Five stars doesn't feel like enough…read more My daughter has been attending PACE (Pacific Autism Center for Education) for almost five years now, and I truly cannot say enough good things about this incredible place. From the very beginning, we were welcomed with open arms, and we've felt like part of a caring, supportive community ever since. Her teacher, Miss Rebekkah, has been with her the entire time--and I honestly believe she is heaven-sent. The level of care, compassion, and dedication she pours into her students is something so rare and beautiful. She has made such a profound impact on my daughter's life, and by extension, on our entire family. I also want to recognize her amazing para, Isabel. She is an absolute gem--kind, patient, and so deeply committed to my daughter's growth and well-being. It's clear every day that she genuinely cares, and knowing that my daughter has both Isabel and Miss Rebekkah in her corner brings me so much peace and gratitude. Every staff member at PACE is wonderful. They go above and beyond, not just meeting the students' needs but truly seeing them--celebrating their strengths, patiently guiding them through challenges, and treating each child with dignity, love, and respect. We are endlessly grateful for the work they do. PACE isn't just a school--it's a lifeline, a safe haven, and a place where our children are empowered to thrive. Thank you, Miss Rebekkah. Thank you, Isabel. Thank you, PACE.

I've been living as a neighbor to this center. Sadly, I must depart my hometown hastily. I'm going…read moreto live in Cleveland. I am a doordasher. And one time I delivered 15-30 boba teas to the fine folks who work at the center. They left a STRONG TIP!! The students and their teachers walk past my window every day. The employees park in front of my house. When school lets out, a minor traffic jam hems up the intersection. It is because these fine folks are doing the best they can without the type of facility they want or need. They are kind, caring, smart, educated people who care about others and the community. The families that arrive to pick up their students are all nice. They don't want to be a nuisance. AND THEY ARE NOT! If you have a person on the spectrum, they would be in good hands receiving education from this fine center. They are good neighbors to have. They've brightened many a dull day for me by simply saying hello. I'm sad to leave this area, my home. I was born two miles from here. But leave I must. This corner is filled with great neighbors. They enjoy the sunsets looking down Pruneridge and also forest. They helped me out for my moving sale. But one of my favorite neighbors is the Autism center for education. It's because the people who work here and attend for education are good people making a difference in this world. This corner is nearly a paradise. I'm kissing all my neighbors goodbye. These people are the best!!!!! So long, wonderful neighbors!

Our family has had such a wonderful experience at the Winchester campus. My daughter has been here…read morefor two years now from Pre‑K, Summer School, and TK, and the experience has been consistently positive every step of the way. It is a small school with a true family feel. Every teacher knows the students by name, and that sense of care is felt daily. The office staff is very responsive. Any time there has been a question or issue, we have always received a quick response and prompt action. The elective teachers deserve special recognition as well. Ms. Jeannie (Science), Ms. Edith (Spanish), and Ms. Zoe (Music) have all done an amazing job creating hands‑on, engaging lessons that truly keep the kids excited and involved. Most importantly, we cannot say enough wonderful things about my daughter's TK teacher, Ms. Weiss. My daughter absolutely loves her, and when I asked why, she said, "Because she listens to everything." That alone speaks volumes about the level of care, respect, and attention Ms. Weiss gives her students every single day. She is incredibly engaging, warm, and thoughtful, and she goes above and beyond to make learning fun by celebrating all kinds of occasions, decorating the classroom with her own amazing props and costumes for all the children, and going all out to make the school year special. Ms. Weiss is truly one of a kind. We have seen tremendous growth in our daughter under Ms. Weiss's guidance. Academically, she is excelling in reading and math, and her writing and reading skills have made huge strides. Even more meaningful is how genuinely interested she now is in reading and writing outside of the classroom. We have also seen amazing growth in her interpersonal skills such as confidently greeting others, engaging with new friends, and learning how to reason and communicate thoughtfully. All of this is thanks to Ms. Weiss and the strong foundation she has helped build during these critical early education years. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she has had on our daughter's growth. While we are so sad to be leaving Ms. Weiss's class soon, we know the lessons, confidence, and love of learning will stay with our daughter for life. I also want to give a special thank you to my daughter's Pre‑K teachers, Ms. Sonal and Ms. Gauri. They did an incredible job setting a strong foundation in phonics and helping her transition from daycare into a more structured school environment. The early support was crucial to her confidence and success at the school in the beginning, and we are so grateful for the role they played in shaping her learning journey. Lastly, we are also so grateful for the extended day teachers who have been such a big part of our daughter's experience. Ms. Holly during Summer School and Ms. Hibah during TK have been absolutely wonderful. They keep the extended day program fun and engaging with creative arts, activities, and fresh ideas, which makes it feel less like "extra hours" and more like an extension of the school day. As parents, it gives us so much comfort knowing our child is in caring, creative hands even after regular school hours.

Our daughter started TK at Stratford Winchester and, in Ms. Weiss' class, has had a great…read moreexperience so far and truly loves going to school. Ms. Weiss makes learning fun and engaging with weekly themes and celebrations (Mickey's birthday, Curious George, Harry Potter, Halloween etc.), plus impressive decorations and activities. You can tell she genuinely cares about every kid, and she makes it super parent-friendly too - she'll even provide costumes for events, and the birthday celebrations for each child feel really special. We've also seen a noticeable improvement in our daughter's early reading skills and art work. Extended care has also been a big plus. Ms. Hiba is hands-on, keeps the kids motivated, and uses little rewards (like stickers) that actually get them excited. The office staff is always friendly, and the leadership is very present. Ms. Swathi (Head of School) and Dipali (Assistant Director) greet families at the gate daily - sounds small, but it makes a huge difference and really shows how engaged they are. The school feels small, tight-knit, and perfect for young kids, and events like Winter Wonderland (Santa), the winter program, and Diwali are always well run. Overall, we're really happy and excited to have our daughter continue her learning journey at Stratford Winchester in the coming years.

Late post: I recently moved out of the area but when I was looking for a school for my school age…read morekiddos, this place was perfect. I really like how they have the small classroom sizes. The staff are all really nice, caring and supportive of the kids needs and accommodations. I like that they are in a school site and have close proximity classrooms and a playground. The best part was that each kid has specialized curriculum. It is so important for my ASD kiddos to have the variety a typical school setting. If you are looking for a school that goes above and beyond, check this place out. I hope I can find a school like this in my new city.

My daughter attended this school for a year when she was 13. The teachers are amazing. They…read morereally get your kid. The environment is uplifting and bright. Kathy and Heidi brought my daughter out of a deep hole and created an environment where she could shine. Their program is behavioral based. Although they do provide strong academics, their emphasis is on social and emotional therapeutics.

As a former student, I had a negative experience at Esther B. Clark. The environment felt overly…read morebehavioristic, as I often felt conditioned rather than supported. This created a sense of learned helplessness instead of independence or emotional growth. One example of this, students including myself, would receive incentives such as gift cards from EBC to attend school by meeting the expectations set. This felt like more of a bribery to mask unwanted behavior instead of approaching behaviors and emotions from a psychological standpoint.

The absolute worst school you can send your special needs child to. The display of ignorance and…read moreirresponsibility is quite lacking on a whole other level. Let's just say I wouldn't even trust them to watch my dog let alone my child. Incident 1: My child was dropped off at the wrong address Incident 2: My child was being bullied over a matter of months and due to the multiple ignorance from the so called principal Jody, my child snapped and attacked his bully resulting in my child being disciplined. I couldn't so much of received an email or phone call back regarding my concerns of the bully and steps we could take that would have prevented the escalated attack. Incident 3: My child was in a car accident with their provided driver and nobody called me. I found out from my child when he got home from school and was deeply distraught. The schools excuse "oh we're sorry we forgot to call you". The principals response to fixing this is, I can provide a yellow taxi cab service for you. Seriously!?! Would you put your child in a yellow taxi cab? My son spent a whole year and a half at this school, with no improvement on his reading skills, then come to find out he was actually blind this whole time. It wasn't until he had his physical appt at his doctors office that I was informed my son could not see and needed to see a specialist. He had a stigma in one eye and can barely see. It's no wonder why he can't read and just gives up right away. Why did the school not pay attention to his behavior enough to notice that he was blind? In all honesty I have never seen such a lack for concern of children before I attended EBC. The previous school my child attended was so caring, observant, proactive, communicative and willing to go out of their way to help a child succeed. Here at EBC you even try to speak to the principal you are instructed that you have to schedule a meeting with her. Who does she think she is?!? The freaking president! Jody, I work 8-14hr days 6 days a week while managing my family all on my own, if I can spare 10-20min out of my day to have a conversation without blocking out my calendar you can too! Some conversations just warrant for immediate attention. I would seriously consider another school if you're searching for your child. I'm the type of parent that observes very closely on everything. I will give everyone a benefit of the doubt before saying NO THANK YOU and making my necessary moves. I heard great things about EBC however those great comments were probably all past observation before new staffing was implemented.

Five stars doesn't feel like enough…read more My daughter has been attending PACE (Pacific Autism Center for Education) for almost five years now, and I truly cannot say enough good things about this incredible place. From the very beginning, we were welcomed with open arms, and we've felt like part of a caring, supportive community ever since. Her teacher, Miss Rebekkah, has been with her the entire time--and I honestly believe she is heaven-sent. The level of care, compassion, and dedication she pours into her students is something so rare and beautiful. She has made such a profound impact on my daughter's life, and by extension, on our entire family. I also want to recognize her amazing para, Isabel. She is an absolute gem--kind, patient, and so deeply committed to my daughter's growth and well-being. It's clear every day that she genuinely cares, and knowing that my daughter has both Isabel and Miss Rebekkah in her corner brings me so much peace and gratitude. Every staff member at PACE is wonderful. They go above and beyond, not just meeting the students' needs but truly seeing them--celebrating their strengths, patiently guiding them through challenges, and treating each child with dignity, love, and respect. We are endlessly grateful for the work they do. PACE isn't just a school--it's a lifeline, a safe haven, and a place where our children are empowered to thrive. Thank you, Miss Rebekkah. Thank you, Isabel. Thank you, PACE.

This is the mask I found in my boyfriends bag !!! Pace gave him this too little and not efficient…read moremask told him to boil it and keep in ziplock bag . That's horrible they can't provide real mask or a N95 for their front line . These employees don't even get raises . They treat them like trash and many stay because of the kids not the company. The company sucks . Look at this mess . And the metal cut into the backs of his ears !

TLDR: best school I've ever seen. The amount of work they put into the emotional well-being of…read morekids is astonishing. Teacher-student ratio is 4 (students) to 1 (teacher), students cherish every minute of the school. Where do I start? Probably 2 years ago, in a public school, where my sweet, bright, curious, always friendly 7 y o turned into a severely depressed, school-hating, crazy-acting, constantly talking about self-harm sad little person. Every day I would receive emails from school saying that my son would go above and beyond trying to escape from English classes. At home, he would beg me day and night not to take him to school. For home much longer could I stomach that? I took him out, and put him in homeschooling. Diagnosed him for dyslexia (that was pretty obvious), and started working with him myself and with dyslexia tutors. And... that did not help much! He was so confident that there was something fundamentally wrong with him, and these special classes made him believe it even more. I tried to see if he would like a couple of small private schools, he made it very clear that he would not. I was at loss, but, luckily, his therapist recommended Athena, and we signed up for a summer camp. On the first day, I had to drag him there, he came back smiling and with a forgotten peace inside. A few more days of camp - and my happy, curious, confident kid was back again!! 1,5 years later, I still feel like crying as I am writing it. It, of course, took him about a year of Athena enrollment to truly believe that he can be anyone he wants, that dyslexia is actually a superpower (now, when they taught him to read, he can read upside down and mirrored text, that is indeed a dyslexia perk). He's made a lot of friends. Teachers adore him, and he loves them back. He reads everything now. I drive him from South San Jose to Palo Alto and back, 2 hours per day. I pay expensive tuition (more that half of what I make), and I regret nothing. I would like to add that every person that works at Athena is very kind, not just polite and smiling, but deeply caring about the students. There is a lot of 1-o-1 work with each child. Teachers prepare the topics that interest students. Students, that have even deeply traumatized by their learning experience somewhere else, thrive. Thank you so much, Athena founders, teachers, and administration, for making this heavenly school.

Our child went to Athena Academy for 5 years, and I can say without hesitation that this is a…read morewonderful school for kids who are dyslexic, and who may also be 2E, and who are bright but not a good fit for public schooling. The faculty and staff and head of school are caring, experienced, and sensitive to the needs of both the student and their families. The teachers, especially those who have been there a while, are exceptional. The culture is one of kindness and respect and acceptance and joy. The small student body means that the classes are small, and personalized. In short, this is a gem of a school.

Our son has been evaluated by DLS a few years ago for learning differences and ADHD and we have…read morebeen attending regular therapy sessions here ever since. John Fleming is the kind mastermind behind the center and its approach to helping children and parents alike. We call him a gem of a human, truly. His precise and detailed IEP has helped our school so much, is easy to follow and most importantly allows our son to thrive at school. We were blessed to be matched with our phenomenal therapist Anne-Laure Grigsby who we absolutely love and who became such an invaluable part of our family in regard to our son's educational journey. Anne-Laure is highly professional, knowledgeable and extremely supportive in every possible way, but more than that, she is very patient, kind, loving and intuitive in customizing his sessions to what is most needed at any given time. Anne-Laure has a gift of always putting our son in good spirits even though he suffers from depression while teaching him and helping him with challenging tasks. He has improved so much, gained confidence and genuinely enjoys his sessions on a weekly basis. We are so grateful to DLS for all the improvements and will continue with our sessions for as long as needed.

My son has been attending Ed Therapy for ADHD and learning differences for nearly 2 years. I cannot…read morestress how invaluable our twice weekly sessions are with Sujatha Srinivasan. John Flemming has reviewed school assessments for us and consulted on our IEP. I don't want to think how much more of a struggle this would be without them. Forever grateful for the work of this organization.

If you're looking for support for yourself, or your child with special needs, this is a place to…read morecome to and ask questions! Most of the staff here has a family member with a disability so they're able to understand the unique experiences that come from raising a child with a disability and connect with people with that perspective. There's no judgment here, just information, resources, empathy, and empowerment. - webinars, support groups, online learning - check out their website to see the list of things they can offer. Most services are free. They have a support staff that can provide information about community resources, working with the regional center, early start programs, educational systems, accommodations and modifications, individualized, education programs, and more. They keep your information confidential. Reach out to them if you have a child with a disability, and have questions!

I have special need thank you for creating BFF project where we can have a safe place to have fun…read moreand make you some good people

I really love the school, but now I'm going to middle school. Time has passed. This was definitely…read moredefinitely! A FIVE STARS I really love this elementary. Thanks to Mr. Murphy. And mrs. Arnold. And even mrs. Hayes. Even the principal everybody was nice. When I got lost. And I don't know where I can go the really nice people help me out. They try everything they can so they can actually find my parents. I LOVE THIS SCHOOL! But time have changed I have already graduated already thank you very much Ponderosa you mean a lot to me.

5 stars for the school that made me into a Superstar, literally! Our mascot was the Superstar,…read morewhich was kind of vague. I mean, there was no one dressed up as Michael Jackson, Madonna, George Michael or Mary Katherine Gallagher leading cheers at our rallies. Thinking back now, it was a good way to build up self-esteem in little kids. We were all treated as superstars and we learned to constantly give each other praises. It's scary to think how quickly time has gone by. Like it was just yesterday, I can still remember the little boy who used to chase me around our room during nap time in kindergarten, my 2nd grade crush, my 3rd grade pen pal in Portland, my 4th grade county book faire win, my entire 5th grade year devoted to living like ship crew on the CA Thayer, and my awesome win in the 5th/6th grade Class President race. Oh yes, I had dreams of being the first female President. I had so many fond memories of going to school here. I made wonderful friends, and amazingly still keep in touch with a few of them. My teachers were all fantastic. They always encouraged my passion for art, and I had so many opportunities to express myself creatively. Come to think of it, I don't think I'd ever been entered into so many county competitions and gotten so many awards for my art. My creative juices have definitely decreased over the years. Now, I have friends who have children who are in elementary school. I have 2 friends who are now teachers at Ponderosa. If you live in Sunnyvale near Ponderosa and have children, you can count on your children building a great foundation in education here. Make sure you cherish your time with your kids, because I can only imagine how quickly they grow up.

Incredible humans work here. Such a diverse and caring, intelligent and compassionate group. We…read moreare incredibly fortunate to find Thriving Minds Learning Center for our kids. Thank you!!!

Love, love, love these ladies! My 11 yr old has severe Dyslexia and ADHD. Consequently, she…read morestruggles with Math and Reading Comprehension. Nique is her tutor and she is awesome! Great energy, warm and friendly and her tutoring is on point. Andie is great too!