My granddaughter has been a student at MacArthur for the past 2 years. The staff has been amazing…read moreand clearly work cohesively to foster the success of all the special needs students. Ms. Sheri was awesome as was Ms. Doris (last year). This year, Ms. Cierra has also been adept at working with my granddaughter, getting her where she needs to be academically, with occasional help from Ms. Doris, and a kind security guard named Mr. Joe, I believe. In addition, all the specialists have helped child make great strides with language/communication. End of year commencement was particularly lovely--all staff went above and beyond to provide a fun and memorable day for students. I was truly impressed, especially with lack of funding-- makes me think these folks spend a lot out of pocket, proving, in my mind, how much they care!

I love the work they do with the children. Over time you see a difference in their behavior,…read moreconfidence and significant growth. When it comes to the children they will go above and beyond to help the children achieve their best.

My son went to this til he transitioned back to his high school. He blossomed there and really…read moreenjoyed the inclusiveness and respect. They are all remarkable and I highly recommend sending your child there. My son spent 4 years at GLA.

After so many years I'm still pissed of the lack of support and biases that went on when my oldest…read moreattended here. My son special needs. He has sensory issues, problems staying on task, and has a hard time following steps especially during this time. During his annual IEP meeting his teacher took it upon herself to try to "call me out" during this meeting. Asking where his school supplies and saying he is not dress appropriately for school (he sometimes forgot to but on socks). He was in the fourth grade at this time. Mind you, I just had a newborn baby. And the school supply list was ridiculous!! Who asks for 20 glue sticks, 20 bar erasers, 5 packs of pencil erasers, 5 packs of pencils and candy?!? That wasn't the half of the two page supply list. So teachers stop getting petty cash for their classrooms and tax exempts?!? That Is the supplies for him or the classroom and future classes? I packed his backpack with a little bit of everything on that list and she had the nerve to claim I sent him to school with NOTHING! The worse part is that they called Child Protective Services on me!!! Of course everything was unfounded but I wouldn't recommend to go to this school to take a shit in. I NEVER had issues like that at ANY of his schools (in Chicago or Indiana). He is in high school now in Indiana where they COMMUNICATE their concerns instead of making personal attacks and assumptions on parents due to teachers own biases or prejudices. The crazy part was that was the first time I heard, seen, communicated with this female and it was half way through the school year when she "expressed her concerns." She couldn't call? Sent a note? He took the school bus so I didn't know it was a problem until that day. That will forever change my view with this school. Crazy part is when she eventually saw me with my newborn at the time then she wanted to be nice. Can't remember her name but definitely remember her strong ass wrinkled face and silver back built body. You're just better off home schooling your kids than sending them here.

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

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.

This is the absolute best place to send your child. It feels more like a family than anything…read moreelse. All the staff are amazing and the children are provided with quality education at all learning levels.

I had my son in a different prek and it was the worst experience we ever had. My son is 3 years old…read moreand a friend recommended me Spring Ahead Academy, I was desperate so I tried. It was the best decision. The place is clean, the teachers are amazing and all the staff and services are outstanding. My son loves going to school and loves every member of the staff. I don't have enough words to describe how happy we are we was able to get my son in this beautiful school. We appreciate every effort they put into teaching and preparing our children for school. We love them and thank them from our harts.