn. We grow. We thrive!