Blue Bird Day - West Loop Reviews

Terrible explanation on the phone about how they operate and/or how to schedule an appointment. The person speaking on the phone should have full knowledge how to explain to a naive person about their programs

If you're wondering why they are so successful, it's not their quality of care, it's the nickel-and-dime grift they're running. They charge a "Rest Fee" - almost $300 a month so our 3 year old can nap... That's the most egregious fee and believe me, they have a bunch of other fees outside of what insurance covers. We've toured several other competing therapeutic schools and have not run into another one this extreme.

Blue Bird Day has been a wonderful experience for our child. The team at Blue Bird is truly remarkable in the work that they do and the love and care they provide. Our child loves each and every one of her therapists and TAs - Elizabeth R, Emily G, Emily La., Ann C., Nicole P, Elizabeth K, Jessica R, Leye, Abby, Kira, Kayla, Brielle, Sydney, Mia, Emily Li., Julia, Alexa - and talks about them often! The admin staff is also exceptional (Cindy!) and has made all the insurance and paperwork and scheduling as seamless as it could possibly be.

Our family moved to IL from NC for our child to attend BBD in Wheaton. From the first time I spoke with Kristen I felt immediate relief and hope. After our son's records were sent to BBD and we had virtual interviews and meetings we moved our family to a place we had never even visited at that time. We have experienced nothing but unending support and compassion from the entire staff. At drop off, you can see so many children with different abilities all being taken care of with such love and understanding for each of their needs. The therapists and staff are willing to accommodate the children (and parents) to a point that seems unending. Our son is non-verbal and began BBD in August with no words and is now thriving. His team (Laura (DT), Kelsey (SW), Rocio (OT), Kristin (PT), Lily and Sinead (ST), Katie (TA), Elise (TA), Abby (TA), and Sarah (TA).) is amazing. We receive reports and pictures throughout the day of what he is learning and participating in and I have never, for one minute, worried about his safety or emotional well-being. They play outside and with different toys and activities. They don't worry about getting messy and allow for the children to be children! From the moment Amy greets him in the morning, I know that he will be well-loved and well-taken care of. Working with Cynthia and Catarina for ABA therapy he has worked through many of his sensory issues, and we have even had a home visit to help us work through some of the struggles we have at home that he doesn't display at school. He is excited about school and always reports back that he has great days! There is a negative review about BBD and, in my opinion, it is defamatory, unfair, and dangerous to the community of people who need a place like BBD. As someone with a child who is unable to speak and express himself, many times the frustration comes out in anger, and sometimes even violence. If you are sending your child to a therapeutic school like BBD, there should be a level of understanding that there are children who have many different abilities, and some of them, while struggling with big emotions, can be violent. This doesn't make BBD a bad or unsafe place, this makes BBD a safe place where there are people who understand this behavior and are there to help and keep all the children safe. I am in the lobby twice a day and have been behind the locked doors many times and have heard many interactions. The children are met with patience, kindness, and respect. BBD Wheaton and the staff that care for the children are exceptional and what every child with different abilities deserves to have.

I fully recommend Blue Bird Day for preschool/kindergarten! I've been able to work with Jill who is passionate and an absolute beacon of support and happiness for everyone she's able to interact with. She provides clear communication and meaningful aid/encouragement to both her children and their parents. It's very clear that the staff at Blue Bird Day are professional and committed to their mission which shows in the full range of service they provide. Thank you Blue Bird Day and Jill!

Blue Bird Day has been such a great support for my kiddos.The staff work seamlessly together to really provide a phenomenal experience to the children and families. I'm really grateful to have found this resource. A special thanks to Jaimie,Melanie,Jessica R.,Olaleye,Miranda,Mariela, Alex,Bri and Sydney who ALWAYS make dropping my kids off feel like I'm leaving them with family.

Jill is one of the most kind & genuine people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Her dedication to providing exceptional care is truly commendable. Jill goes above & beyond to create a warm & nurturing environment for the children she works with all while having passion & creativity in her role. She makes such a positive impact on the kids' lives and mine ◡̈ It's evident that she genuinely loves what she does. I wholeheartedly recommend Jill & Blue Bird Day to any parent seeking a caring and devoted professional.

If I could rate this place a zero I would! My son was suppose to start at Blue Bird Day November 6, however someone called me the day before he was suppose to start and said "Zayden wouldn't be a good fit" in other words he was to far on the spectrum for them to help! They had me pay a deposit to "hold his spot" as they said. I'm in tears writing this because they claim to be a school of diversity and just told a child with special needs he couldn't attend. Don't waste your time at this place!!!

Don’t be tricked by the high star reviews from others, I know I fell for it too, it appears Blue Bird Day will flag and try to remove any negative comments. This place claims to be a therapeutic preschool program that promotes diversity and inclusion for neurodiverse clients ranging anywhere from autism to cerebral palsy to sensory disorders, the list goes on… The entire idea of this program sounds great, but it was too good to be true. What their website and team will not say outloud to parents is that they actually hold an ableist bias when it comes to who they accept into the program. If your child is nonverbal, has sensory issues, and/or has mobility limitations don’t waste your time trying to enroll in their Hatchlings or Blue Bird Day program - these are some of the reasons why they denied my child. They strung me along for six months during the enrollment process and had me put down a deposit all just to say that their team of therapists and environment are not equipped to do exactly what their website claims. As advertised on their website, they initially offered to create an individualized plan for my child and then went back on their words. It was all talk, and everything sounded so great, but that’s what happens when they’re so focused on marketing, but can’t actually deliver. I even offered to supply all medical equipments, toys, books and anything else they might need for my child, but that didn’t make a difference to them. After six months, they denied my child right at the start of the school year, so you can only imagine how hard it would be to find alternatives when the school year had already started. Their enrollment process begs the question, which medical diagnoses and to what degree are acceptable for prospective clients? Are their therapists trained and experienced enough to handle a variety of diagnoses? Is the environment and program ADA compliant? Maybe all of that should be disclosed on their website instead of deceiving parents with a bunch of catch phrases targeting special needs parents. For the record, I did get my deposit back, but I will not get back six months of wasted time.

Our son has shown tremendous progress in his year at BBD Wheaton. He loves going to school. His therapists/teachers, past and present, are phenomenal. With their help, support and guidance, our son’s future seems bright. Thank you, BBD!

I have two kiddos at Blue Bird who get multiple services per day for the past 1.5yrs and am very happy with the people and therapies they receive. Highly recommend!

I simply love everything and everyone in this school! I see the progress my son has been making, I see that he loves going to school and I'm happy. I can't say enough good things about everyone who works with my son, they all has been doing an amazing job! Thank you Alexis (OT), Taylor (ST), Selena (SW), Susan (PT), Katie (DT), Derek, Paulina, Sarah (TAs),Mark,Cory,Nereida,Alisa.

Our son started at Blue Bird Day this past August! We have had the best experience so far with all of his programming and the staff! Our son has made huge progress since started & loves going each day! We are so lucky to have been referred this place to us!!! Cory is BCBA, Alexis his OT, & Ms. Donavan his teacher are the BEST!!!

My daughter has been going to blue bird for almost two years when she started she wasn’t talking and had other concerns. Two years later she is potty trained, talking and doing amazing. Her BCBA Amber has been with her since she started and was able to help me with all of my concerns for my daughter Kamille. I would highly recommend this school for anyone who has a child that needs these services it is definitely worth it. Thank You Blue Bird Day Staff for all your help!

I just have to review at how wonderful blue bird day is my experience has been nothing but great my child has come a long way in a short amount of time while being at bbd he has improved and learn so many helpful skills we have seen a big difference he wakes up every morning excited to go to bbd and see his wonderful team Ms morgan baumert ms Manuela oliveira ms justine solis ms Bridget sulek ms michelle dieter ms cory ms Kelly belknap ms alice Schuermann ms megan mcConnell and other therapist who have or currently working with him they all have been so wonderful and helpful ! I am so thankful as my child has created strong bonds with his team of therapists and his TA’S im thankful for all the wonderful TA’S ms caterina and kelly who do so much as well everyone is great at communicating with everything that happens during my child day at bbd im also grateful for both Kristi and Kristen who are so helpful and very informative professional thank you bbd for all that you do for my child and family I could write a whole paragraph of how grateful and happy I am with bbd and there services also parent meetings are extremely help I also love the fact that bbd works together as a team as a family with anything that has to do with my child goals or concerns they always include us and we never feel left out .we know my child is happy at bbd he is always asking about his bbd team when they go on vacation when are they coming back and when they do he is very happy including other staff there and when Saturday and Sunday comes he is asking if he can go to bbd once Monday comes he is happy and ready to go bbd has taught my child so many Great things he has learn so much I know he is in safe and great hands he loves all his bbd team and they are great at finding solutions also they are great at respecting my wishes on certain food snacks that we are working to slowly decrease

My son loves it here. 4 months here and I see a lot of progress and growth.