Collaborative Advocacy Associates - Testimonials from Clients

Collaborative Advocacy™ Associates
Effective Advocacy for Children with Special Learning Needs™

WHAT A FEW OF OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT US:

"We want to thank you from the bottom of our
hearts for your invaluable support today at (our
son's) PPT, It certainly was a different experience
then we had encountered when we met with the
team previously. Your professionalism.
Knowledge, experience and communications skills
were such an asset to our meeting...You are truly
a blessing."
- L.H. ORANGE, CT

"Again, we appreciate all your help and
expertise to get (our son) where he
needed to be. It's been a life-changing
event for him and we will always be
grateful. - F.B. WILTON, CT

"I just wanted to personally thank you
for your dedicated service and sincere
support. I appreciate your strength and
scholarship greatly and am learning a
great deal how to respond to the
school and issues that arise regarding
(my son's) education."
- C.T. NEW CANAAN, CT

"Noreen, your name has come up so many times in
conversations we have had with people, from parents
to psychologists and educators, regarding issues
with (our son) and everyone we have crossed paths
with that knows you has told us what an impact you
have had and what a difference you have made.I just
feel compelled to tell you how fortunate we feel to
have you on our team."
- K.M. WESTPORT, CT

" We're very happy we used CAA. We knew what
was right for our daughter but needed help to make
it happen. Noreen was great - she was very
accommodating and understanding our of situation.
She is clearly an expert in her field and guided us
through the PPT and IEP process, ensuring that our
daughter's learning needs are addressed.
She was a pleasure to work with, and without
question, we'd recommend Noreen and her team to
anyone in a similar situation."
- E. H. DARIEN, CT

" Working with you during this process
played a vital role in changing (my son's)
educational plan. Your education,
dedication, and professionalism
accomplished our goals in a cooperative,
respectful way while maintaining good
relationships between PPT participants.
Throughout our work together you have
remained a great source of support for
me and I am so appreciative of the care
you have shown me and my son."
- L.G. NORWALK, CT

"I am so grateful that I have finally met
someone that truly cares. Thank you
so much for working so hard for us
today. I realize that we still have a long
road ahead but it is comforting to have
someone like you helping us work it
out. I truly appreciate everything you
are doing for (our daughter). Thank
you so much, and God bless you."
-- V.N. STAMFORD, CT

" We want to thank you and your staff for all of the help
and guidance you have provided us with on behalf of
(our son). Without your help we would not have been
able to see (our son) grow academically and socially
within the school setting. Your expert knowledge and
professional manner have been of utmost importance in
getting the school to help and recognize that a child with
ADHD needs support and must be dealt with under the
special laws which have been enacted to protect them."
- C.T. FAIRFIELD, CT

" Noreen has done an amazing job on
(our son's) case. We feel as if we've
made nice progress and most
importantly, we have benefited from
learning how to better interpret the
reports, data collection, strengths and
weaknesses, etc. She has trained me
quite well to stay on top of special ed
promises and to make the school team
more responsible in addressing
relevant issues."
- P.D. NEW CANAAN, CT

"Thank you again for all the help you provided us - it was invaluable.
Noreen supported us in an unbiased and objective manner, giving
us support and guidance while attending the oft-times overwhelming
and emotionally challenging PPT meetings. Through our
collaboration, we learned what our options were and what
educational opportunities where available for our son. . Noreen
continually helped us stay focused on the facts relevant to those
options and opportunities in order for us to ultimately make the
decision we felt was best for our son. We came to feel that our
child's education and future had been put back into our hands, and
with it the right to help define that education and future. For that, we
are, and always will be eternally grateful."
- J. S. STAMFORD, CT

" We highly recommend Noreen O'Mahoney to anyone
looking for an advocate for a special needs child in Fairfield
County. Noreen takes the job very seriously and she truly
understands our needs. She is dedicated, skillful and very
patient. She always makes sure we completely understand
the process such as IEP and PPT meetings.Her knowledge of
the special education systems in this area and her
negotiation skills are very impressive."
- N.W. WILTON, CT

" We sincerely appreciate the personal time and attention
that you afforded us in the complex educational needs of our
son. The help and guidance you provided during this time
was knowledgeable, appropriate and most importantly,
effective. Thank you for empowering us to become more
knowledgeable and effective in our efforts in dealing with the
continuing advocacy for our son. We are deeply grateful for
your efforts."
- S.S., STAMFORD, CT

" You took my extensive case load and showed me how to organize and
prioritize it. You have been an invaluable help during the PPTs with
your ready knowledge, awareness of the issues on hand and ability to
make sure key points and issues are articulated and resolved. I
consider myself, and my children very lucky to have you as part of their
advocacy team."
-- S.H. Norwalk, CT

" A very big heartfelt THANK YOU ....
There is no possible way we would have
had these speedy results without your
help! "
- M.L. GREENWICH, CT

"I thought I would send you a quick email to say THANK YOU! You were
so amazing in the meeting and I never would have gotten anywhere with
the school without your input. (The teacher) had her case all built that
(my daughter) is a model student and doing fine. You were able to
point out so many hard facts and examples to document that this is not
the case. And you did it in such a firm but non-accusatory manner. I
feel so thankful that (my friend) put us in touch and so appreciative that
there is someone out there like you who can help get the support that
(my daughter) needs to be more successful in school."
- R.O. WESTON, CT

We wanted to
touch base and let
you know that Jill is
doing a phenomenal
job working with us
and we are very
happy to have her
on our team!

- E.O. NORWALK CT

  We are very thankful to work with Jill Chuckas. She has guided
and structured our son's program. Her expertise in dealing with
the special education system has been instrumental.      She is
also very sensitive to the needs of our family. She is able to
convey her points in a constructive way and therefore,
strengthened our son's team, which includes school, outside
therapists and consultants.
                             Q.L. - WOODBRIDGE, CT

I could finally take a much needed breath knowing Jill was on the case for my
son. She knows the system's ins and outs and will guide you with confidence,
support, and compassion throughout your frustrating journey. I highly respect
and would recommend Jill to anyone I know having troubles with their school
system.
K.B. - NORWALK, CT

  When dealing with a school board, when it comes to
your child, you have a ton of emotions that transpire and
you wonder why they just don't address the issue. Most
school boards have rules and regulation to keep in line
with town budgets. Not knowing what you and your child's
rights are for testing, this puts you at a severe
disadvantage when working with the school board. They
will present your child's options to you, but their
recommendations will usually be to their advantage, not
necessarily your child's. With your emotions at a peak
you will trust their advice since you believe that they are
the subject matter experts.

  We highly recommend Jill Chuckas if you believe your
child has a learning disadvantage. Jill is an independent
subject matter expert from the school services side and
will get the resources you need from a testing
perspective and inform you what are in the best interests
for your child. Without using a qualified advocate your
case may be heard on deaf ears. Most school boards
are not inclined to assist if your child is able to get
average grades while your time and their struggles
continue to grow. Take our advice to hire a professional
from the start and get your child on the right track when
you notice their struggles. It will lead you to the correct
resources and allow your child to succeed with the
school supporting your decisions.
                                                   -   S.S TRUMBULL, CT