REVIEW OF OakHaven Academy For Diverse Learners BY parent, Lindsay Kipp

(5) Student Experience

Our son had an amazing experience at this school. He gained so many skills that he will carry with him throughout his academic journey and into all aspects of his life. This school has provided him with foundational tools to help him succeed as a student. And most importantly, the school helped him mature socially and emotionally. He is able to better regulate his emotions, which has been a huge part of his success in transitioning to a more traditional public school system. Throughout his time at this school, he enjoyed the diverse learning approaches, the unique field trips, and the social connections with friends! The school has fostered a love for learning that we never imagined he would have! It has been amazing to see his transformation!

Why OakHaven Academy For Diverse Learners?

We chose this school because of the expertise the educators have in working with neurodiverse students. The focus on literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning was a key factor in our decision. The warmth, positivity, and acceptance all the educators have for all the children made a huge impact on our child and was such a welcome relief for us as parents, too.

Expectations vs. Reality

The school exceeded our expectations. We had very difficult experiences in previous educational settings, but here the teachers knew how to help. They have expertise in supporting and educating neurodiverse children. Our son was able to catch up to reading level (and beyond in some cases), become stronger in math, and develop his confidence in the learning environment. He now happily goes to school and comes home happy too!

Your Advice

Sending our son to this school was the best choice we could have made for him. We are forever grateful to the teachers who supported him during his time at the school. Because of all the positive experiences here, our son is now enjoying success at our local public school. We now see a bright future for our son, which was hard to imagine before!

(5) School Leadership

I found the principal to be very effective in her role. Expectations are realistic and clear to parents and students. Challenges occur for many kids, but they are managed with compassion, fairness, and with all students' well-being in mind.

(5) Teaching

(5) Academics

We didn't know how long our child would stay at this school. Our goal was for him to, at some point, successfully transition to public school. We reevaluated regularly, and when the time was right, he was able to successfully achieve that goal. The teachers have been incredibly supportive at each step along the way.

(4) Extracurriculars

Our child did not need any additional extracurricular activities before or after school, so this was never a big factor for us.

(4.5) Students

The students are wonderful, unique individuals. It is lovely to see how the teachers foster a positive dynamic amongst the students, while also helping them to learn to navigate challenging situations. The teachers have created a really positive class environment where students learn to respect and appreciate each other.

(5) School Life

This was the first time our son was happy about going to school! The teachers planted a love for learning that is still growing! I would definitely recommend OakHaven to families looking for a safe, nurturing space with teachers who have the expertise needed to support neurodiverse students. It was such a relief to find a place where we knew our child's educational and social-emotional needs were met with kindness, a true understanding of his unique needs, and realistic expectations. We no longer felt judged as parents, but rather part of a community working together to help our children achieve their full potential. Needless to say, OakHaven not only enhanced our son's quality of life, but ours as parents, too. It was like a weight was lifted when we started at this school. A totally different experience than we had elsewhere!

(5) Community

I found the broader community to be very kind and supportive towards each other. Each family has a different level of support and commitment they can offer, or different levels of involvement they want to be part of. I found it very accepting of the variable ways parents wanted to be involved. It is easy to connect with other families. I also appreciated that many families had similar experiences with their children. Again a big relief to be accepted without judgement!

(4) School Location

The school location has changed since our son attended. I cannot comment on the current location. There were always lots of field trips to the library, swimming, and other community outings when we were at the school. It was great.

(5) Admissions

It was a positive experience. It was a low-pressure meeting. Everyone just wants to understand the child's needs so they can determine how to best support.