Abilities First, INC.

The photo attached is the marks I found on my son after he had gotten home from the Hyde Park location on September 10th (picked up by grandma who had been with him everyday for the last 5 years prior to starting school). My son has no history self injurious behaviors let alone has ever left marks on his body yet Abilities first claims he did this to himself by banging himself against a door all day. Mind you no calls had ever been made home, to this day I have no received any documentation on the incident, or the investigation that was to take place after this incident. From the first day of school I had contacted the teacher, the nurse and site supervisor to check on my son numerous times to make sure everything was going okay as he had never been away from family and each time I was told he was great. If you want to be lied to, have your child come home with markings on their body with no real explanation as to how they got them, and no sympathy or resolution from the program then this is the place for you. Poor excuse of a special needs program and the administration and staff should be ashamed of themselves.

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with my recent dealings with Abilities First, more specifically the IEP Coordinator, Marc Prine. As a parent of a child with a disability, I expected understanding and support from a school administration. Unfortunately, my experience was the exact opposite. From the beginning, my requests for assistance and support for my child were ignored. The school showed no willingness to accommodate my child's needs, and my emails and calls went unanswered for months. I took a random shot in the dark and reached out to the president, Jeffery Fox who actually responded and acted to look into why I haven't heard back with a decision from the school. After weeks of follow up emails to simply get an answer on whether my child was accepted or not, I finally did receive a response, it was shockingly rude and dismissive, making it clear that the school has no interest or respect for families navigating life with a child who has a disability. After being added to the email thread by the president, along with the district and other employees, Marc Prine finally chimed in with a "can not accommodate" response. The lack of professionalism and empathy is unacceptable, especially in an educational institution, I am shocked that the president of Abilities First and fellow peers can sit back and allow such an insolent response. I am deeply saddened by the school's complete disregard for my child's needs and blatant disrespect shown to me as a parent who is just trying to advocate for her child. I strongly urge anyone considering this school to think twice, especially if your child requires any form of support or accommodation. This experience has been nothing short of a nightmare, and I wouldn't want any other family to go through the same ordeal.

Ms. Phee Simpson is absolutely horrible at the New Windsor location. She does not put a student’s well being and academic needs first. Abilities First should replace her with someone more competent and compassionate towards others.

Amazing teachers and their dedication. My kids are totally different people now. Thank you DG and your crew. No names for privacy reasons. But you know who you are.

The new Windsor location is HORRIBLE . some staff are bullies . Highly not recommended