Art Steps — Local services in Yorba Linda

If you have a child with a disability, an IEP or have your classes funded by the Regional Center please avoid this school. My son had been attending this school since November with no issues. He has pretty severe Autism, ADHD as well as some physical disabilities. As part of his disability, my son will sometimes say or draw inappropriate things. This is a well documented behavior on his IEP and with all his providers as part of his inability to communicate appropriately in certain settings due to his Autism. The school accused my son of being a threat to staff and other students and has kicked him out of the school d/t an a single drawing. My son is a sweet boy and does not have a history of violence and has never been violent towards anyone or made any verbal threats of violence toward anyone. He has been assessed by school psychologists, neurologists, mental health clinicians and other experts. None have ever found violence to be a concern for him. I have offered to talk with him (usually this works pretty well once he realizes the drawings were inappropriate for that setting), sit with him during the class or have his ABA therapists accompany him to the class. I provided IEP documentation noting the behavior as part of his normal way of communicating and due to his disability. The owner was unwilling to work with me at all and told me that my son was a liability to the school. I am considering legal action as his regular school, IEP team, his providers and the regional center have let me know this is considered discrimination due to his disability which is illegal. I am writing this to help parents and kiddos with disabilities avoid a very unpleasant situation. My son truly enjoyed that school, would rave about the staff and call them his friends. I am going to transition him to a more supportive school but it was a very unpleasant and disturbing experience for both myself and my son, who doesn’t do well with transitions. And now I’m trying to explain to my son why he had to leave his current school that he loves because the staff see him as a “threat” because of a single drawing. I would not wish this on any...

As a mother of two special needs kids I highly recommend Art Steps for its attentive and caring instructors creating a welcoming environment. It's important to me my kids can feel pride in their learning even though it's at a different pace than others. The instructors take time to know where to start, then in that comfortable space they give personal attention and allow time for them to develop their skills. My kids have felt part of a group of students without the pressure to keep up or compare with others. Allowed to work at their pace,with guidance and instruction all along the way for an outcome of art they feel personal pride in is...

Best art experience for all ages! My time at Art Steps has been nothing short of spectacular! The teachers and art inspiration and diversity of painting techniques are better than most other classes I have ever tried. It’s very chill and helpful to aspiring artists and people striving to grasp a more artistic approach on life. They have classes every day and even offer fun camps and fundraisers! A great experience for any person who is hoping to gain some artsy perspective! But anyone hoping to join a class should...