Success Stories Testimonials from clients and volunteers of Open Door Learning Center

“Open Door is the kind of institution any parent would want their child to attend.  The Director, teachers, and specialist staff take great care to provide each student with personalized attention.  Their deep expertise in ABA therapy and other pedagogical methodologies make them unique, as well as their small student/teacher ratio.  My son has attended ODLC since March and within the past 6 weeks I have watched him develop from a difficult student to a thriving and independent child.  I do not even have enough thanks or words of appreciation to express my gratitude for all that they have done.  ODLC is without a doubt the best school I have ever seen.”

“I toured TONS of preschools before deciding on ODLC, and I’m thrilled with it! My son loves every minute of it, he absolutely adores his teacher (Ms. Mandy), and in the short time that he’s been attending I’ve already observed wonderful changes and advancement in him. Simply put, I couldn’t be happier and neither could my son. Great teachers and administration, great approach at teaching, and I love the individualized approach they’re using for my son. A+++++++!!!“

The staff treats our boys with the same love and respect that any family member would. My sons love their teachers and classmates and actually look forward to school each day. They both have learned a tremendous amount and never cease to amaze us with their skills.”

“When we first enrolled our son at ODLC, we were despondent at the thought of yet another preschool. Our son, diagnosed with PDD-NOS, was quite the challenge for staff at typical daycares. He struggled with a large classroom size and we struggled with Directors that didn’t “get” our son’s needs.  There were constant issues with his behavioral, communicative and social skills and we were unsure if we would ever find a place that would understand.

 I am ecstatic to say that the staff of ODLC have been nothing but supportive and welcoming to our family. They have worked steadfastly with his IEP in order to help him develop and grow. They have been patient, yet firm in working with his needs. Our son has met new friends and has made significant gains on his life skills. The progress has been nothing short of amazing.

 We are extremely grateful to ODLC for everything they have done for us.“

“After working with Open Door Learning Center (ODLC) for my graduate school project, I can honestly say that it has been a true pleasure.  It is refreshing to see a staff as invested in every child’s success as ODLC’s staff is; they truly care for each and every child.  They create a safe and inviting environment for their students.  They are also one of the only full inclusion preschools in the area, so children with all different abilities can learn and grow together, making ODLC a very special preschool.“

“‘S.J.’ has made tremendous progress on all of his goals, but none more noticeable than his reading.  Less than two years ago, he was beginning to learn the names and sounds of letters.  Today, he averages over 90% accuracy reading stories of 350 words or more!  Soon, he will advance to a 2^nd grade reading level!  Now, he enjoys reading and has read nearly 100 books outside of school with his family.“

“‘G.G’ has made huge progress on his goals.  He can independently do 5 daily living skills.  He can also answer “who”, “what” and “where” questions!”

“The Social Skills Group at The Arc of Loudoun was very beneficial for my child.  It provides a safe and nurturing setting for children on the Autism Spectrum to learn manners and to improve their social skills.  Mrs. Dani and her team do a great job of developing a group of kids with similar issues and work collaboratively to guide the children towards skills needed to function appropriately in school and in society while improving their self-confidence.  I would definitely recommend this group to others and hope to be a part of it again in the future.“

“HD has become an amazing swimmer and will be on a fall swim team. Thank you because its classes like this that improved his skills to function at swim meets!“

“This is unbelievable, but the meeting today was incredibly successful!!  I don’t know what changed, but they approved her for 120 minutes without much of a discussion.  Maybe they were intimidated by the big binder I plopped onto the table with all of my supporting evidence that you helped me with for the case or maybe they were making up for giving me such a hard time last year.  Whatever the case, she is going to get the 120 minutes of speech therapy, and even more incredible, they agreed to start the services now so she will get them through the end of the year!  It was nothing short of amazing.  It was the right thing for them to do and I am so relieved they granted her these minutes from the start instead of dragging this out over a series of evaluations and unpleasant meetings.

I can’t thank you enough for your time, help and expertise.  It helped give me the confidence to go in there as her advocate and make a strong case for what our little girl needs. “

“We just wanted to thank you again for all of your assistance. Our son’s IEP went extremely well.  They added 300 minutes/week for academics for the remainder of this year. They added 150 minutes/week for academics for next year to bring him to 600 minutes/week. They have also added 300 minutes/week for behavior.

In the areas where we were requesting benchmarks, they have also agreed to set realistic expectations/goals.

His speech therapist added additional minutes per week as well (from 15 to 30 minutes/week) for the remainder of this year and next year. They also added Social Skills Group (either through a Lunch Bunch or with Speech).

It felt good to go in prepared and come out with a good feeling as all parties were very receptive and cooperative.

You are a valuable asset to have in our corner.  Thank you kindly.“