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Clare Woods Academy makes 'personal investment' in each special-needs student

I am a parent of a special-needs young adult.

My daughter struggled through the public school system most of her life due to cognitive impairment, behavioral and emotional issues. A few years ago, when we decided the public school was not the right fit for her, we investigated other options and found Clare Woods Academy to be on the top of our list.

As soon as we met with the staff and toured the school, we knew this would be a place where our daughter would feel a sense of belonging, be able to thrive in an environment, make friends and, most importantly, learn and grow.

She has blossomed into a mature, responsible and independent young adult thanks to the personal investment each staff member at Clare Woods makes for their students. Each student at the school is looked at as an individual and given the sincere care they need to develop into the best possible person they can be.

This school has changed our family's life. For this reason, I feel such a strong connection and loyalty to Clare Woods Academy, which is why I volunteer as much time as I can as the CWA PTO vice president. We feel it is necessary to fundraise and advocate for the school because it has changed so many of the students' lives.

There are still so many resources and programs that the school could use to enrich the students' educational experience, and the CWA PTO will continue to strive to develop new ways to bring those resources and programs to our students. They deserve every opportunity that any other person would get.

Even after my daughter graduates, I will be forever grateful for the opportunities they have all given her.

Clare Woods Academy's Strongest Student Competition is a highlight of the physical fitness program at the Wheaton school. Courtesy of Clare Woods Academy
As part of the education program for students with special needs, Clare Woods Academy students work on a craft. Courtesy of Clare Woods Academy

Clare Woods Academy

Through the Clare Woods Academy and Cupertino Home, <a href="http://www.blcinc.org/">Bartlett Learning Center</a> helps learning disabled and developmentally disabled youth and adults to become self-sufficient and self-directed in the areas of personal growth, education and social and emotional well-being, as well as functional living skills and vocational training.

Clare Woods Academy in Wheaton is a private alternative day school providing a specialized educational environment in a therapeutic day-school setting for children and young adults ages 3 to 22. In addition to the education program, services include occupational therapy, speech/language, and counseling.

Together Clare Woods Academy and Cupertino Home, a group home for men with developmental challenges, aim to provide a loving and trusting environment in which individuals can function to their fullest potential and become responsible, respected members of family, community and society.

Bartlett Learning Center, founded in 1968 and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 institution governed by a volunteer board of directors.

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