Oakstone Academy

Oakstone is a wonderful school for typical kids and kids with disabilities. Everyone is welcomed and we are all family at Oakstone. And this school does get you ready for reality. I love it here. All the teachers are willing to help and they love each and every one of their students. Best school I've ever been to. I recommend this school to everyone its safe, family oriented, and amazing. I LOVE YOU OAKSTONE!!!

Ever wonder why the focus room doesn't have a camera or one way window? Wouldn't an honest teacher be ok with being watched? If nothing was going on and everything was on the up and up why not? But if you ever question the conduct of a teacher look out! The elementary principal (the founder's sister by the way - no other way she could be a principal) will literally yell at you. I was told to stay by the phone because if my child needed to go to the focus room I would have to come get him. This was after asking about my child getting hurt while in the focus room. After that I was treated coldly by staff. My child was hurt numerous times while at that school. Don't get me wrong I do have a difficult child, but Oakstone supposedly works with difficult children. Just think about my review and others before you send your child there!
--Submitted by a parent

horrible school teachers have no clue what they are doing and how to cope with a child on the spectrum, a few yrs back when i went there i was severly depressed due to the way that the teachers treated other who were severly autstic.

I'm writing this as a heads-up to prospective parents. Note before beginning: My comments reflect upon the middle/high school building, where I worked for one year. As a parent, you should know that while I was a teacher at Oakstone, I observed multiple inappropriate things that took place. Administrators told me not to share certain information/events with parents, even when these events related directly to their child. Parents were not allowed to come in and observe unless it was a planned observation - no unannounced visits. The administration runs the staff as if it's a popularity contest, and I only use this comparison because I don't know how else to explain it. If you're "in" then you fall in line and do what you're told. You're "out' the moment you try to express an alternate opinion, even if you believe that opinion to be in the best interest of a student. I believe schools should have an open-door policy to parents, and that parents have a right to know truthful details about how staff handle their child if he/she misbehaves. Ask a lot of questions if you visit this school, and trust your instincts.
--Submitted by a teacher

Both my daughter on the Autism spectrum and my typically developing son attend Oakstone. I must admit, I'm a little confused about some of the points made in these reviews. First of all. We have never been asked to sign away the right to place our daughter in therapy outside of school. She is engaged in therapies both in and out of school. As one reviewer mentioned, the need for extended attention and services for children with ASD is great. My daughter has made fantastic progress in the year and half or so that she has attended Oakstone and our son has flourished as well. I've certainly seen his sympathy for those afflicted with ASD increase. He is far more understanding and compassionate toward his sister. I also find the staff to be particularly good at what they do. The teachers are compassionate and understanding as well and the staff has never been anything but professional. Their financial department has also been surprisingly flexible -- which is very important. Compared to similar programs available in the local school districts, Oakstone stands a head above. My children will both be attending Oakstone again next year.
--Submitted by a parent

This school may accept people of color in the class room, money is green, but they are discouraged to hire people of color. The so call employment department will scheduled an appointment with people of color and once arrive and see that you are non white you will meet with a Representative of the dept and told that there was an emergency meeting and he will not be able to meet with you. Never to receive a reschedule or phone call from human resources. Never to hearing anything. There has been six people who attempted to gain a face to face interview and three white and three non white the white people received an interview and the three non white were met with there was an emergency meeting. I was told things about this school but I had to see for myself.

We moved to Columbus so our three children could attend Oakstone Academy. I am so happy and find the school to be a blessing. Our boys (both Autism) and our daughter(peer) have thrived. They love school and all the staff. It is a true joy knowing that they want to see my children succeed as much as we do. Words cannot say enough about this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have children that are peers the attend both the elementary and middle school bulidings. also this is our first and last year that I will allow my children to attend. I was very disappointed in the professionalism of the administration. It may be good for children with austism but not for peers. This is our families first and last year attending this school.
--Submitted by a parent

These reviews are a little skewed! My children went there for years after my home school district refused to put my AS child in the same school with her peers. I was always relieved to have my kids in the same building and I did feel that the teachers liked my AS daughter and enjoyed her company which is way more than the average school will give AS kids. I would also totally disregard the 'agreement' that parents are required to sign to NOT use outside therapies. AS kids need way more intervention than they can get in a 6 hour school day. Oakstone needs to stick with what it provides: a school for AS kids and their sibs. Funny though that so many parents opt to keep their typical kids out of Oakstone...parents on their own board (it's just weird IMHO).
--Submitted by a parent

I have had my typically developing son at Oakstone since he was in preschool. Over the years that he has been a student at Oakstone, he has grown into an extremely compassionate, well adjusted and well educated child who obviously has learned a great deal from his teachers as well as his classmates. I also work at Oakstone and I am blessed everyday to be a part of such and extraordinary school full of a well knowledged staff and the wonderful bright students that we service. It is a community that I have learned so much from and that have given so much in return to the many families that they service.