REVIEW OF OakHaven Academy For Diverse Learners BY parent, Stacey Bourbonnais

(5) Student Experience

My son liked the frequent "body breaks" and the ability to get up and move around when needed. The small teacher-to-child ratio was something he liked too, so he could ask questions and clarify things frequently. He made a lot of progress working through his difficulties with math and reading and I doubt he would say he enjoyed that aspect of learning - it was definitely a lot of hard work - but there were so many other things he would say he enjoyed, like the field trips and helping at the food bank and learning how to take the bus and the swimming breaks. Being with other kids with similar challenges was also helpful since no one is being judged for their challenges, because everyone has different challenges.

Why OakHaven Academy For Diverse Learners?

OakHaven had the ability to teach my son how to read using the Orton-Gillingham method, which no other school was able or willing to do. I liked the small student-to-teacher ratios and the approach to not only helping with the math and language challenges, but also with life challenges. Being on the spectrum, my son has a difficult time with social interactions and was learning daily how to deal with others and typical social interactions. It was an approach that dealt with my child as a whole, not just the educational aspect.

Expectations vs. Reality

The school exceeded my expectations. The communication was incredible compared to our previous experiences with public schools. I had peace of mind knowing that any bad days would be communicated with me, but also knowing that he had help to work through those emotions on those days.

Your Advice

Going to this school was the first time that I finally felt like we made the right decision for our son. We tried so many programs and schools to try and figure out how to help him learn, and despite his constant efforts, he made very little progress in return for his hard work. There's no question he worked hard to learn at OakHaven, but this time the effort paid off and his reading and math jumped forward like it never had. He made more progress in 2 years than in all his previous school years.

(5) School Leadership

Excellent communication with parents to address any issues that come up, and always on top of evolving situations since they're working so closely with the kids. The small class size is so important to help with the emotional needs, too.

(5) Teaching

These teachers are not just showing up to a job every day - they are here because they want to help these kids who are struggling. They know different methods for the different styles of learning and make sure the kids are supported. My son tried all kinds of different styles and methods to learn to read, and none of them were successful until he started working through the Orton-Gillingham method. The public schools didn't have the time or resources to help him with that program, which is proven to help kids with dyslexia read, so they just let him flounder. The Montessori school we tried said they could help, but it didn't work for him either, and he made almost no progress in learning to read during his three years of Montessori. We are so grateful to have found OakHaven.

(5) Academics

The positivity and confidence have stayed with my son as he moved on. I can't stress how important that is. If a child believes they will succeed and constantly gets that message, they will keep trying until they are successful. We would have kept him in the school longer, but he was the oldest and was missing the potential for friendships with other kids his own age. I would say a negative is that with smaller classes, there are fewer opportunities to find a good friend, but the benefits far outweigh that. The school does a great job of balancing academic learning with breaks and fun opportunities to give the kids something to look forward to and keep them in a positive frame of mind, therefore, receptive to learning.

(5) Extracurriculars

I'm not sure if it has changed since my son attended, but the few months when they had swimming weekly were fantastic. My son absolutely loved working at the food bank, and there were lots of field trips too. I don't know if there was much competition, but I'm not sure that's the right thing to focus on for this kind of school.

(5) Students

It's a smaller school and will always have only a handful of students for each teacher. The fact that they can keep this ratio is a huge key to success. The dynamic between the students is a tough one because a school with neurodiverse kids is a school with a bunch of strong personalities. The teachers were always able to keep everything in balance and work out issues or difficulties between the kids. Having the opportunity to learn to compromise and negotiate with the help of the teachers is amazing - it's a whole different level of learning that is hard for neurodiverse kids to learn on their own, so having a social situation explained and having guidance through it is incredibly helpful for them to learn how to figure it out.

(5) School Life

My son liked going to school here, but didn't love it. The fact that he worked so hard on his math and language skills meant there were days he didn't want to go, but those days weren't the majority, and there were always things to look forward to in the future. He had a great connection with all of his teachers, so that positive emotion really helped. He has a lot of pride now in being able to read a lot of things he couldn't before he started going to this school. Being able to read signs over the top of stores, or signs hung up, or street signs has given him a huge boost to his confidence, so it has definitely improved his overall quality of life since he has attended.

(N/A) Community

Parents were usually invited to take part in field trips and were able to interact with all the kids during drop-off and pickup, which I felt was helpful in creating a feeling of community. In the public school, there was zero interaction with the teachers or other kids, so I feel like this environment is a better one for everyone. I'm not sure if there are other areas where parents could be more involved, but the school is very proactive about individual situations. Birthdays are celebrated at school, and the parents are welcome to bring a lunch for all the kids to share to celebrate. I appreciated having the interaction with the other kids and getting a sense of how the school day goes. The parents took a little time to chat after dropping kids off in the morning, and sometimes it's helpful to share ideas or things that have worked for you in the past. We've gotten some great advice and direction from chatting with other parents going through similar situations.

(5) School Location

The school location has changed since my son attended, but I would imagine it's the same, where the kids would go outside for breaks and the ability to move around and break up the day. When my son attended, there were regular trips to the library to get books, and that created a lot of independence for my son, getting to choose his own books, which he liked.

(5) Admissions

The admissions process is not stressful at all. It's an opportunity to discuss areas that are challenging for your child and talk about where the school can help. The school asked lots of questions about my child and had lots of suggestions and feedback on ways to help him be successful and work on the areas he is challenged. The teachers have specialized training to help kids with learning challenges, which the public schools don't have. The admissions process was very easy, and we also appreciated the opportunity to send our son for a trial for a couple of days to get him on board and have a good attitude about switching schools. It's much easier if they know what's ahead, because who likes change!