Parents of children with special needs, disabilities, or on the autism spectrum may face enrollment challenges in group classes at SPAA. If your child doesn't fit their mold, you'll likely be offered a 30-minute one-on-one "Extraordinary Kids" class. While this may suit some families, our experience over three months revealed scheduling and communication issues.Initially, we aimed for our daughter to join MT1 (Musical Theater - level 1), specifically the Encanto class on Wednesdays. It's important to note that they eagerly accept nonrefundable deposits without requiring instructor placement meetings or free trials, despite their "pre-req: instructor placement required" notation. Just a week before the class's start, it was rescheduled to Mondays, with the option to choose the Monday Encanto class or pay extra for MT2 - Matilda, a 1.5-hour class. This decision came with additional costs and disappointment, as our daughter could no longer participate in Encanto, feeling like a "bait and switch."After several sessions in MT2, inquiring about our daughter's progress from the teacher, Amanda, yielded a curt response, which, frustratingly, aligned with their handbook policies.Around a month later, Angela, the center director, informed us that our daughter wasn't a good fit for MT2 and suggested MT1 - Matilda on Saturdays, along with Extraordinary Kids. This schedule didn't align with our family's weekends, and our query about a pre-ballet class on weekdays went unanswered. MT1 Encanto on Mondays was already full, and contacting the office resulted in 3-4 day response delays. They ultimately limited our daughter to the 30-minute Extraordinary Kids class on Saturdays. We requested a phone call with Angela and Miss Ana, our daughter's primary teacher, to understand the underlying issues but were met with the suggestion of a chargeable conference through the office, which was unreasonable.In response, we informed the office of our withdrawal decision, prompting a lengthy email from Angela. The explanation was that our daughter lacked the necessary skills for group class participation, leaving us frustrated that she wasn't given an opportunity even at a pre-beginner/level 1 class. This gave us the impression of a discriminatory environment and a lack of compassion from Angela. Despite their "dance and musical theatre for non-typical children" claim on their website, SPAA management appears far from inclusive. We recommend special needs families explore other options.
