neurodiverse Archives

ClearWeave Careers Opens Doors for Employment

Published May 23, 2024

ClearWeave was able to facilitate getting a job for one of its clients as a production assistant on a movie called “It Ends with Us,” which is set to be released in August.

For adults with learning differences, the ability to find – and hold down a job – can be a huge step in building their confidence and even toward independent living. The responsibility, the structure and the income that a job provides are key. The challenge, though, is where to find those jobs? We connected with Ryan Casey, the founder and executive director of ClearWeave Careers, and learned that his organization fills this void.

L.A. Parent: What is ClearWeave Careers, how did it get its start and where did its name come from?

Ryan: I was working at an agency 15 years ago in Westhersfield, Connecticut, helping individuals on the Autism spectrum with life skills and community mentoring out in the field, meaning I was going into families’ homes. As I was taking clients to social groups and therapy, the caregivers recognized that cared and was delivering “next level” support. After talking to doctors about the population’s needs, I started a company that would be focused on employment. I called it ClearWeave Careers because its mission is to weave the neurodivergent into the workforce in a clear and seamless way.

We support both the individual and the companies that hire these individuals to ensure the job is maintained long term.

L.A. Parent: Who do you serve and when did you expand into Southern California?

Ryan: We serve individuals with high-functioning Autism, ages 18 and above. Doctors with Autistic clients often send us individuals who need a catalyst to get them “off the ground” (we also do life skills).

We expanded to L.A. six months ago, although I visited L.A. several times over the last five years and had four clients here even before the official move. Some of those clients came from Dr. Lindsey Sterling at The Sterling Institute for Autism.

L.A. Parent: What makes your services effective and unique?

Ryan: We excel at the outreach that we do and connecting to businesses. We are effective communicators who tailor each message to people within companies so that they can easily understand the strengths and challenges of each client.

We have strategies developed over 10 years that target specific people within companies, and wording that is most effective at attaining employment. We do this concurrently with strengthening the client professionally with things such as mock interviews, resume building, finding training, fine-tuning the job search and application submitting.

Both major paths – the outreach and the professional strengthening – are important because if both are not done, then the likelihood of attaining employment is not as great.

L.A. Parent: How many families were part of ClearWeave Careers last year, and how is this year shaping up?

Ryan: There were roughly seven families served by ClearWeave last year, and this year we have secured many interviews for the clients of these families and most now have employment.

L.A. Parent: What’s the most gratifying part of your job – or success stories to share?

Ryan: We enjoy pushing the potential of each client and showing companies that these individuals should not be overlooked. Rather, the company can greatly benefit by utilizing the person’s talents.

Here’s a success story: We received a client referral from Dr. Roger Jou at the Yale Child Study Center last year. The client was about 22 years old and his family felt he was not making any progress, even though he had previously worked in a city hall as a clerical assistant and was capable in many ways.

The client had applied to virtually every retail job within a 20-mile radius, but had not been granted one interview. That’s when we came into the picture. After several calls and emails to the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden, Connecticut, we were able to find a place for him there doing data entry, filing and digital archiving. Both the client and the museum are happy with the collaboration.

If there’s an adult in your life with autism or a learning difference looking for employment, visit clearweavejobs.com, email info@clearweavejobs.com or call 323-405-0354. Ryan offers a free 15-minute consultation via https://form.jotform.com/Ryan_Casey_ryan/client-sign-up. For reviews of ClearWeave Careers’ work, visit trustpilot.com/review/clearweavejobs.com.

The Journey from Diagnosis to Acceptance

Published January 5, 2024

By Jennifer Gay Summers

My husband and I sat on the edge of our chairs, waiting for a pediatric neurologist to give us our 7-year-old daughter’s diagnosis.

Seemingly oblivious to our nervousness, Lee slipped off my lap and let out a shriek of delight as she took in rows of little figurines and toys lined up on bookshelves. Darting over, she touched at least 200 toys in two minutes, her fingers flying over each item like someone playing rag- time on the piano.

The author’s daughter, Lee, has long had a passion for nature, which helped guide her interests as she got older. PHOTO COURTESY JENNIFER GAY SUMMERS

The neurologist smiled, pushed her test results aside and scribbled on a new piece of paper: “ADHD, sensory-processing disorder, mild anxiety.”

I slumped back in my chair. How would we cope with all of these challenges?

It took me some years to let go of my traditional notions of parenting, to realize we might never have a child who curled up in an armchair and read a book for hours, or one who could compete with an intense focus on a sport or put up with the noise of a school rally or concert. But as my husband and I relinquished our preconceived ideas of what Lee’s childhood should look like, we discovered new ones that reflected the beauty of her differences.

If you have just been given your child’s mental health diagnosis and are feeling overwhelmed, be assured that there is solid advice to guide you on your journey. Here are some burning questions I had and the best guidance I received along the way from educators, doctors and therapists.

Where do I start?

Begin your journey to understanding and supporting your child by reaching out and asking for help as soon as possible. I started with Lee’s teacher, who needed the information in the child psychologist’s diagnosis. She suggested my daughter be placed on a 504 plan with special accommodations to help her achieve academic success.

By the end of second grade, Lee was still struggling to keep up with the rest of the class, so her teacher requested that the school evaluate her for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to replace the 504. As part of school districts’ special education programs, the 504 plan and Individualized Education Plan are designed to offer academic and other forms of support to K-12 students with disabilities. Indeed, Lee’s IEP was a road map for classroom accommodations, a modified curriculum and services such as occupational therapy for dysgraphia, Lee’s writing disability.

I became part of a team that met annually to measure Lee’s progress with goals, benchmarks and objectives, along with meetings to re-evaluate the IEP throughout the year. Since parents, counselors, administrators and teachers meet to devise these plans, they can be powerful in aiding classroom teachers. Ann Oppenheim, a second-grade teacher at Aspen Elementary in Thousand Oaks, stresses that directives to teachers need to be as specific as possible. “Specifics, specifics, specifics! All information is important. No information is insignificant,” Oppenheim says. To better assess her students’ needs, she uses a list of questions for parents to fill out. (See the “Help Your Child’s Teacher Get to Know Your Child” sidebar.)

Some children might need more visual aids, whereas others could use more hands-on techniques. Helping teachers know the way your child learns can be a valuable tool for them to use in the classroom. Some of Lee’s accommodations included regular breaks and sensory exercises, along with extra time for testing and fewer spelling words on assessments.

Will other people judge me?

Don’t be afraid to educate others about your child’s differences and give them a chance to empathize. Yes, there were people who judged me for having a child who didn’t conform to society’s standards, one who didn’t look, act or behave like other children. But when I shared Lee’s diagnosis with other parents, coaches and relatives, it paved the way to better understanding and support.

As Oppenheim says, “Families of special-needs children are navigating a world that those who are not in their position often do not understand. While fear of judgment is valid, it takes a backseat to what is best for your child. A gentle reply may be, ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to say, but for our family, we’ve consulted with experts and will make our decisions based on those meetings.’”

When I felt judgment blasting my way, I remembered the old adage that knowledge is power and ignorance fuels judgment. That gave me the strength to advocate for my child.

Why do I compare my child to neurotypical children?

It takes time to process the emotions that come with a child’s neurodivergent diagnosis. For me, an initial resistance gave way to feelings of frustration that my motherhood journey wouldn’t turn out the way I’d planned. I grieved the loss of my hopes for a neurotypical child and tried not to compare, but it was difficult.

Carla Tahan, M.D., a pediatrician in Westlake Village, says, “Comparison starts from day one and never stops. It’s more than just talking and making conversation. On both sides, we just want to belong and fit in because we’re good parents and our kids are good, and we feel like our kids are a reflection of ourselves.” However, Tahan warns, comparing a child with a neurodivergent diagnosis to a neurotypical child can set you and your child up for failure.

When Lee was in elementary school, I was frustrated when she didn’t want to play on the blacktop like the other kids during recess. Instead, she chased lizards on the grassy field. In other words, she followed her own curiosity and instincts, a characteristic that developed into a passion for nature and animals. And when she was old enough, she landed a role as a junior counselor at a nature camp in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Once I embraced my child’s strengths, I could appreciate her unique differences — and I stopped feeling compelled to compare her to other children.

How do I handle my emotions when my child’s behavior feels out of control?

When your child has an emotional outburst, listen and reflect before you respond. As a parent, it was easy for me to get caught up in Lee’s emotions and react with a knee- jerk comment, but this only added to the high combustion. Therapy taught me that children with mental health conditions can have emotional dysregulation. Some are quick to anger; others have moods that range from high to low. It was important for me to find a way to stay calm and collected.

Patricia Van Buskirk, a marriage and family therapist in Simi Valley, says, “An ‘out-of-control’ child needs help to feel they have returned to their body, and to the moment, safe and contained. Depending on your child’s sensory load, Van Buskirk recommends calming techniques such as placing your hands gently on their shoulders while speaking to them in a soft voice. Or you might go outside to somewhere safe where they can jump, run or swing. Another option is to hold them close to your body to help them feel contained as they attempt to self-regulate.

“The behavior may be unacceptable,” Van Buskirk says, “…however, the child does not want to misbehave. Their impulses are in control of them in the moment. They need a loving, calm support system.”

Likewise, my therapist counseled me to listen to Lee’s outbursts, take a few deep breaths and reflect back aloud to Lee the emotions I believed she was feeling, all the while giving both of us some necessary time to cool down.

How do I get out of a negative rut?

Every day, take the time to celebrate what went well that day, even if it was just a few steps forward. Sometimes, I slipped into a negative rut, feeling overwhelmed by all the challenges Lee and I faced. However, “if the parent is despondent and feels hopeless, these feelings will be transmitted to the child,” Van Buskirk says.

Children with mental health challenges often feel isolated, alone and self-critical, blaming themselves for not measuring up to other people’s standards. Judgment, real or perceived, can cause a child to have a low sense of worth and depressive thoughts. To combat this, Van Buskirk says, “always, always lean into the positive.”

Sharing with your child what went well during the day can tip the balance toward a healthier perspective for both of you. I loved to snuggle up with Lee at bedtime and go over all the special moments in her day. With love and a positive outlook, even the toughest challenges seem possible.

5 Tips to Navigate Your Child’s Neurodivergent Diagnosis

1. Talk to teachers about your child’s diagnosis so they can assess your child’s needs.

2. Help other people understand your child’s challenges by educating them.

3. Grieve the loss of your hopes for a neurotypical child and focus on your neurodivergent child’s strengths.

4. During your child’s emotional outburts, don’t react — respond with care and control.

5. Take time during the day to rejoice in the positive moments, no matter how small the accomplishments.

Help Teachers Get to Know Your Child

Here are some sample questions Ann Oppenheim, a second-grade teacher at Aspen Elementary in Thousand Oaks, may ask the parent — questions that you can tailor and answer for your child’s teachers:

1. What makes your child smile, laugh, have an extraordinary time?

2. What makes your child become quiet, with drawn, non-engaging?

3. What sense(s) is the strongest in your child?

4. What stimulation(s) is too much for your child?

5. What is the best way to engage your child in a small and/or large group of children?

6. Does your child have a person or object that he feels very safe with other than family members?

Jennifer Gay Summers is a journalist, author and ADHD mom blogger whose work includes essays published in ADDitude, Adoptive Families and Chicken Soup anthologies. She can be found at jennifergaysummers.com.

Creating a World Where Everyone Can Have Friends

Published November 2, 2023

My twin, Troy, can make anyone laugh, especially me. But at school, he often sits isolated. To address the isolation that Troy and so many other kids experience, my sister and I co-founded Friend in Me, a social group that connects kids with disabilities and neurotypical student volunteers through weekly conversations and fun and free online games via Zoom.

We drew inspiration for the name from the iconic theme of my brother’s favorite movie, “Toy Story,” which he calls “Troy Story.”

Troy loves knock-knock jokes. Zach is obsessed with the 50 states game, while Azzie is fascinated by black holes. Yet, in Friend in Me, they all find connection. I love hearing from parents how Friend in Me has given their children their first friendships.

It’s equally rewarding to transform the thinking of our volunteers. Their perspectives about the neurodiverse community change as they get to know their buddies’ unique personalities and strengths. Mine did, too.

“My son, Jack, is nonverbal and speaks by typing into a voice generator,” a parent explained. Since I partner with kids that need the most support, I volunteered to take him. I’m so glad I did. Jack blew away all my preconceived notions. He had a sharp wit, a girlfriend before I did and the skills to beat me at chess almost every week.

From Alec’s epic Scrabble victories to Gilberto’s hilarious Zoom names to Wyatt’s beatboxing in the main room, our sessions have been the highlight of my week. Starting with only six members, now more than 800 kids have joined nationwide. However, over the last year I learned how much our service is needed outside our borders.

Near the beginning of this year, an email arrived from Marguerite Biboum, president of Fondation Les Anges du Ciel, a Cameroonian nonprofit for disabled kids, asking about our service. I was shocked to learn that the neurodiverse there are considered possessed by the devil or a divine punishment for their parents’ sins, resulting in their isolation, mistreatment or worse. I had planned to expand Friend in Me internationally, but not in a developing country with another language. However, hearing these stories inspired me to expand Friend in Me to help dispel these dangerous myths.

After seven months of preparation, we launched Angeti, the first service of its kind in Cameroon. Like Friend in Me, Angeti offers kids with disabilities free online games and conversation once a week with a volunteer or therapist over Zoom. We also offer free education and training from U.S. experts to help their parents manage behaviors and participate in our service.

Learning about the deep-rooted prejudices neurodiverse kids face there was deeply humbling, leaving me with both guilt and gratification. Their struggles, amplified by intense stigmas and misconceptions, are a grim reminder of how society fears the unfamiliar. Yet, I’m optimistic that our efforts will help change perceptions and champion neurodiversity there and beyond.

Before Friend in Me and Angeti, my sense of friendship had been largely limited to kids from my school and neighborhood. I now realize, in the most personal way, that the human need for connection knows no borders.

Drew Sansing, along with his sister, Julia Sansing, is a co-founder of Friend in Me. To learn more, or sign up to participate or volunteer, visit friendinmegroup.org.

Inclusive L.A.: Job Placement

Published September 7, 2023

By Renee Elefante

For both parents and young adults, the transition from adolescence to adulthood can be quite daunting, especially as young adults start looking for jobs and pursuing their passions. For neurodiverse adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, the path can be even more challenging. Fortunately, a number of organizations in California are responding to the need.

Regional centers

The seven Los Angeles County Regional Centers, under the oversight of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, are a great place to start. Each location is designed to provide community support, resources and access to services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, including an employment program through the Department of Rehabilitation. The programs are offered to people 18 and up with a high school diploma or who are 22 and have a certificate of completion, according to South Central L.A. Regional Center Chief Advancement Officer Kiara Lopez.

Lopez says her regional center has services ranging from job training and tools to assistive technology and connecting jobseekers, and that participants have been placed with Disney, Walgreens, CVS, Starbucks, Jimmy John’s, Universal Studios and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell program.

Most regional centers also offer adult day services and programs relating to behavioral management, arts, culinary, theater arts, community integration and more. Plus, they offer transition-to-adulthood training, parent education classes and more to parents of young adults.

If you have, or are, a young neurodiverse adult looking for employment, Lopez advises speaking with the service coordinator at the regional center near you about employment goals or objectives — and to begin exploring employment options two years before exiting school. And for young adults who don’t yet know what they want to do, there’s no need to worry. “SCLARC is here to assist you and guide you,” she says.

The Help Group

The Help Group, based in Sherman Oaks, offers a range of programs and services geared toward neurodiverse individuals, helping them learn career skills, obtain part-time work and connect with their peers in fun social events.

The Help Group’s Advance LA program provides services to adults ages 18 to 35 and has been around for almost 10 years, according to Heather Humphrey, the senior director of adult and clinical services. Advance LA offers one-on-one coaching in which the coaches help clients write their resumes and apply for jobs. The coaches also help young adults struggling in college and who need help with organization, time management and other skills. “It’s really dependent on the individual and their goals and where the deficits and skills are,” Humphrey says. “Our job is to really help someone build up those skills so that there are no deficits or very few deficits.”

In addition to coaching, Advance LA offers social opportunities, from monthly Club LA events to recreational summer camp programs. Club LA events have included an RV arcade, cooking talent shows and art. Event locations vary depending on the activity. “Lots of young adults on the spectrum lack some social skills and have a really hard time maintaining friendships or making friends,” Humphrey says. “So, this is an opportunity for [them] to be in the same place at the same time and, hopefully, meet other folks that they’d like to be friends with to increase their social activities and their exposure to social groups and peers.”

The Help Group’s core services are its schools for neurodiverse students, from pre-kindergarten through high school. High school students often participate in its Workability program that receives funding from the Department of Education or its We Can Work Through program that is funded by the Department of Rehabilitation, in which students can get up to 100 hours of paid work experience in community-based settings. Once students reach 18, they can intern with various employers in the community and move over to the Bridgeport Vocational Center, geared for adults aged 18 to 22. For students interested in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, The Help Group has a STEM3 Academy to help students develop their skills in these fields before moving on to four-year universities.

Also on The Help Group’s menu of services:

An employment program via the Department of Mental Health where young adults with a mental health diagnosis can pursue employment options.
Parent coaching and parent support groups that aim to help parents learn to start letting go of their young adults, allowing them to become more autonomous.

Exceptional Minds

Exceptional Minds has a similar philosophy. With the goal of helping young adults prepare for and pursue a career in the entertainment industry, the Sherman Oaks organization offers a three-year full-time program starting every fall. During the first year, students have the opportunity to figure out what their skills and passions are, whether it be animation, visual effects or 3D. When the second year rolls around, students can then focus on the areas they are passionate about and skilled in. In the final year, students enroll in advanced classes.

David Siegel, executive director and CEO of Exceptional Minds, noted that sometimes the program will allow students who just graduated from an art college to enter into the program as a second-year student. “We have a lot of different components and a lot of different types of programs so that we can really provide a customized experience for our participants,” Siegel says, “and being in Los Angeles puts us in really incredible proximity to this incredibly creative entertainment industry.”

Throughout the three years, students also take classes on vocational training and career readiness, learning how to participate in mock interviews and create a resume and portfolio. Students have access to the organization’s career center to further aid in developing their job-search skills. By the time they graduate, they go on to obtain internships, full-time jobs or work in the organization’s studio as a graduate artist. Siegel proudly notes that his students have been employed by Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix and Mattel, and graduate artists have worked on visual effects and end credit sequences for a variety of Marvel movies.

“It’s just incredible how diverse the skill sets are of our artists, and how inclusive of those skill sets are our partners and the entertainment industry [are],” he says. “And we pride ourselves on developing a unique and really awesome workforce. It’s a talent pool that didn’t exist years ago, and now companies like Disney and Nickelodeon and Netflix, they’re looking at that talent pool as an opportunity to find new and unique voices and put them to work.”

Best Buddies

Based in Los Angeles, Best Buddies is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that offers friendship, inclusive living, leadership and employment programs.

Its first program, One-To-One Friendships, aimed to help develop friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, from elementary school to college. There’s also an adult friendship program called Citizens for those who graduated or have aged out of the school system. “The program offers social interactions while improving the quality of life and level of inclusion for a population that is often isolated and excluded,” says Summer Robinson, the program supervisor for jobs at Best Buddies. “Through their participation, people with IDD [intellectual and developmental disabilities] form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem and share interests, experiences and activities that many other individuals enjoy.”

According to Robinson, Best Buddies has national employer partners — including Accenture, Mod Pizza, JLL, Office Depot and Holland & Knight — who help place job seekers.

Before participants secure employment, they work with a Best Buddies staff member or volunteer to create their resume, determine what career they wish to pursue and develop interviewing skills. Once a job is secured, staff assists them with the onboarding process, ongoing job coaching, employer support and employer DEI training.

Best Buddies also offers a living program for people with and without IDD to live independently and meet other residents, including students at UCLA, as the program partners with the university to give students access to local sporting events, provide on-campus meal plans, apply to on-campus jobs and join university clubs. Residents are assigned to a residential manager, who assists in budgeting, grocery shopping, roommate skills and more.

ETTA

ETTA, previously known as the Etta Israel Center, is another organization in this field. The nonprofit runs an employment services program that provides vocational training and support for adults 18 and up with developmental disabilities. ETTA also has resources for students attending college, including helping with their class assignments, accompanying them to classes and helping them find competitive employment.

ETTA sponsors volunteer jobs through Café ETTA, its coffee kiosk stationed in the Cambridge Farms Supermarket in Valley Village. ETTA also volunteers with Food Forward, a nonprofit that fights hunger and food waste that also has a variety of volunteering options. ETTA volunteers help with the food giveaways every Thursday, which are done for the entire community and serve an average of 45 families, according to Josh Taff, the director of community relations and intake. ETTA is also in the process of creating a community farm near the main office in North Hollywood, where participants will plant and maintain crops.

“If somebody comes in and they want to do a program, we’ll assess them to make sure they’re appropriate for that and that we can meet their needs,” says Director of Programs Hillary Kessler. “We’ll ask them what do they want their lives to look like? What are their short-term goals? What are their long-term goals? How much support do they need? What should that support look like? And we try to implement that based on each person’s unique program.”

If you are, or know, a young neurodiverse adult looking for job training, the L.A. community has a number of options to help you find success.

Renee Elefante is a rising senior at Chapman University and an editorial intern for L.A. Parent. She is also the editor-in-chief for her university’s student-run newspaper.

Building Inclusive Career Paths for Young Adults

Published November 1, 2021

By Cassandra Lane

One of parents’ most pressing concerns is helping their kids who have learning disabilities and developmental delays transition from high school to college or the workforce. Two local programs, The Help Group and College Internship Program (CIP) Long Beach, have made part of their mission to help young adults build vocational pathways.

In addition to its educational and counseling services for neurodiverse young people, The Help Group’s Bridgeport Vocational Education Center has formed a new partnership with community colleges wherein students can obtain vocational certifications while in high school. They currently offer six career pathways, including agriculture, arts media, child development, construction/manufacturing, fashion design/business marketing and hospitality. Their mission is to guide and support students with special needs in reaching their full potential toward independence during the transition to adulthood, focusing on education/training, community participation, and employment. To learn more, contact The Help Group’s admissions office at admissions@thehelpgroup.org.

Local programs can help young adults with learning differences create vocational opportunities.

CIP Long Beach has been helping young adults who are on the autism spectrum and have learning differences find success in college, employment and independent living in its centers across the U.S. since 1984. Its vision is to challenge the norms of what people with learning differences can achieve.

Students ages 18-26 with autism spectrum disorder and learning differences receive comprehensive and individualized support as they:

Expand their independence in a supported apartment-based living setting
Pursue higher education at their choice of several college and vocational options
Put their skills to work with the support of CIP’s career continuum

Visit the Long Beach website for more information.

New Developmental Kindergarten for Neurodivergent Children

Published August 31, 2021

Annais Linares

Willowcrest School in North Hollywood invites six new applicants to join its developmental kindergarten for the 2021–22 academic year. Willowcrest offers holistic programming five days a week from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. including one-on-one speech, occupational and behavioral therapy, in addition to a full-day, language-based curriculum. School begins September 13, 2021, so parents are encouraged to apply today at willowcrestschool.com/admissions.

Willowcrest students are neurodivergent children ages 3–6 who flourish with individualized teaching and small classroom sizes.

Willowcrest School’s developmental kindergarten is a progressive center for the early education of neurodivergent children, developed by Director Natally Raisin whose son was diagnosed with ASD before his second birthday. Willowcrest is the embodiment of her journey navigating hundreds of hours of therapeutic sessions, discerning between philosophical approaches, and finding the right people. “A heartfelt and supportive atmosphere conducive to learning and growing, Willowcrest School has been needed for a long time,” says Patricia, a parent and Willowcrest community member.

Opening its doors this September, classes will be conducted in a nurturing residence with an indoor and outdoor classroom, climbing frame and covered lunch area. The current team includes Speech-Language Pathologist Roberta Fields Poster and Behavior Analyst Sara Beth Kaufman. Kaufman is excited to begin the school year because of Willowcrest’s collaborative model. “I’m looking forward to seeing the students succeed in an environment as supportive as this one,” says Kaufman. Sara has over 19 years of experience working with children with autism, ADHD, anxiety disorders, developmental delays and their families. Working with staff, parents, schools and collaborating with other professionals, she has been able to help children increase positive behaviors and decrease challenging behaviors. She is passionate about making positive changes for children and their families.

Willowcrest’s immersive daily program offers real potential for cognitive and social development, supporting agency and independence. As the school year fast approaches, the Willowcrest team hopes to reach parents looking for kind and empathetic therapists for their young ones.

Willowcrest School is located on Willowcrest Ave. in North Hollywood. For more information, visit willowcrestschool.com. Find Willowcrest on Facebook (/willowcrestschool) and Instagram (@willowcrestschool).