We have had such a great experience at Child Success for occupational therapy. Our son has been…read morecoming for about a year and we already see tremendous improvement that has given both him and us (his parents) so much confidence. Melissa specifically has been incredible. She is patient, always willing to talk to us, and even communicates with his teachers at school to ensure our son is always getting the care and support he needs. She's also extremely knowledgeable, and is able to explain the roadmap for what she is working on not only now, but in the future, and how it will help our son overcome the challenges he came in with. We are so grateful we found Child Success!

We decided to do the Kinder Prep Camp after having done the Friendship Club, and were very…read moredisappointed with the lack of compassion and accommodation for our anxious 5-year-old compared to all the other regular camps we did this summer. We received a call within an hour of him being at the camp that he was stressed and overstimulated and didn't want to participate, so he was going to need extra support to stay. This was shocking to me considering how little time he had been there, that the point of it was to help kids adjust to kindergarten, and that their ratio was 2 adults to 7 kids. They told me that he consistently improved over the course of the first day and further improved on the second day, but that it would be too costly to keep another adult there to help him. It was sad for us because he left on a high note, telling me that he'd made a friend and that he had done a better job staying in the group. He clearly felt like a success and I wish he'd been given the opportunity to continue improving, but I didn't want him to stay at a camp where the facilitators believed that he was too much for them. He successfully did a year of TK last year and several other camps this summer, some with a ratio of 1 adult to 16 kids. CSC was polite to me and pro-rated me the other days, but it was upsetting because I assumed the most expensive camp I signed up for this summer (held at a therapy location) would be the greatest success, not the one camp that had to call me about an issue. This camp may work out for kids who are already very familiar with their gym environment and don't really need that much help when they feel anxious, but if you're looking for something that will help your child if they struggle in a new environment, this does not seem like the best choice. Some camps that worked well for us this summer were Pedalheads, Compass Clinic's Friendship Island Camp, Campbell Hall's Creative Arts Camp, and Destination Science.

My 400th Yelp review!…read more @ReadingtoKids is a grassroots organization that aims to inspire the love of reading to children living in underprivileged areas of Los Angeles. Every second Saturday of the month, volunteers go to different elementary schools in the LA area. At these schools volunteers read books to kids that range in age from kindergarten to fifth grade. (Currently there are seven different elementary schools that Reading to Kids volunteers read at. They are Alta Loma Elementary School, Esperanza Elementary School, Gratts Elementary School, Los Angeles Elementary School, Magnolia Elementary School, Politi Elementary School and White Elementary School). Volunteers come from all walks of life. From students to young professionals, all have a common goal of improving the reading and learning skills of elementary school kids. Reading to Kids volunteers are dedicated to giving these kids the opportunity to succeed in life. At the end of each volunteer session, the kids are given prize books that they can take home. The hope is they can acquire many prize books that will help them further love reading. One of the most endearing moments for me as a volunteer was when at the end of the reading session, a little kindergarten boy came up to me and asked if I could read his prize book to him. As I sat down to read the prize book, more kindergarten kids circled around me and together they listened and pointed to the different pictures in the book. The smiles on the kids faces after was so heartwarming. Soon after one of the parents walked up to me, smiled and said "Thank you." That too was another wonderful moment. Many of the elementary students that come to these reading clubs do not have the privileges that most kids have. They do not have the advantages of having a library, of having a Barnes and Nobles at every corner or of having the latest cell phone. Many come from low income families, they live in impoverished areas and English is their second language. The fortune of these kids comes in attending these Saturday morning reading clubs. These kids go to these reading clubs because they want to learn. They want to succeed. They want the opportunity to have a better life. Seeing these kids so eager to read and to learn, is a humble reminder that learning is a privilege that many take for granted. I love Reading to Kids and I'm thankful to my high school friend who first introduced me to this great volunteering opportunity. The elementary schools kids are simply endearing. I also am amazed by all the good hearted people who volunteer. I am in much admiration of the amount of folks that go out and sacrifice their Saturday mornings to volunteer. (Some stats: Reading to Kids has an average of about 300 plus volunteers reading to an average of 780 plus children every month). I being a volunteer myself know that giving up a Saturday is totally worth it. The opportunity to be able to make a difference in these kids' lives and give them a better chance to succeed in life is simply priceless.

Many moons ago, I worked at a continuation school in Compton. The high school students I worked…read morewith didn't know basic multiplication, had no textbooks and were reading at a 5th grade level. Saddened by how badly the educational system had failed these kids I wanted to do something for them. I wrote a letter to Scholastic and they sent over boxes and boxes of books so we could create a library on campus! Around that time I somehow got on the Reading to Kids e-mail newsletter and have been meaning to get involved. I finally signed up and did it! Here's how easy it is to get involved. -Sign up online -Show up (they provide a light breakfast) -Read to the Kids -Do an arts and crafts project with the kids -Go to El Cholo for free appetizers and meet other volunteers -Repeat once a month You can read to kids from kindergarden to 5th Grade. You read in pairs. You get anywhere from 3-8 kids. It's so easy and these kids are so fun to be with, I think everyone should spend one Saturday a month doing this!

I'm so pleased to write this review for Andrea. Our son was having difficulty In elementary…read moreschool. We had him tested by Dr. Alison Kawa. He was diagnosed with a processing deficiency. After finding out what was causing him issues we were referred to Andrea Chernin. They hit it off immediately. He never dreaded going to see her. He started to improve almost immediately. They saw each other weekly for many years. While he struggled in elementary school, he improved beyond our wildest imagination in both middle and high school. His GPA in highly school was 4.3, with 5/4's in all his AP exams. While grades were important to him, and to us, his growth and self confidence were instrumental in achieving a higher degree of personal and educational success. He is now a sophomore at the University of Michigan. While his issues will be a life long challenge, Andrea has given him the tools to navigate life in a positive and productive manner. If your child needs a kind and caring person, who knows how to cajole, motivate and inspire, then Andrea is your person. She is amazing.

If I could give 10 stars, I would. We worked with the team at Illuminate for nearly three years as…read morethey designed and delivered a custom program for our child to improve Executive Functioning as well subject-specific tutoring. When she began working with Kim at Illuminate just after her Freshman year, her grades were low, but worse, her confidence had taken a hit and we struggled to come up with a strategy to unlock joy in learning. Flash forward: Our child has had multiple 4.0 semesters, was awarded "Most Improved Academics" in her class, and received multiple college admissions offers (and sig. scholarship awards.) Beyond the grades and achievement, our child has developed a love of learning, has navigated her Executive Functioning issues, and has a strategy for ongoing academic success. There are no words to describe how gratifying it is to see her growth and confidence as she heads to college. This would not have been possible without the team at Illuminate.

Nothing says "writing camp" like adults screaming through megaphones at 8 a.m…read more I live across the street and wake up every morning to staff barking instructions across the blacktop like they're coordinating an emergency evacuation instead of supervising children's games. The kids are fine. The megaphones are not. For a place dedicated to writing, they seem strangely committed to making as much noise as possible.

My son is a very bright 9 year old who hates to write. He was DREADING this camp. He was so angry…read morewith us for "ruining" his summer by dropping "school" in the middle of his break. By day two he was no longer protesting; by day three he said he "lucked out" getting Sam as his counselor because he was "super fun." Here we are with two more days to go and he's sad it's ending! In fact he wants to come back next year. He's been listening to the CD on repeat and showing us all the coordinated moves. I don't know if this camp will turn him around to love writing but I think it's brought so much more grounding and fun to it that he seems more relaxed about the entire task. This is all I could have hoped for. This was money well spent.

Nothing short of a lifesaver. My daughter was having a hard time learning in school to say the…read moreleast. Rachel has been learning leaps and bounds, has tons of friends and enjoys going to school every day. Their one on one instruction for a portion of the day is exactly what she needed to excel. Every day I hear stories of all the fun she is having at school and she does not even realize that she is learning a ton.

Game changer. Changing schools is a scary thing for parents and kids but when your kiddo asks why…read moreyou didn't move her earlier to this school you know you made the right choice! For kids with learning differences this is the place to be. They know what they are doing, have resources and knowledgable staff and truly see your kid. As a parent I finally feel a true home/school partnership and found a school that says 'we got this'!

Sugoi! I am soooooooo disappointed! NO! NOT Soteru Gakuin, but fact that I went to Uni High…read more(University High School) within stone throw of this area! Here I am Nikkei myself, plus I was new member of now former NSA (Nichiren Shoshu Academy, now simply SGI-USA, and NST) one (now two since 1991) organisation based in Tokyo, and I NEVER set foot in this area! Little Osaka now known, I could have joined teen and youth group at Buddhist Church (despite being Nichiren Buddhist as I assume this church to be Nembutsu). I never had opportinuty to eat at any restaurant or Sushiya, visit mangaya, giant robot shop, or shop at Nijiya Supa either! Now I live in Northern California. San Francisco has largest Nihonmachi in America, but still small compared to our community in Southern California! (Nihonmachi no longer strictly Japanese as many Chinese and Korean moved in)! However next time I come to Southern California, I have to visit Soteru, and other Japanese community in Los Angeles area as well! Oh yes! I want to visit (and if I move there to SoCal, as to volunteer) at Soteru Gakuin (Japanese Institute of Sawtelle) as well! Thank you!

This review is for WLA Kendo Dojo…read more Best Kendo dojo in Los Angeles. Please come join us for practice and learning!