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.

We feel very fortunate that we found this amazing, caring, special little place called - Step By…read moreStep. When our son was younger he attended Preschool at Step by Step and now that he is older he continues to attend the Social Skills classes every Saturday. The Step By Step staff - Administration, Teachers and Support staff are extraordinary. Step By Step is a very rare combination of clinical expertise, a remarkable knowledge base, true compassion for each individual's needs, in a safe, nurturing, and fun "edu-play" environment. Our son started in Preschool at Step By Step with severe developmental delays. He had Early Intervention services at home but we truly saw dramatic improvements and great strides in his overall development - once he got to Step By Step. The teachers worked tirelessly with our son helping to support his development his all areas - physical, emotional, behavioral and language. We feel our son's dramatic developmental progress is a direct parallel to the work, support and guidance he received and continues to receive at Step By Step. He is thriving. The entire staff is very communicative about our son's challenges and successes; and are always available to answer questions and make suggestions regarding his development. Over the years, we have done extensive research looking for programs in the greater Los Angeles area (especially the westside and valley) for our son and Step By Step's program is extremely rare. The Step By Step Social Skills program is fantastic. This program nurtures and helps to build each child as a whole person with a focus on social communication, thinking and intelligence - becoming a good citizen, building character, being active and healthy, and being a positive contributor to a global community. In our opinion, Step By Step is unique and unquestionably impressive! We are so fortunate to have found Step By Step. It was a true blessing to discover Step By Step at a time when we were feeling helpless and lost with no real options for our son. Now, fast forward 5 years and we are forever grateful and so, so thankful to Shelly, John and their extraordinary Step By Step team! Read more

This place was a savior for my daughter who has rare genetic mutation, autism, intellectual…read moredisability, seizures and is non verbal. We first tried UCLA intervention and they kicked us out of there because my daughter had a seizure on the second day and I am guessing she was just too much for them but we even offered to supply our own 1 on 1 person for the program but they still dismissed her. They didn't even try to give her an adjustment period, even schools for typically developing children have an adjustment period! I felt devastated because if a program that was designed for kids with special needs such as UCLA intervention did not even want my child then what does the rest of the world hold for her! I've never felt so sad and dejected in all of my life, not even on her diagnose day! But then we enrolled Luna at step by step and it turned out to be the best for our family. The had a small student to teacher ratio which is just what my daughter needed. At the time we started there were two adults to 3 kids. Francesca is so dedicated and really passionate. My daughter loves her and used to cry when she left the room because she was really attached to her. She knows my daughter so well that we are always amazed by her keen and insightful observations, she knows exactly what is going on with my daughter and just as well as we know her! The staff is all very supportive and knowledgeable. They will work with you whatever your needs may be and that to special needs parents is like music to our ears because often times our kiddos have such complex needs that we can't follow the rules, we don't fit into a cookie cutter, and it's just not so cut and dry. They are also really great about advocating for your child and gives great advice and is a great resource to have on your side. Shelley the owner is very dedicated to the cause and she does all of this altruistically. I have never felt that they were trying to just acquire more money from us. When we were going through IEP they never asked to be compensated for their attendance and we've had many calls for advice and Shelley has always been there always available, she's gone above and beyond in the services that she's provided us and all because they care about my daughter and not because she think that she will get a good review or could bill for more services! When the world rejected my daughter they welcomed her with open arms and for that I can never thank them enough!! I highly thinly recommend this place if you ever have the chance to try it out

Necole and Sarah are like two peas in a pod!!! I've never said that before in my life.lol they are…read morefantastic instructors though and the academy itself is beautiful and modern.. I'll be back!!

Tatev Tiffany Darbinian is the worst speech therapist! I have asked them several times to remove my…read moreson's name and my number from their call list and they keep calling to set up appointments. They make appointments without your consent and try to bill you (or your insurance) for them. They will call you at 4:58pm on a Friday to let you know of an appointment on Monday and the message says if you don't cancel the appointment (which is impossible to do since their office is closed over the weekend) you will be charged a fee. It's a shame Tatev Tiffany Darbinian runs such a scam operation as the people in the office seem nice. I've lost ALL respect for them and would not recommend them to ANYONE! Children's hospital has a speech and hearing center that is much preferred because they are honest providers and don't try to sign you up for services you don't want or need.

From the owner: We are a new business focused on home based play therapy.read more

oh my gosh we love them SO much. Our 6 year old has a genetic deletion as well as an autism…read morediagnosis, I can just gush about how kind and caring as sweet they are with her. she LOVES to go swimming and asks about it all the time!! I can't recommend them enough.

We receive swimming lessons through the regional center, and Souri from One With Water has been…read moreamazing with my son. She's patient, professional, and great with kids with autism. It did take a few months and a lot of follow-up before we were assigned an instructor, but once Souri started coming weekly, it's been a 5-star experience. Be patient -- it's worth the wait!