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The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Jill ()
Date: May 18, 2011 05:16PM

I am considering sending my daughter to at least camp at the Auburn School in Herndon. Can anyone who has comments please post them. I haven't heard any reviews, but it seems perfect for my daughter who is very bright but has some sensory issues and is socially challenged. Thanks.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Jan ()
Date: July 10, 2011 05:50PM

This school is TERRIBLE!!! DO NOT SEND YOUR DAUGHTER THERE!! Many of my friends worked there and have all quit. The turn-over of staff is HIGH!! Academics are terrible and unstructured...poor behavioral support...and terrible supervision!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Katie ()
Date: July 11, 2011 07:50PM

I completely disagree with the negative reply about Auburn! My son started there in January of this year and I can not even tell you how happy we all are that we decided to send him there. My son is an upcoming 8th grader with AS and was in a serious downward spiral trying to deal with public middle school. The public school could not meet any of his academic or social needs. We were so excited when we found Auburn. Our son was apprehensive about the school change until he went to visit Auburn. His first words to me after his initial visit were, "This is the school for me, when do I start!" Our son now loves going to school, his anxiety has significantly decreased, he is being taught at the academic level he needs and he is just happy to be around people that understand him. I would and have recommended Auburn to many friends. This is a great school that has had a wonderful impact of the life of my son and our family!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: WingNut ()
Date: July 11, 2011 08:12PM

The school specializes in cheating the desperate and gullible parents of the emotionally troubled and borderline retarded.

My uncles company did some remodeling work for the school and the princiapl insisted on using asbestos fortified lead paint.He said the kids "like it".

Many of the teachers are also Wiccans and lesbians.


idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM


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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: CeeCee ()
Date: September 29, 2011 03:24PM

Did you decide to send your child to the Auburn School? I'm currently considering The Newton Schooland the Auburn School for my son who also has sensory issues. The Newton School was nice and they appear to have a good program but I want to make sure that I consider all the available options which in this area seem to be limited.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Stephanie ()
Date: October 25, 2011 02:50PM

This is not a school I would recommend. Their academics are a mockery of any education system. They claim to have a model program but are far from it. They are a bunch of business minded individuals looking for a profit. Beware!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Rebecca ()
Date: October 26, 2011 03:18PM

We just learned about this school from the Autism Speaks Walk. Sounds perfect for my daughter and we already have a tour scheduled for next week. I am surprised to read some of the comments. I would be really interested to hear more if anyone is willing to share! Feel free to email me Rebecca_1280@hotmail.com (to keep it more private). I would really appreciate any insight considering this school costs a fortune. My daughter has ASD and is on the mild/moderate side. However she has lots of anxiety and some social deficits. Help please!! Thank you:)

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Samantha ()
Date: October 27, 2011 11:42AM

My son just started at this school and I couldn't be more impressed. My is 14 and a current freshman. He has been in public school through middle school, but he had an incredibly rough time in 8th grade in that he was being pushed out of his IEP accommodations and although he is extremely smart, he was not doing well in the high level classes because the teachers were not giving him the support he needed. We thought long and hard about sending him to Auburn and to be honest, we were very nervous all the way through the end of the first day when I picked him up and the very first thing he said was, "mom! I am normal!" He always felt abnormal at public school, like a freak, and that is so far from the truth, but because he was so unlike the other kids, he truly felt that way about himself. To say he has flourished would be an understatement. He is in the geography club. He is in the debate club. He is going to a school dance on Saturday. And most importantly, he has true friends. All of these things have never happened for him before. As for the academics, it is so tailored for him it's incredible. Because he is so so smart, especially in history, for him even an honors history class in public school was not a challenge because they were learning facts, not much more. But at Auburn, his curriculum is such that he Is not learning facts, he is daily pondering why something happened and applying what he knows. The school has been very responsive to concerns. At the last PTA meeting, some parents said they wished there was an easier way to look at what the homework was. And the very next day, his core teacher set up a different system for the parents to access the homework without having to go through the students system. Part of what my son has always had troubles with at public school is the hurried and rushed transitions between classes. 5 minutes to rush down a packed hallway, going to the locker surrounded by screaming kids and getting jostled, trying to even open the locker and get the appropriate materials, then trying to make it to the next class - it was too much for him. At Auburn, they get this. At the beginning of the day, there is time for them to get their stuff together. A pre period to adjust so to speak. And at the end of the day, he has half an hour of wind down time before going home. No more picking him up and he is stressed out. He has had the time to decompress with his friends. I couldn't be more impressed and so happy with our decision to and him to Auburn. He is happy again.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Samantha ()
Date: October 27, 2011 11:52AM

I additionally wanted to share what I just received in my email about what my son has been doing as homework this week to give a better understanding of the academics offered at Auburn.

History - Research and write a paragraph identifying, describing, and analayzing one of Da Vinci's inventions.

Guiding questions-
Did it work? Could it be re-engineered to work? Is it practical? Why or why not.


Monday Oct 24- Read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Here is the link to the story. Prepare five points of discussion for the story. Please post them to the discussion board under the Homework tab. Responses are not required, but absolutely encouraged.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Deiadre ()
Date: October 27, 2011 08:36PM

We have just arrived back from an International School in Belgium where our son, who has PDD-NOS, was mainstreamed for 8 years. He is currently enrolled in Auburn in the 7th grade and we are overwhelmed with the amazing faculty and staff, academic level of achievement and social programs at the school. We wanted to find a school that gave a lot of individualized instruction while working on social and communication issues with our son, and Auburn fits this profile wonderfully. Our son is working at Academic grade level and truly enjoying his experience at Auburn. He tells us thanks for sending him there every week. As a parent, I am often at the school for volunteer work and am very impressed from a parent standpoint as well. If you are interested in the school, please schedule yourself for a tour, I think you would be extremely pleased.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: BJB ()
Date: November 02, 2011 11:49AM

I highly recommend the Auburn School. My son is in his second year and I feel lucky to be a part of their community. Auburn goes above and beyond to make accommodations for these wonderfully bright students. I feel strongly that this community of young people has the potential to change the world and be the innovators to drive technology, math and science (and beyond!). Imagine how relieved each student feels to be accepted and valued for their gifts, talents and passions. For any parent that is born with a child that is different from society’s “normal”, this school is a gift. I would recommend a tour to see for yourself.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Eric C. ()
Date: November 27, 2011 08:21AM

Hello everyone, we are very interested in the Auburn School. Our son is in third grade and we just started having some trouble at his regular school. He's being doing great academically but he struggles with the social part of everyday's routine.
I guess my main question after reading the comments and checking their website is: do they have a regular curriculum? meaning, when they finish , will they receive a regular degree that will allow them to enroll at any high school? seems like a weird question i know, but we heard that some schools with a dedicated education, give their students a different curriculum that let them out of higher education opportunities. Thanks for your comments and insights. if you want to email me , please do so at eric28677@yahoo.com

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Marie H. ()
Date: December 01, 2011 10:08PM

Our son attended The Auburn School the first year it opened and any parent of an ASD kid knows nothing is a one size fits all educational placement, social skill group etc. We also expected a first year school to have its growing pains but decided the staff and school knew what they were doing for the most part, based on the top-notch marketing materials with all the right 'key words', warm and fuzzy tours etc. Having said that, we and at least four other families were very disappointed when we quickly realized the school did not even purchase or use a an accredited curriculum proven successful for their student population. Additionally, a key to any successful specialized placement is developing an individualized plan that identifies your child's specific learning/social/emotional/behavior needs and details how Auburn is going to help your child succeed at progressing toward those goals [this plan is referred to as the 'student compass' at Auburn]. Well 30, 60, 90 days into the school year not one student had received a student compass and parents were pressing the staff with inquiries as to why and they were not being appropriately addressed. The dysfunction at the school became so toxic that by December there was a unified demand among five families calling on the founder to personally address the issues with his school. Sadly, Eric Heyer opted to not invest in an actual curriculum, full time behaviorists/specialists or trained teaching staff, which is what was required to fix the issues. Instead, he fired the Director [whom was the most experienced person in the school] in an attempt to appease the parents and appear responsive to the issues. In all fairness, public schools at least know enough to get the IEP created for better or worse. Additionally, the teachers in the classroom did not have degrees, training or experience in special education, let alone ASD specific learning and social needs. I am the first to admit the administrators make a top notch presentation/give a good tour and their marketing materials are extremely well-crafted. Basically, the school sounds too good to be true and that unfortunately turned out to be the case. Our son immediately regressed [as in LOST skills] academically, socially and behaviorally/emotionally. The administration and teaching staff were unilaterally unresponsive to our concerns and the similar concerns of at least four other families, We hired our private educational advocate and behaviorist to visit the school personally observe our son, the staff, environment and curriculum and she immediately and strongly encouraged us to pull our son out ASAP with the prediction he would only continue to regress even further. We transferred him mid-year [not something you do w/ an ASD kid lightly] to the ivymount Model aspergers Program, where he actually began receiving the education and services from appropriately qualified and dedicated professionals. Two years later our son is still trying to regain a lot of the skills he lost within 6 months at the Auburn School and there are at least three students from that same 'class' who experienced identical regression, left the school and had to repeat the grade they attended while at Auburn. Perhaps the most damaging aspect for all these students was that the staff made these students feel as though their failure was their fault and each of these students carry a lot of emotional scars due to the staff's irresponsible handling of very legitimate concerns brought to their attention by parents. Again, I'm sure its working for some kids and that is great because there are far too few resources for our kids and we need schools like this one to succeed -- but by delivering the services promised and paid for by desperate parents and above all else help our kids succeed. But its my bottom line experience that this school really is driven by profit [you can easily research for yourself that the founder's background is Harvard business school and he is closely associated with venture capital groups. He is not from an educational background and he has no particular association with special needs/ASD/PDD. This is a for-profit business and its well financed by a large investment firm who obviously is also in this game for the profit. I have no axe to grind and we did what we felt was best for our son at the time but we do feel we were intentionally misled and blown off when we wanted answers to the most basic questions - why wasn't our son and other students receiving the education and support Auburn claimed to understand and offer. I caution everyone who currently has a child enrolled or is considering enrolling their student to do their homework. Ask the physically see the curriculum; not just homework posted to a list serve. ensure your student is being educated in a manner that they can progress in their education; whether back to public, an alternate private placement or to college. Its an awful lot of money to pay just to have your kid say 'he's happy to go to school' Perhaps he's just not being challenged enough academically, socially to feel any discomfort. learning isn't easy for these kids and if they are blissfully happy, I'd be happy but also be asking why...... Final word of caution is to have private evaluations to see if you child is really on the academic level auburn claims. you do not want your child to be years behind if they should reenter the public school system or an other private school or college. Then it'll be too late.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Liz ()
Date: December 02, 2011 10:23AM

I have to completley agree with Marie H. I do also urge current parents to really take a look in the classrooms, and how your children are being taught (if they allow you to). I have been a witness to more than questionable decisions by the current head of school regarding best practice with students in order to enroll new families and meet their quota for growth. The teachers try to do the most they can for the students but the administration does not allow for certain practices that would threaten their profit. It is sad that they are providing such a false idealization to so many families, but the truth should be brought to light sooner or later.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Tiger ()
Date: December 02, 2011 11:12AM

WAR EAGLE!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Gloria ()
Date: May 10, 2012 10:53AM

We were considering this school but after reading the reviews I can say that I am grateful to those who took the time to write about their experiences. We are having much of the same issues at a school much like the Auburn school here in Baltimore, MD. Currently we are seeking an Educational Advocate, specifically one who can work in MD and VA, so far, we have yet to hear back from the two we contacted. If anyone could guide me to an Ed Advocate they have worked with and had much success with please mail me privately. Thank you, GB

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Sung ()
Date: October 16, 2012 01:17PM

My child was enrolled in Silver Spring campus for a while. We were very careful in making school choices for our children, but this one got us and below is a summary of my opinions about the school.

CONCLUSION:
This school experience was like going out for a good meal and a drink to forget troubles for the hour. If you want your child to have a good day today, but at the cost of squandering away their learning life and future, this is the place. If you want your child to “become independent learners equipped to navigate a complex social world”, then RUN as far away as you can. The school is not equipped to know the needs of your child. When a teacher has no way of knowing, they do not have any way of helping even if they want to.

Remember, your child is a brilliant child who often knows and has the capacity to know more than average student, but with special needs. The answer is not “Happy day-care at a Ivy league college cost”. All the best in your search.

THE GOOD:

• Teachers/Student ratio is good (is it good enough for the $36,475 spent?)
• Marketing material is fantastic and sales team is great
• Teachers and staff will ‘say’ anything to make you as a parent feel good
• Essentially a “ calm day-care” for your child, any academic learning is a bonus!
• Kids love it as they do not have to do anything and thus less anxious. 2 hours of academia per day! They relax and enjoy the rest of the day

THE BAD:
• Effective teaching involves acquiring relevant knowledge about students and using that knowledge to develop the curriculum design and classroom teaching. This school is not equipped to meet this principle even at a basic level.
• There is no alignment between learning objectives, assessments, and instructional activities, and such stems from poor school leadership and organizational profit goals.
• Teachers have little or no experience with special needs. Having spent time in the county systems, Public school teachers appear to be substantially more aware and experienced in special needs. We are not satisfied with that, and then why would one sign up of less than that? We were pickled in marketing magic!
• School does not have any structure that you can count on. When you find issues, you will be told stories of how well your child is doing. School will not clearly articulate expectations regarding learning objectives and policies, and how they intent to measure success. The effect on my child was very big. Your child will start protecting the teachers and the “do-nothing/relax all day” environment.
• Teachers are willing, but the lack of structure and program coordination make it very difficult for the teachers to figure out what to do. Many of them try very hard and quit in a year. This will affect your child in bigger ways than you know.
• Performance standards are set high on their web pages and marketing material, but they remain as marketing dream material. THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP between the advertised AUBURN MODEL and the ACTUAL practice in Silver Spring campus. May be it is different in other campuses.
• Basic amenities are not there.
• There is no methodology adopted by school in terms of teaching. Kids do not learn instead join the struggle of the teachers in figuring out - “what is good for lunch today” model. School will not share with parents what they teach or intent to teach. This generally happens because such will create a situation of accountability. Auburn is not about accountability.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Lauren1 ()
Date: November 03, 2012 08:18PM

I just wanted to add our experience to the forum. My son is currently in 8th grade (AS diagnosis) and this is his 3rd year at Auburn-Herndon. It bothers me to see some really negative reviews and I feel sad that some have had such an experience. In our case, Auburn has met our son's needs socially and academically. He will look back on his middle school years as happy ones where he has made lifetime friendships. He did not have one friend at public school and was rejected by his peers. At Auburn, he has friends!

I realize that school is not just about having friends, but the environment and community of the school has definitely made a difference for my son. Academically, my son is 2 years ahead and taking high school level classes (some online through Aventa/K-12). When we first arrived at Auburn, the school tested him and he began Algebra 1 in 6th grade. In the public school, this would not have happened (we tried asking). He had been bored in math for years, but not anymore.

I will say that the school does have a high turn-over and we were sad to see some teachers and administrators leave which is unsettling. But, my son has adjusted to the changes and each year he has had phenomenal teachers. This year is no exception. We are very pleased with the level of academics at Auburn.

I do wish Capital would take a deep look at teacher retention, but they are well aware of the issue. Hopefully, it will improve.

I think anyone looking seriously at Auburn needs to visit, attend the free workshops, and talk to current parents of students. There is a chance that Auburn-Herndon could be a good fit for your child. For my son, it was life-changing.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: My Suggestion ()
Date: November 03, 2012 09:26PM

You should take your son to the Herndon School in Auburn. It's another good school for 'tards.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Svetlana ()
Date: November 07, 2012 02:47PM

I have a son with ASD and plan his future education.
Have a question for those, who negatively react to the education in this school. It seems that you complain about the education offered being not challenging enough. So, where did you go from there? Are there any other similar schools in the area (except for the Newton school mentioned in the above reviews)? Or they all seem to be having the same problem?
I understand that it's challenging to educate a child with ASD or similar diagnosis, but that's the reason why you would enroll him/her in the special education school. Is there anything else on the market? Or it's really a choice of being behind academically but in comfortable environment, or try to be like everybody else and suffer emotionally since there will be a good chance that ASD child will not be accepted among peers. I just want to know, if this is my only choice.
Is the education really that bad, that one would not be able to keep up and get into the college in the future? I know that they currently serve through grade 10, but pretty sure will be able to expand till grade 12 in the near future with the increasing population of special needs children.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Catherine ()
Date: December 29, 2013 04:57PM

We plan to tour this school soon as a possibility for K for my son. He has ADHD and possibly some sensory issues. I see most of those commenting have kids with AS. Does anyone know about their ability to teach ADHD kids. Also, what is the span of abilities at this school?

Thanks!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Kim ()
Date: November 21, 2014 11:48AM

Have you visited Newton School? We couldn't be happier.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Lynn ()
Date: January 17, 2015 12:32PM

Our son was at Auburn for two years. His first year, which was also the year the school opened, was more than phenomenal, but, to this day, I kick myself for not pulling him out early into the second year.

When Auburn was first in development, we were urged to enroll him by our educational consultant, who was one of the directors and who insisted he was the "poster child" for the school. He's "Aspergerish" from the standpoint of introversion, awkward/lacking social skills, and sensory issues, and he's very, very smart (99th-100th percentile nationwide in math and reasoning). We never saw a need to pursue a diagnosis or label so, unlike most of the students at that time, he was just a very quirky, bright kid.

The first year, he was in second grade with five other kids and two teachers. Both teachers were not only trained in and skilled with working with such kids but genuinely caring, dedicated professionals who went above and beyond on a daily basis. I really can't say enough about them both; just incredible individuals who really made a difference. The entire program, from academics to OT, was 100% individualized. My son was taught to his academic and intelligence level while learning social skills and receiving help with his sensory issues in a safe, consistent environment. It was literally a dream come true. I packed a healthful lunch and snack every day, and the students had access to both a fridge and a microwave so options for home-prepared meals were greatly expanded. He met a kid in his class that year who remains his best friend to this day, but there was also a slightly older, high-functioning autistic boy with a strong personality who taught my second-grader some things about sex and anatomy I wasn't necessarily ready for him to know.

It all began to unravel when the original head, who was perfectly competent, was fired. It appeared to many parents, myself included, that she was forced out by a small group of non-scholarship (full-tuition-paying) families who wanted more personal access and control over all aspects of the school than she was willing to grant (though, in my experience, the input we did have as parents was an unprecedented amount). The interim head was really amazing and I wish she had stayed. She understood and appreciated the students and ran things in a manner designed to benefit them. But the school is for-profit, so they hired an administrative-minded woman for the second year whose primary claim to be head of a school for Asperger-type kids was that her own (then college-age) son had ADHD. She never tired of reminding the parents that the challenges of raising a kid with ADHD were the same as those of Asperger's and autism. She clearly wanted to seem like she truly understood our kids, but it always seemed kind of desperate and even somewhat offensive to me; kind of like saying, "I'm qualified to teach French because I'm fluent in Spanish."

This new head was horrific. She enforced moronic decisions that were apparently made simply for the sake of change and, in the process, disenfranchised and alienated a lot of people (parents and teachers alike). She restricted interactions between parents and teachers to practically zero and her attempts to strip down and streamline the program tasted strongly of militarism. But the worst was that, in order to increase profits, the school began to accept students that it previously would not have accepted, students with very severe behavioral issues. In my son's class, the teachers went from focusing primarily on academics to being in permanent crisis-management mode, handling constant disruptions and freak-outs from a new student who routinely threw chairs, cursed people out, tore up others' work, and even tried to run away from the school on one occasion. The school, of course, did not see a reason to notify parents of things such as the classroom having been rendered uninhabitable for half the day. I found out after the fact, when the mom of the child in question was enthusing to me about how the school didn't make her remove her son even though he had done all these truly shocking things that she then listed and detailed to me.

About halfway through the year my son, who had always been eager to go to school, began to ask to stay home. I was perplexed and asked several times to discuss the situation with the teachers and head. The head kept brushing me off, would not allow the teachers to respond to me personally, and did not herself acknowledge my concerns until I finally lost my temper and expressed my anger to her in no uncertain terms - which I did because the school had allowed the child with the severe behavioral issues to persecute my son for so long without doing anything to stop it, that my son finally snapped and used some bad language on the kid. Then they had the chutzpah to send us a letter reproaching him for his foul language and asking him to APOLOGIZE to the other kid. It was OK for the other kid to hit, throw things, and flush my son's papers down the toilet (yes, really) but my son was not allowed to get angry in response to months of this kind of thing. To me, this was yet more evidence, if any more was needed, that kids whose parents paid full tuition received preferential treatment over those who received partial scholarships.

At the end of that year, all of the best teachers bailed. A few of them quit even without having another job to go to because the school had deteriorated to such an extent. The writing had been on the wall for months by then so we followed suit and got out, too. I've since heard from fellow parents that little has improved, and that the school continues to accept, and to give preferential treatment to, students with major problems whose parents can afford the full $35k+ tuition. Most of the original families have left. I can only imagine that the good reviews here are from people who a) don't have the first, incredible year as a basis for comparison and/or b) are parents of the kind of kid referenced in this review and who are grateful to have found a school that lets them stay.

It's really too bad that a school that held such promise for a population of students who are often poorly served and misunderstood was mismanaged into a place I wouldn't send my son if I were paid to do so.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: DtDDH ()
Date: January 17, 2015 12:38PM

"...we were urged to enroll him by our educational consultant..."

^ stopped reading there.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Ann ()
Date: February 15, 2015 10:45AM

It is completely offensive to use the word 'tard. Whoever wrote that has no business responding to a special needs inquiry. And since it has not been removed by the administrators of this site, I feel no qualms in inviting the people who responded so to go fuck themselves

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Date: May 03, 2015 08:05AM

I want to specifically respond to Lynn's post on January 17, 2015 because her experience is several years in the past, but the date looks like it is current. Though I've never met her, Lynn's observations are quite likely accurate for the years her child attended Auburn, but bear no reflection on the school's current environment and could not be more inaccurate today.

My HFA son is 7 and has attended The Auburn School in Herndon, VA for two years (2013-14, 2014-2015) and Camp Aristotle for two summers (2013 & 2014). He is currently a second grader. The current Head of School, Heather Hargrave, was hired in the summer 2013. I have been Lead of the Parents Association for the current school year. In two years, the school experienced its highest student retention, has its highest enrollment, and experienced the highest teacher retention. Two teachers left - one for personal and a second for professional reasons - last year. All current teachers have committed to return for the next academic year, 2015-16. Most significantly, The Auburn Schools (all three campuses) underwent a thorough accreditation review in the spring 2014 (unfortunately, I can't remember the accreditation agency). The review team's lead gave the schools' their highest recommendation in his 20+ years as reviewer. Auburn received accreditation in the fall 2014. There were, of course, recommendations for improvement, and, while I can speak only to the Herndon campus, the Auburn leadership team has worked diligently throughout the current school year to improve technology and augment Upper School curriculum with electives.

With regard to my son's achievements, his anxiety is at an all-time low, and his confidence is at an all-time high. While my husband and I were not unhappy with the public school in his kindergarten year, we knew our son was miserable. He had no friends. He never ate lunch - even with a staff lunch buddy. Invitations for play dates were rebuffed. Teachers reported he didn't play with kids during recess. Transitions between classes were exceptionally stressful for him. He has an exceptional memory but is easily distracted. His reading comprehension was terrible, and we feared that his academic coping strategies would begin to fail him as he met the demands of 1st grade. My son is not a behavior problem, but would simply wander away from classroom centers in kindergarten to get paper and crayons to draw; admittedly unnoticed by his teachers.

After his two-day visit to Auburn, he had the mother of all melt-downs when we told him he would not return the third day. It was so bad that his private OT was overwhelmed and spent his regular weekly appointment calming him so he could survive his day. After two days, he left Auburn referring to his "two best friends."

Before Auburn, he never spoke with strangers and was overwhelmed with new experiences which affected our family's social options. Further, my son has severely restricted his diet, and despite nine months following a private OT protocol, he achieved no flexibility in eating new foods.

Auburn's social thinking curriculum is fully integrated throughout the day. We receive a daily point sheet that gives us insight into our son's behavior throughout the day which includes his individual behavior goal. When the quantitative data indicates that he has mastered his goal, his individual goal is revised. There is nothing anecdotal or subjective about measuring his social learning achievement, and it is all documented in a quarterly social behavior report separate from his academic report card. The beauty of the social thinking curriculum is that it translates to changed behavior in all social scenarios; not just his school routines. Family and friends constantly remark how changed our son is and how flexible he has become. Our family now attends movies, theater, concerts, church, parties, etc. on a regular basis which has been wonderfully refreshing.

Academically, the school implements individualized instruction which more than satisfies my son's strengths in language arts and his disinterest and difficulties with math. We are considering a summer learning program (LindaMood Bell) to improve our son's brain processing challenges, and this independent academic testing confirms his academic progress cited by Auburn in the mid-quarter progress reports and quarterly parent teacher conferences and report cards.

Further, the school implemented an incentive plan for our son's lunches this year. Our son now tries any new food we ask at home and at school, and he has adopted about six new foods into his diet including the school's weekly pizza lunch.

We frequently ask our son if he would like to return to public school to be with his brother, and he consistently responds, "No. Auburn is my school." In addition to small class sizes, a staff who understand him, and an absence of chaos, our son has his friends. He is happier than we have ever seen him. He loves the school's field trips, and his daily PE and arts integration. We see other Auburn families at frequent evening and weekend events, and on occasional play dates. My husband and I are better parents to both of our kids because of the education our son receives and the education we receive from teachers, staff, and monthly parent workshops on topics specific to the needs of HFA kids.

I obviously could write volumes about how pleased we are with our son's Auburn experience. At present, we know Auburn is the best choice we can make for our son. And, I feel compelled to say, we are not a wealthy family that ever planned on private school for our kids. While we are the grateful beneficiaries of Auburn's generous financial aid, modifying our lifestyle and regular budget have been small sacrifices for the extraordinary growth, development, and independence we observe in our son to enable him to be his very best self.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Ying Ko ()
Date: May 03, 2015 08:43AM

So this is a school for retards?

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Meadowridge99 ()
Date: May 03, 2015 11:53AM

I have gone to Auburn for three years, but am not returning next year. I had a very rough year in 7th grade in public school, so we decided a small private school would be right for me. When I first went there, I had some social difficulties in fit in better. But now I am less challenged than most of the students there.

The Auburn School is for bright students with social and communication challenges, such as autism. The school is divided into the lower school (grades K-6) and the upper school (grades 7-12).

There is one student in 10th grade who is turning 17 this fall, but he can barely hold a conversation, always blurts out random things in class, and doesn't stop when he's asked to. At first it seemed funny, but over time, all lingering enchantment faded. Because of the students' difficulties, you can expect at least one of them to have a temper tantrum every day.

The word "retard" is no longer a medical term for people with challenges, and has become an insult. The word now used instead of retarded is intellectually disabled.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Heather Hargrave ()
Date: May 06, 2015 09:50PM

In reading through old posts about The Auburn School, Herndon campus, I am proud to say that we have come a long way! Although mistakes have been made in the past and Auburn lost several families and staff, Auburn-Herndon is currently thriving. I am in my second year as Head of School. I am proud to be part of such a dynamic organization, and I am honored to work with such incredible staff, students and parents. We have experienced several milestone achievements in the short time I have been at Auburn that are worth mentioning. We achieved accreditation through AdvancED in the spring of 2014 with some of the highest scores the accreditation team has seen. Our upper school has grown significantly and we are currently serving students in all grade levels in high school; we will even graduate our first student in June. We have developed partnerships with outside agencies to provide afterschool clubs to our students. We are working with College Steps and Northern Virginia Community College, Loudoun to provide a smooth transition to college for our students after high school. We have seen tremendous growth in the retention rate of students and staff. I welcome the opportunity to tour any interested families and professionals. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information.

Sincerely,
Heather Hargrave, Head of School
The Auburn School, Herndon Campus

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Madlibs ()
Date: February 08, 2017 08:29PM

I've been waiting awhile to do this, this school is great for the kids, and it's terrible for the teachers. The principal makes problems worse, fears conflict with staff to the point of allowing them to take over her role as a school leader. Turn over is rampant, 10 new teachers it seems each year. Classrooms lack character and warmth and I would recommend that if you value your sanity and career path you avoid setting foot in this place. But, for parents if you want to shell out 40k for a glorified private school with some hit or miss teachers it's the place for you.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Kari ()
Date: June 18, 2018 03:43PM

I was thinking Biut sending my son to Auburn, but dealing with their summer camp has completely changed my mind. I am not sure why they advertise it as a school for autism when they reject kids with autism. They told me that my child was absolutely accepted for the summer, and then they told me they needed to figure out where to place him. (The enrollment process for summer camp was like applying to the Ivy League, btw). So we went to that, and I got radio silence. We had prepared for the summer and expected that our son would be going, as they had said he had been accepted. I finally called them this morning for an invoice,and got some bullshit about the computers being down. Then they lied to me about trying to contact me (it never happened), and told me today that they are unable to accommodate him. My son is not violent, has no behavior issues, and is sweet and smart. The lack of communication and the lies are repugnant. If they didn’t want to accept him, fine. It at least give us enough time in the process to find a different option for the summer. They seem to have no regard for parents or kids. Stay away.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: All female names=OP ()
Date: June 19, 2018 07:10AM

All the female names are the OP.
So obvious that your cuck ass cannot confront the schools administration and resolve these issues.
Grow a pair faggot!

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Rebecca Collee ()
Date: July 31, 2019 06:17AM

Auburn School is a great career move. But also in school, it’s worth doing other things. For example, many students at this time are already working, despite a large amount of paperwork in college. They often use the free essay example on the Edusson website to save time. It seems to me that this is a great way to speed up education. The modern educational system no longer meets the necessary standards of the labour market.

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: Mike hunttt ()
Date: July 31, 2019 06:28AM

Jill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am considering sending my daughter to at least
> camp at the Auburn School in Herndon. Can anyone
> who has comments please post them. I haven't
> heard any reviews, but it seems perfect for my
> daughter who is very bright but has some sensory
> issues and is socially challenged. Thanks.

What’s at least camp?

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: wvmex ()
Date: July 31, 2019 11:08AM

DROP DEAD G2 - stop reviving threats to bump off more worthy ones

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Re: The Auburn School in Herndon: Any Reviews?
Posted by: FastAF ()
Date: August 07, 2019 10:22AM

You should consider that fact that education in such a school can be really difficult. Many of my friends read ivoryresearch.com review after studying at such schools because they are not able to do all these tasks.

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