What the parents say

We have no doubt in our minds that CLDP gave our son the best possible chance to maximise his development potential during his 2.5 years spent with Joan and her incredible team in CLDP. Our son is now a completely different child to the little boy who was non-verbal & own agenda the day he first set foot in CLDP. As a family, we were in turmoil and most days were a struggle to try and deal with our son’s additional needs: as parents we didn’t’ have the required expertise to give him the full supports that he needed & none of the government pre-school supports were available for children under three years of age. Every month counts for a child with additional needs and in hindsight we can say it was the best decision we have ever made enrolling our boy into CLDP when we did, and it has made all the difference to him. We travelled from west Clare to CLDP everyday: an onerous 2.5 hour round trip over two and a half years. It was a huge burden on our family but definitely worth it.

Peter & Jessica

My daughter Sophia started regressing at about 1½, immediately I sought help and was told evaluations would not be started until she was 2.  When she turned 2 the wheels were in motion only to find out there was no space for her or therapies that she needed and she is still on a waiting list.  At this stage I was frustrated watching my little girl disappearing hardly recognising we were there.  Every minute slipping by felt like an eternity.

Then by sheer luck someone told us about CLDP.  It was so lovely and bright and you could also sneak a peek in the window for reassurance in the beginning which was such a comfort and to my amazement on the second day they had my little girl sitting in a chair.  A day I thought that would never come.

The relief to hand your child over to people you can really trust is such an ease.  Sophia now has little sentences, better eye contact and much better comprehension ,all this, in the space of 5 months.  I have no doubt in my mind that it is down to the CLDP.

If you suspect any communication delay please do not hesitate your child’s time is precious act fast, I could not recommend a better school.

I can’t believe Lauren is finishing, how fast those two years went.  You have taught her so much.  Thank you for all your hard work with Lauren.  You have changed her life.  She started there a frustrated little girl who was trying so hard to communicate but just was not able, she is now leaving with super confidence and full of conversation.  We are so glad that we found the school and hope that many more families have this chance.

Lauren is really going to miss you all (especially all her fashion tips).  We will always be so grateful for all your hard work and dedication.

My son attended CLDP for a year prior to play school. He has Down Syndrome. He was assigned a programme suited to his needs which was reviewed with us his parents and his early intervention team on a regular basis. I feel that the one-to-one tuition was the biggest advantage. Also he learned to sit and listen and be part of a group in a classroom environment. From removing his coat, taking his lunch and toilet training, Joan and the staff were all fantastic in giving him his independence. When he started play school the following year he was more than able to hold his own. CLDP gave him the best start for school life.

Where do I begin?  From the moment my sister told me about your school a year ago I knew it was where I was sending Jake.

We were in the middle of getting Jake assessed and Joan was so kind and patient to wait and hold Jake’s place until his final assessment.

It was a Thursday morning when we got Jake’s final diagnosis and we were very emotional and worried about what the future would hold for him.  But in the afternoon of the same day, Joan gave me a call asking how Jake was doing and how his assessment was going.  I explained everything to her and she was so understanding and helpful and she told me that Jake’s place was still open and that he could start that Monday.  This turned the day completely around and it gave us hope for what was ahead of Jake.

Jake loved the school from day one.  I had taken the morning off work thinking that he would need me to stay with him but to my surprise he ran into the room and said goodbye to me and he has never looked back.

Within his first week you had taught him how to use his Pecks book which he adored.  He could finally communicate with us what he wanted or needed and this make him a much happier and content little boy.  It wasn’t long before he was saying a word here and a word there which led to sentences and now singing (which we can’t stop him doing) He thinks he is the next Bruno Mars J.

It is my birthday on Monday and Jake sang me Happy Birthday for the first time and it was magical.  Every time I hear him speak or sing its like he is doing it for the first time all over again and it’s wonderful.

We were told at most of Jake’s appointments and assessments that it was more than likely that he would never talk and that we should come to terms with it.  How wrong they were.  Most of this down to Jake’s determination (stubbornness) and willingness to learn but a lot of his success is down to you guys.  Your patience and understanding of him and your personalities are a gift that ye have.  Words cannot describe what you have done for us over the past year and how you have changed not just Jake’s life but mine and Jonathan’s also.  The support and guidance that you have given us is more than we could ever have hoped for.

Our son Fionn has attended Childrens Language, Development Preschool since September 2009.  Fionn was diagnosed with ASD in early 2010, since then he has availed of both pre-school and ABA provided by the school.

When Fionn first started in CLDP, he has only a few words, his understanding of language was really low also.  He had many sensory issues, poor fine motor skills and feeding was a major issue and he also lacked many other skills.  But after only a couple of months in CLDP, Fionn had improved immensely.

Regular meetings with his teachers kept us informed of his goals which were constantly being updated.  The staff in the school became our friends.  They are just wonderful, so caring and kind, always available to give advice or just to listen when we needed it.

Fionn is now going to attend the local primary school in Coldwood this September 2011.  If it was not for the staff of CLDP, he would not be in a position to attend this, or even for us to contemplate sending him there.  Friends and family are amazed at his progress over the last two years.  He has been transformed from a child who had problems communicating with us over the most basic requests to a boy who is able to enjoy some of the aspects of life a five year old should enjoy.  He can go to hurling and football training and support Manchester united. These may sound mundane, but to us they are massive achievements from where he was at.

CLDP played such an important role in the transformation of Fionn.  We will never be able to thank them enough for what they have done for Fionn and for us as a family.  We would highly recommend CLDP to any parents who are worried about their childs speech and language development.

Early intervention is critical so don’t put off going to CLDP to talk to the staff if you have the slightest concerns you won’t regret it.

Our son has some speech and language and learning difficulties and even though we knew he needed help we had trouble finding a suitable school.

When we came upon CLDP our lives changed.  Our son got the help he needed and is now a much happier and contented little boy as he can now communicate better.

The dedication, expertise, love and caring he has received from all the staff here is second to none.  Their positivity and ‘can do’ attitude is infectious and our son continues to improve and thrive in this environment.

I recommend this school to anyone who has a child with learning difficulties or communication challenges, the work that is done here is amazing and worth every penny!

Our son Conor was 4 when we enrolled him at CLDP.  He was diagnosed with a specific language disorder and he attends regular speech and language therapy.  Conor’s understanding of different things is not there.  When Conor first attended CLDP, he was not toilet trained.  After a few weeks they had successfully toilet trained him.  We couldn’t believe it.

Conor also had a lot of issues regarding food.  There was only certain food that Conor could eat.  When I introduced new foods to him, he wouldn’t even try them, and would often result in a tantrum.  The staff at CLDP introduced a chart program to encourage Conor to try new foods.  It worked out great.  He will at least now try new foods.

Every day Conor looks forward to going to CLDP.  He has a great relationship with the staff there.  It is a huge relief to me knowing that he is happy there, he has also made some lovely friends there, and it is great to see that.  The staff are so friendly and very helpful and are always available to talk and offer good advice.  We will always be extremely thankful to the staff at CLDP for their commitment and help with our son Conor.

We would like to thank the staff and therapists at CLDP for helping our daughter Alana with her communication and social skills.

Alana has attended CLDP for 2 years now and has improved immensely.  Her speech, comprehension, behaviour and social skills are much improved.  2 years ago Alana only had a few words, screamed a lot and had no comprehension what so ever.  We feel incredibility fortunate to have found such a wonderful preschool.

Alana is now ready for mainstream National School in September and that is the result of the work the teachers and therapists at CLDP have done.

I can’t believe we are here already with Aaron leaving CLDP.  I feel like he’s leaving the nest and that is a testament to how at home you made all our family feel over the last two years.

There has never been a day that your commitment and absolute dedication to doing the best thing for Aaron has not shone through.  We just don’t know how to thank you enough.

You are all very kind, fun and loving teachers who have endless patience and your love of children is so clearly at the core of what you do.

It’s so incredibly rare to find such a talented and dedicated group of teachers in one place.  I believe you all have a true gift with children and we consider ourselves very lucky that you shared that gift with Aaron and helped him on his journey.

On a personal level I have so enjoyed getting to know each of you and have loved the wonderful sense of fun in CLDP.

You have a rare aptitude for truly seeing a child with additional needs as just another child who needs some support.  That has helped me so much as a mum to realise that my little boy is still that, a little boy that just needs some extra help.  You don’t just help the children; you help the families too without even realising it.

“It takes truly special teachers to see tomorrow in every child’s eyes.”

Thank you so much for seeing Aaron’s tomorrows and bringing him to where he can now go forward and shape those tomorrow’s into all he wants to be.  Just wait and see!