Warren A. Allison Elementary School

The only good thing about this school is Nancy, who is a sweetheart. If your child is Autistic/in special Ed, I would advise strongly against attending this school. There’s no bathroom in the kindergarten classroom, fidgets are used in a reward/punishment way,” behavior charts” are used (which are not beneficial for ASD kids), parents are NEVER allowed in the classroom, ABA therapy is pushed on parents instead of addressing issues within the class (ABA is abusive and vehemently spoken out against by the autistic community), the teacher has trouble recalling details about your child and it seems like most the supervising is done by the constantly rotating paras. My son was “lost” several times in the few months he attended Allison when he eloped. They are NOT sensory friendly and will not make any exception for these needs (ie, flip flops with straps instead of shoes, constant access to fidgets, etc). The special Ed classroom doesn’t have its own playground or its own bathroom, and there’s kids of different ages from k-2nd all in one class. Paras change frequently, and are the ones blamed for “losing” a child when they elope. There’s zero opportunity for parents to be involved in the class, there’s no holiday celebrations and kids can’t even dress up for Halloween. My kiddo would cry constantly about being bullied in his special ed classroom by other kids. I pulled my child out after a few months. Every child deserves so much more than what this school offers. The special education department should have more education about autism and the harms of ABA and its practices - and be careful to not use such tactics in class. Paras shouldn’t be constantly changing. Parents should be able to observe their child in class. Bathrooms/bathroom breaks should be frequently provided- and the absence of this resulted in my child soiling himself & then being blamed for “holding it too long”. ASD kids often don’t recognize body cues and forget to use the restroom, which means the adult needs to be on top of bathroom reminders and availability.

Education and learning at a high level is a challenge these days for all children; teaching, especially at the elementary level, is exhausting and not without frustration. Stepping up to this immense task is much easier said than done. Teachers must focus on the core of why one should teach...to educate ALL children equally yet with a unique perspective for each child, molding them into the best members of society they can be. At such a young age, it is vital to instill confidence, inclusion, being part of a contributing team, and respect for classmates...isolating a child in the first few years of organized learning will have profound effects for the rest of his/her life. Emphasizing the negative while minimizing the positive is not acceptable. To my dismay, I have seen this occur systematically to the youngest of students at this school. The negative ripple effect is visible and immediate. No child left behind is not only a credo but state law. There is profound disconnect between the mission statement of some educators and staff here, and what's been est. as the norm. At Allison, this seems to be a sad result of the way CA treats its public educators. KIDS come first!