TESTIMONIALS

· My son, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, had terrible experiences in public schools and another private school. My wife and I were at a loss - until we discovered The Orion School. My son has made so much progress and has really flourished there. The teachers and administrators understand how to educate children who learn best in a more supportive, nurturing and experiential environment. It is worth noting that the most important thing in learning is the approach, because it is in the teaching-pupils relationship that the child's understanding of the world is formed. And if the teacher doesn't pay the necessary attention to the child, the student will not be able to concentrate on learning. There is freely available research on this topic, but if you want to join the scientific space, you can contact SpecialEssays.com. We recommend The Orion School to any parents who are looking for a haven for a child who needs just that.

· The Orion School has been a God send for us. Our son was diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger's and anxiety disorder. He was so unhappy at his old school. Even though his old school was a small private school (10 children per classroom), he didn't get the type of attention, patience, and direction he needed. With a 1 to 4 teacher ratio, he gets it in spades at The Orion School. He has friends (finally!) and feels part of a community. The experience has really helped improve his confidence and decrease his anxiety so he can focus on learning and growing! We only wish we had moved him earlier!

· Searched for two years to find a school that could meet the sensory processing needs of our child. In this environment he has flourished, loves school, and excitedly tells us about what has happened. Teachers not only care but come from those especially trained to lovingly and professionally encourage children to learn.

· The Orion School has been a positive life changing experience for my bright and talented middle school age son. He has many challenges including ADHD, OCD, Aspergers, dyslexia, and sensory processing disorder (!) The teachers are experienced, dedicated, and creative. They are pushing him academically to stay ahead of grade level. At the same time they are teaching him the ongoing task of learning to self regulate - which they do with firm empathy :) He is getting the most well rounded educational preparation possible for the transition to high school. In small classes of only four students the teachers work hard to make learning interesting which makes all the difference. The program has so many experiential components to keep the academics meaningful it would be hard to list. For example their outdoor classroom has chickens, an organic garden and a worm farm! In short, the Orion School has the highest academic standards, a staff with the training and experience to help my son with his schoolwork and emotions, and a fiercely dedicated and compassionate leadership team.

· We searched for years to find a place for my child. The Orion school is a God Send for us. It has made a difference in our family's quality of life with a happier better adjusted child.

· We chose the Orion School when it became obvious that public school (even the great one he was in) was not going to work for our son. He was extremely resistant to academics, to the point of running from the room, and had begun to think of himself as the "bad kid" in the class. He was struggling academically and socially. Orion has been a breath of fresh air for him and for us as parents. They don't see the problems with him, they see the gifts, and they help him to see them as well. He loves going to school and sharing what he has learned- two things that we never thought we would see. We are hopeful that Orion will continue to meet his academic needs as he grows and matures into the upper grades. With the incredibly dedicated leadership and talented teaching staff, I am optimistic that they will. They are doing a wonderful job with him socially, emotionally, and physically with enrichment programs ranging from yoga to drumming, various therapies, team sports and so on. He was recently able to join a "mainstream" soccer team near where we live, which he struggled in a couple years ago - a testament to what Orion is teaching him on many fronts. In short, he is now a happy kid who is learning, growing, and feels comfortable and supported in his school and after care environment. We are grateful to Orion for providing an environment that has nurtured and encouraged his growth as a student and as a human being.

· We chose to come to Atlanta (over other US cities) because of The Orion School and we have no hesitation in saying we did the right thing.

· We are new to Orion this year. My son has thrived academically and socially under their wing. He comes home excited about the things he learns and I know that information is being planted and nurtured and that it will grow and become a part of him - not just spit back out on a test, and then lost. The small teacher to student ratio means they can accommodate his fluctuating level of stability, as well as his unique interests. They reward positive behavior and expect the best from my child, which has helped his self-esteem. They focus on the big picture and create opportunities for my son to be successful and share his talents and gifts. I have been very happy with Orion, and my son thinks it is "awesome". When education is interesting, meaningful and above all EXPERIENCED, it becomes a part of you that never leaves- it forms who you will grow up to be! When you feel loved, safe and valued, you keep trying... you grow as a student and a person. When mom doesn't flinch every time the phone rings, mom is happy! I am a mom with three unique kids at three schools - and each is growing to be the best THEY can be. My son has special needs, and Orion specializes in HIM!

· We chose the Orion School because they focus on special kids with high energy who can benefit from social skills training and other special programs, which is our son in a nutshell. Their 4:1 student teacher ratio, with highly trained and caring teachers, help create a supportive learning environment. It is a special place and their attention on the individual student's needs is second to none. It's a wonderful school.

· After countless evaluation sessions with health professionals and receiving a diagnosis of ADHD, sensory integration disorder and developmental delay, an educational environment of structured learning was suggested for my daughter. Additional recommendations were made for swimming, martial arts classes and occupation therapy. I was thinking that I would have to quit my job just to educate her, keep her healthy and catch her up developmentally. But then I found The Orion School, which has the structured academics with practical applications of the ADHD developmental and educational theories that were recommended and beyond. The amazing thing is that therapeutic programs and social development are part of the academic curriculum. The low student-teacher ratio and the dedicated team of professionals and therapists have helped my child grow academically, psychologically, physically, and socially by leaps and bounds without my having to quit my job to give her the care that she needs. Now a year later, my daughter is happy, healthy, and, most of all, likes to attend school. Acquaintances and close relatives who have talked to her can’t believe how much she has developed. She went from a shy little girl who lacked self-confidence and self-esteem to a happy and talkative girl who is confident in her abilities to handle work in her school environment. My relatives have observed and commented to me that prior to attending The Orion School that they thought that she was about 3 years behind (compared to norm), but now she maybe about a year behind and rapidly catching up. From my perspective, I am just glad that I am no longer hearing self-derogatory and destructive remarks from my daughter anymore. I will be forever grateful to the founders of the school who have assembled a team of dedicated and committed teachers and professionals to provide a balanced academic and caring environment for the development of struggling kids so that they will obtain the skills necessary to be successful in their environment.

· The Orion School has just been a miracle for our ADHD child. The last year at our previous school there was no progress socially, and there was regression academically. Here we have a safe environment where our child has thrived. All of our professionals and former pre-K teachers are just amazed at the progress, socially, emotionally and academically. The school knows how to deal with these kids and we don't have to worry about the calls every day from the school. They have a 4 to 1 ratio and teach these kids as they are instead of how a school district thinks they should be taught. They use movement and a variety of activities and don't force ADHD children to sit at a desk for 7 hours a day. The Orion School does a wonderful job of incorporating learning into everything they do, whether it is standard schoolwork, yoga, a field trip or even lunch. Our child loves to go to school each day and brags about it whenever the topic of schools comes up in other settings. It has been a perfect fit for us.

· In my teaching experience from preschool- to university-level and Montessori to public school education The Orion School is the only place where I, as a teacher, have truly had the opportunity to join a staff that is committed to nurturing the whole child. Our teachers strive to cultivate and strengthen the students' social-emotional and self-regulatory skills, which in turn, facilitates their academic trajectory and ensures meaningful learning. Specifically, we provide a multi-sensory, student-centered approach to education by complementing our curriculum all of which meets Georgia Performance Standards with a variety of hands-on, multi-sensory experiential and enrichment activities. The respective activities help to foster our students' sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy; their ability to engage in healthy, positive social interactions; and their capacity for success in the classroom. As a teacher at The Orion School, I genuinely feel as though the faculty and staff members create an environment in which students feel nurtured and encouraged to continue growing, learning, and flourishing in fulfilling their greatest potential.

· The Orion School has been a good fit for my son. He no longer dreads going to school each morning. This, in and of itself, is huge for us, considering where we were just a few months ago in the public schools. We have recently been told by a new psychiatrist he has PDD-NOS, meaning he is on the spectrum. My son struggles with anxiety, impulse control and anger, often leading to melt downs at home and in a school setting. A child cannot learn when they are in this heightened state; the skilled and experienced teachers at Orion have seen it all, and help him process through these episodes so that they don t define him. This helps diminish his anxiety and low self esteem, and fosters a more positive self image. I also feel the empathy and understanding from the teachers and staff has been therapeutic for me as well. I hear things like, I understand, that s what we DO here , and Your son is an amazing child, I love having him in my class . These are things parents like us have never heard, and it s wonderful. Of course he s not perfect, the point is, they accept him and take him where he is; it s a process. We all have a story; if you are reading this, you probably have one too.

· While we are new to The Orion School, thus far we have had a great experience. Our child has gone from extremely anxious and combative to relaxed and excited about school. We have seen our child make friends (yeah!!) and actively participate in class. It has been quite exciting to watch the transformation in our child

· I am a very happy teacher at The Orion School. Our school specializes in children with neurobehavior disorders, primarily ADHD and anxiety. As teachers, we have a highly supportive administrative team who are always available to provide innovative ideas for high-interest, experiential teaching activities. Rather than being tied to a boring textbook and worksheets, we have the opportunity to use a wide variety of modalities. We use cutting edge technology, including interactive whiteboards, an iMac lab, and iPads to further enhance the curriculum. I so appreciate the opportunity I have to "think outside the box" and educate our students in new and unique ways that are far more meaningful than methods used in traditional schools.

· The attention given to each student is impressive at this school and the leadership is very involved. The school offers plenty of opportunities for parent involvement and parent learning as well. We are so glad we found this school.

· We switched our son to The Orion School after public kindergarten. He is a very active child and I could see that our public school was going to kill his enthusiasm for learning. Academics at the Orion School are as hands on as possible. The children also have recess and physical activities throughout the day. Besides academics the school also teaches social skills and conflict management. They seek to educate the whole child.

· Pros: Individually focused education. Superb teachers and administration. Caring leadership. Cons: Not enough publicity. We searched for almost 2 year to find a quality school addressing the academic learning challenges of our special needs child. The Orion School was the ONLY school in the Atlanta area capable of treating our child with concern and compassion while also providing quality education. The results have been amazing. I cannot say enough good about this school!

· I have been a teacher at Orion since January of this year. Many things impress me about this school. First, the teachers (current and for next year) either have master's degrees or certification (or both) AND experience with the population of students we serve. Second, I am impressed by the administration's commitment to evidence-based practices. Third, I appreciate that teachers are allowed to mold the curriculum to fit the students we work with. Fourth, I respect tremendously that the teachers work together (with the approval of administration) to create behavior intervention plans customized to the students. Fifth, I love that when I have family situations that require my attention (especially given that I have a special needs child of my own), there is never a question. I have all the latitude I need to meet the needs of my family. Every person, every organization, every company has room to grow. Nevertheless, I suspect there are few schools with directors who are so personally invested in the success of each student as ours. As a parent and an educator, I find tremendous value in that!

· We are the parents of a 7-year-old daughter diagnosed with ADHD, living on a small tropical island. Her first year of school on the island, we had some challenges, but we made it through thanks to a very good teacher. However, in her second year, we were not as fortunate; her new teacher did not try to accompany any of our requests to help make school life positive for our daughter. She wanted to keep her back and we were not going to allow that to happen, because we knew she was smart. We met with the teacher and the principal, no one could confirm that she would get the help she need. We had to take matters into our own hands. Having family living in Georgia we decided to look into schools there that may be more suited to our daughter. I went on the internet and the first school that popped up was The Orion School. It was as if it was made just for our daughter, it had everything her therapist had recommended. I was over the moon; I could not believe that a school like that existed. I immediately called my parents in Georgia to have them go check out the school. My parents, being the very thorough and protective grandparents that they are, were impressed immediately. Therefore, within a week we had to make the hardest decision ever, to send our baby girl three hours away by plane to live with her grandparents in Georgia. Well, ten months into our daughter going to The Orion School, we know it was the best decision we could have possibly made. The teachers are the best, the programs they teach are of the highest standards and the care they take with our daughter is unparalleled. The smile on our daughter’s face and the happiness in her voice, tells us every day that we made the right choice. The teachers update you on a regular basis as to what the class is learning, so you are never wondering what your child is learning today. The field trips that they take the children on are so awesome. Only being able to see our daughter every 3-5 months is hard, but worth it. This year, I was fortunate enough to spend 6 weeks with her taking her to school and going on the field trips, and I have to say it reconfirmed what I knew; this school is awesome. The teachers are so patient and understanding of our daughter and all the children that attend The Orion School as any parent knows with a child with ADHD it is not always easy and you have to have patience. We do not know how our daughter or we would have made out if we did not find The Orion School. Our hat goes off to the whole team and how they hold it down at The Orion School. Thanks for everything.”

· A year ago, I was in tears at the thought we might not find a school where our son could survive, much less thrive. Yet, after seven months at Orion School, our son has flourished. His handwriting has progressed beyond what I would have dreamed of by this point. And he absolutely LOVES going to school! I had feared at least a year of tantrums and struggles to get him through the door every day, but he rushes to get ready every morning, he's so excited to get there and see his teachers. My gratitude is truly immeasurable.

· Our child has grown a tremendous amount this year through the philosophy of the Orion School and has gained much from the loving and nurturing environment there.

· We are new to Orion this winter. It has been such a blessing for our family. The teachers are well qualified (many with master's degrees and certification). I love that many of them have years of real experience working with children with special needs. They really seem to be using some incredibly creative and varied modalities for teaching. Additionally, they have some innovative behavior supports in place, which is super-important for kids like mine. I appreciate how supportive the director is. She's interested in me as a parent and works hard to keep me informed. If your child needs a low ratio, innovative instruction, and a lot of movement,..don't even think twice about enrolling here!!!

· My daughter has changed immensely in the year she has been attending The Orion School. Her inner core was tense and nervous; her self-esteem had eroded while in the other school she attended. Now, she is happy, thrilled to be going off to school. She seems to be more relaxed both socially and academically. I see her express emotions better than she used to. The schedule at The Orion School is what led us to enroll our daughter there. Every day she gets to have activities like karate, swimming, dance, tennis, rock climbing, yoga or hiking. The amount she has learned while in motion is 10 times more than she can learn while sitting still and the variety of these activities introduces her to them without my having to sign up and drag her to them after school. My daughter is athletic and learns better while in motion. Moving from teacher to teacher has also been a wonderful asset to my daughter’s education at The Orion School. Certainly, like any of us, she responds differently to different adults and having a different teacher with each subject is the variety a child with ADHD needs.

· After spending a few weeks in summer camp at The Orion School, our son agreed the new school would be a fun place to attend school. My wife and I were terrified for his future because he was such a complicated case. It actually turned out to be a miraculous place. When he had temper tantrums, the day did not stop for him, or us, or any of the other students. The staff at The Orion School knew just how to work with him. As a result of this continuity in instruction, our son’s academics have improved. We are proud that he is now completing second grade arithmetic although he only just completed the first grade. In addition, he has improved his reading and handwriting skills. Both had been enormously challenging for him since he was in pre-school. The Orion School also offers support to the entire family. It sponsors a monthly support meeting for the families where we can network and share strategies to help us cope with the challenges of raising a child with ADHD. Through these informal exchanges we learned of a child psychiatrist who has helped our son tremendously. I look back at the last two years prior to our child’s placement in The Orion School and recognize our entire family was under enormous stress. When one member of a family is suffering due to ADHD, the entire family suffers.

· Thank you again for the parent support meeting last evening. It really means a lot when you have the support and dedication of professionals like yourself who go beyond the call of duty to help others.

· When I think of the Orion School and the difference that this experience has made not only in our granddaughter’s life, but in her mother’s and our lives, words really cannot express our gratitude. It has truly been a life changing and almost lifesaving experience for all of us for her to be understood intellectually and personally and to be taught with respect and compassion. She has made more progress than we ever expected at this point in her life, and the Orion School’s program has relieved so much stress from all of our family involved with our ADHD child; especially her mother. Yes, the Orion school has saved our family by relieving the stress and returning joy to our lives. The school has been just what we needed when we needed it. We are all so much happier now than we were when we all started almost three years ago. How do we thank you and the hard working teachers enough?