Wayne Center for the Arts — Attraction in Wooster

In all the camps my children have been to over the past 19 years, this one was the worst. My middle son has Autism. I am very supportive to any camps that take my son- provide things to help him stay calm, early pick ups, even stay and assist so that he can have that experience. WCA has had my children before, but not in two years since they left a bad taste in my mouth. Well, I decided to sign my 3 boys up for theater camp. I told them that I was available until two if he had any issues. Sue called at 2:10 to tell me my son with autism would not participate, and that he insisted on reading his book. I told Sue that this was how he participated. She explained that it sets a bad example for the other children and they would not be accommodating him anymore. I asked if he was kicked out and Sue said "Of course not, we just need to think of a better plan". My husband spoke to Lynn at pick up and she said she thought it would be better if in the future they were in separate camps (they have always separated kids by age group in the past but we were told they cant do that anymore because of low enrollment). We decided that this was not going to be a good fit for our middle son, since they will not let him read or take breaks if he is overstimulated. When we showed up at camp the next day, my husband was told that he needed to pick which kid would be attending camp. They told him in front of the kids that they wanted my oldest because the other two didn't show as much potential. My husband was overwhelmed with our sobbing 7 year old, When he told me what was wrong, I called the center and spoke to Josh, the president. He never let me speak, constantly cut me off if I tried, called my children "problems", refused to give me information on the board and said everything must go through him. In the end, I still don't have an answer why two of my children were kicked out in less than a day. I felt very uncomfortable leaving my oldest son there. When I went to pick him up, Josh followed me and continued to complain about the children. I again said to name an incident, and he said he didn't know of any but that he was not the teacher. Then as we were leaving he shouted across the parking lot, in front of all my sons friends, and said "You know, good example of parenting. I see where he gets it from". I feel so disgusted. My children are so sad, so...

My children have done a variety of classes and camps at the WCA over the last few years, and I can't say enough good things about them. The instructors have been extremely patient with my children (even when the children aren't being patient), and are very sensitive and responsive to their needs. (One of my children had some special medical circumstances, and I made the WCA aware and they were very understanding/accommodating.)

One time my son wanted to try a class, but was unsure (he was 6 at the time). We asked if we could come to one to try it out before we registered, and they agreed to let him try the class. Shortly after the class started, he balled up in a corner to cry because he didn't want to participate, and the instructor was extremely understanding. He was never spoken down to, nor was he forced to participate. I sat next to him as he calmed, watching the kids do the activities. Every time they switched, he was welcomed in by the instructor if he wanted to try, but nobody ever made him feel bad about being scared.

My daughter is very into her ballet classes there, and they have done an amazing job instructing her. She has an off day every now and then (as all kids do), but the instructors are nothing less that fabulous with her even when she's being challenging.

Though it's not been often for us, if there are any miscommunications, they will make the time to meet with you and discuss things to ensure everyone is on the same page. I've never been treated with anything other than respect by any instructor or staff member at WCA.

The WCA is definitely a great place to help your kids (or you!) discover and explore a love of...

We love the Wayne Center for the Arts. I feel so fortunate that a community of our size has an organization like this. The arts and STEM are so important, and as a parent it can be hard to find ways to support kids who are interested in these fields outside of the school environment. I'm grateful I can enroll my kids in activities other than sports (since neither of them seem keen on athletics) where they can meet new friends, develop new skills (and sharpen existing ones), learn something new, and grow in new ways. In addition to kids' classes, they offer adult classes and host art shows and performances for the public to enjoy. Plus, the staff and instructors are personable and kind and seem to really want...