Family stories
In their own words
The clearest picture of Open Wings comes from the families and students who live it every day. Here is what they tell us, unprompted, about what this school has meant for their children.
“Most schools require the child to fit into the school. At Open Wings, the school fits around the child.”
A current Open Wings parent
What students say
The best endorsements we ever receive come from the students themselves.
“If I go home, how will I learn?”
“This is a good place. You should send your kids here.”
“When can I go back to school? I can't help it, I love it!”
Students want to be at Open Wings. They want to learn, and to belong to a community that understands, accepts, and embraces them.
What families tell us
Open Wings families have shared their stories of transformation. It is humbling for us, but we are proud to have played a role in helping so many children find their voices and find their place in the world.
“Autism does not define her… the word is rarely ever spoken any more… Instead, she is defined as an artist, a lover of music, and horse girl. She is a friend and a sister. She is a daughter and granddaughter… She is so much more than a label.”
“What we see as a result of her experience at Open Wings is not just growth in her academic ability, but her ability to solve problems and share with her peers and teachers in deeper and more meaningful ways.”
“The ultimate compliment to any school is to feel the confidence that your child is in great hands. Since day one, when we took Chase to school we left him, with no anxiety or worry.”
“The Staff and students accepted her as part of the family and they see her for who she really is: a kind, shy, loving little girl that just needed friends and teachers who believed she was capable of growth.”
“Since starting at Open Wings four months ago, Henry is a new child. He loves school, even becoming upset when his Grandmother mentioned a possible snow day.”
“We’ve seen a proliferation of words and phrases, some of them figurative to describe the weather, the night sky, events, and all things other than food and his physical needs.”
“Open Wings Learning Community has created a positive educational future for my Grandson Logan, a future that could not be realized in any other learning institutions within our community.”
“Socially Maddux is not only participating more with his friends, he is now initiating interactions. This is a huge gain. He has gone from not being involved at all to seeking out the attention of his friends and teachers.”
“She is treated with respect by educators and students. Everyone she encounters in a day maximizes on her strengths.”
“There are no words that can express how proud I am of him for never giving up. He has come so far in the last year. He is reading, writing, and learning to express himself.”
“Open Wings teachers work hard to move at his pace so that he is challenged but not frustrated. The teachers have worked with him on that, respecting his need to understand everything before moving on.”
“I’m seeing more curiosity and hearing a lot more questions! He seems very happy just being himself in his school community.”
Are you an Open Wings family?
We would love to share your story. If your family has found a home here, tell us about it, and help another family picture what is possible.