Children’s Workshop, San Diego, CA

Thursday, February 8 2024

What an impressive school tour I had the privilege of participating in today.

The Children’s Workshop, located just off Miramar Road in North San Diego County, provides special education and therapy programs for students with communication, learning, social, and behavior challenges.

As I walked up to the building, I noticed a large sign out front that read, “Catch Them Being Good.”  You can surely write anything on a sign, but as I went on to observe the teachers in action, I found that the philosophy was applied in practice. The positive words and tone of voice the teachers used as they worked with students was impressive!

I was equally impressed by the use of occupational therapy embedded into the school day without removing students from their learning environment.  I observed a student easily relinquish a preferred device when his teacher pushed him in a swing for some calming vestibular action before requesting the device. It was a beautiful thing to watch!

One of the highlights of my visit was learning from Director Alicia Ritter that meetings are held with parents every 6 weeks to review student progress. During those meetings, videos of the student’s performance on each documented goal is presented to parents!

Oh, and did I mention that student instruction takes place in a village of little forts? I think the parents and I secretly wanted to enroll in this school ourselves. 

This school is the gold standard for intervention programs, and it sets the bar high for future clients I serve.