Brighton Center Child and Parent Smiling

“Brighton offers families hope, caring, understanding, education and every bit of it is 100% from their hearts. Our daughter has benefited from ALL of the services that Brighton has to offer. They have become like another family to us and they will always be a part of our lives.“

MARY RUDY, Lulu's Mom
Brighton Center Child Celebrating

“It was nothing short of a miracle. Brighton offered affordable services, in home visits, and the friendliest/most knowledgeable therapists. A weight was lifted off our shoulders and we knew we had a team in place who cared for and about Ishan as much as we did.”

KOSHA VRISENO, Ishan's Mom
Parents with their Children

“Brighton’s advocate, Girasol, really helped us get our 3 year old son the services he needed from our local school district. After getting incorrect information from the school district about my son’s eligibility for services, Girasol educated not only our family but also the school district. She reviewed our son’s evaluation documents and talked with us on the phone about the entire special education process before our meeting with the school. We worked together to help secure an inclusive placement for our son where he could learn, grow and continue receiving the therapy services he needed to help get him developmentally on track!”

JILLIAN BENFIELD, Anderson's Mom
Brighton Center Early Childhood Education Program

“My daughter was at Brighton for almost three years. It was a great place for her that provided a positive learning environment and child-centered staff. My daughter learned empathy and acceptance from her peers and teachers. The center is NAEYC accredited and teachers are knowledgeable of developmentally appropriate practices. They truly care about the children and families with whom they work and provide valuable, timely information regarding your child’s growth/performance. Brighton staff always made us feel like a part of their family. I always felt comfortable asking questions and they were both inclusive of ideas I brought to them as a parent and responsive to my child’s needs. We left because my daughter entered Pre K at her public school. She is doing great because of the social, emotional, and academic preparation she received at Brighton Center. We miss everyone very much, and are grateful for everything they did for our family. We ❤️ Brighton and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an inclusive, child-centered day care and preschool.”

 

Rocio Delgado

“My two boys are now attending Brighton. We tried enrolling my 2 year old at another daycare and he hated it. He would cry as soon as he saw the school and was always crying when I picked him up. Needless to say we took him out in less than a week, and looked for another daycare for him and my infant. That’s when we found Brighton. It’s night and day at Brighton! We are on our second week and they love it and the teachers. No crying, no fussing, and they are learning so much! My 2 year old is talking more and he even wants to potty train. The baby has learned to clap his hands and say, “yay!” You can tell the teachers care about the students and I love that! We feel so comfortable with them there because we know we no longer have to worry when we leave them. They are in good hands!”

Maricela Chavez Krewson

“As a young child I went to Brighton Center On Higgins, they were all such amazing respectful caring and phonominal people! I am so very thankful for all Brighton has done for me! I 100% recommend Brighton Center for anyone, having been at Brighton when I was a child. I loved every minute second of my time there!! Brighton has changed my life and made me want to become a Special Education Teacher.”

Megan Pursley
Brighton Center Child Having Fun

“Brighton has been an absolute blessing for our family. We started with ECI (btw – therapists are amazing too!), not even aware of the day care. Wait listed and bouncing around different programs, our therapist suggested Brighton, and from Day 1 we noticed a tremendous difference compared to the others we’d already tried. We love the staff, the mix of students, the daily activities, the care and compassion, and perhaps most of all, the pictures and videos throughout the day that allow us to see the amazing development taking place. Our boys can’t wait to go to school each day and their progress has been amazing!!!”

David Krewson
Brighton Center Children Posing with Teacher

“My children have been attending Brighton Center since my oldest daughter was 14 months (now almost 5). My daughter has severe food allergies and also required supervision from numerous specialists during infancy. The Brighton Center has always been very accommodating and loving to my children. All the staff make you feel like you’re family. The teachers and staff are exceptional and are also very knowledgeable. My 16-month-old son has attended the ECE program since 6 weeks old, and he has developed so much! The children are constantly learning and developing new skills. I love being a Brighton Parent! I highly recommend Brighton.”

Liz Monterrosa Duran

“We are so thankful our grand-daughter has the opportunity to attend the Monte-Vista location, down by Trinity U. Ms. Marty and the entire staff/team are UH-MAZING! Tonight was just another example. Kids will be kids, and our grand-daughter plays HARD! They were playing inside this afternoon (it’s 102 outside) and she ran into the window which unfortunately shattered. Amelia had a laceration on her arm, and a small cut on her other hand. We are so thankful for God’s protection for her. We are also so thankful for Ms. Marty and the staff who took such good care of her until we could fight traffic and get there. By the time we arrived, Amelia was back to her cheerful self. The small cut was bandaged as was the laceration. They had done their best to clean the glass off of her and even out of her hair. Over and over, The Brighton Team just seems to go the extra mile. Her education and growth this last year has been tremendous. And to know she’s in such great hands even in the case of an accident was so special tonight too. Thanks Ms. Marty and Thank you to the entire Brighton Staff/Team. “

Ken Hicks

“I can’t say enough wonderful things about Brighton. Mrs. Kelsey and Mrs. Gina are truly amazing at what they do. My Sebastian has come so far thanks to these wonderful ladies.”

Lexi Mosley, Sebastian's Mom
Child Reading

“Our son has been at the Brighton Center Lullwood/Monte Vista Campus for 2+ years and we could not be happier with his and our experience.  The environment is warm, welcoming and safe, and the staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and has endless energy.  We could not recommend Brighton more highly.”

Meriel Bowman
Brighton Center Child in Class

My daughter currently attends the Lullwood campus. Since she has been at Brighton she has consistently made developmental strides. She is part of their Early Childhood Intervention program and the increased knowledge of their staff about recognizing and addressing developmental delays has been critical in her development. Brighton’s practice of inclusion where both children with and without disabilities and delays are taught together is extremely important to me. It shows my daughter how no matter who you are, we are all important and worthy of understanding and respect. I cannot recommend Brighton more.

Ken Thieme

“Alejandro made sure my daughters ARD process went smoothly!”

Iris Williams

“Our 2 year old son has learned all of his colors and numbers up to 10 in one school year.  His teachers pay close attention to his learning and development and give us biannual conferences on his development, strengths, and struggles.  He is learning how to use his words and handle his big emotions which is a big goal for any 2 year old!   The change in his behavior and attitude toward school has been amazingly positive since beginning Brighton Lullwood last September.  The atmosphere is bright and happy.  His favorite center is magnetic blocks and he has mastered the tricycle.  He gets plenty of art, outside play, imaginative play, and story time.  At home I find him sitting with a pile of books quietly “reading” to himself.  We’ve dealt with “learning daycare centers” that sent home cute teacher “assisted” art.  At Brighton Lullwood the learning is deep and wide for even the two year olds.  The Director Alix and Site Manager Ashton have done an amazing job getting Lullwood NAEYC Certified.  As an elementary teacher I feel confident that my son will be kinder ready both academically and socially.”

Crystal T.

“We had our daughter enrolled at another center but couldn’t help but notice that she was developmentally behind her peers.  We came for a visit at one of Brighton’s Centers and saw how engaging the teachers were with the kids.  We knew that a little more one-on-one attention would help bring our daughter up to speed in her development.  It has been the perfect learning environment for our daughter!”

Alex Garcia, Mia's Dad
Asanti Bates Picture

“I am truly thankful for my friend referring me to Brighton Center because I honestly do not know where I would be right now without the help of the Education Advocate Team.  They helped me get my son the resources he need to be successful in school!” 

Takilwa, Asanti's Mom

“We look forward to using the help of Brighton Center for years to come. We are truly blessed with Brighton’s dedication on making sure that our son has everything he needs in his school life. I also feel empowered to go on my own to my son’s ARD meetings now!” 

Juliet, Ian's Mom

“In January 2019 we took our daughter, Evelyn to a developmental specialist, and she was scoring at 6-8 months developmentally at 15 months old. She recommended that a referral be made to Brighton. After the evaluation, Evelyn was enrolled. We learned a lot from Brighton’s Occupational Therapist (OT), including her sensory seeking and proprioceptive needs and things that she needs that she can’t tell us. We learned how to watch for signs that she is needing more sensory input or is becoming overwhelmed with the sensory input . OT helped us make Evelyn happier. We saw an increase in the way that she was knowing who we were and we were important people. It wasn’t a loving connection, but she recognized that we did things for her that other people didn’t. Evelyn was not as receptive to speech therapy at the time, and we learned a lot of strategies that were helpful, but Evelyn did not respond to any of them. Then Brighton’s Early Intervention Specialist started an Autism Intervention program called Pathways with Evelyn, and it has been amazing. She is a completely different child in 6 weeks. She is so much more social! She comes to me to do patty cake, and initiates this interaction on her own. She never before came across the room to initiate play, and she is coming to me on her own, pulling me down to her, initiating play all while maintaining eye contact. The other day she went to bite her dad, and he signed no to her and verbalized “no” with a stern voice. She looked him in the eyes and her eyes welled up with tears. She began to cry, and then came to me to be comforted. This has never happened before! She is also starting to kiss now, will touch our faces and come to us to initiate kisses.

Brighton’s implementation of Pathways has changed the way that she interacts with us because it is really amazing. It is allowing her to form a bond with us that we didn’t think possible. It feels like it’s taking the social distance out of the Autism. She is still doing some of the behaviors associated with Autism, but she is showing that she is with us, and that’s all I have ever wanted. All we ever wanted was to be able to tell us if she needs something. I wanted her to love us and for her to show that she wants to be with us and around us, and Brighton has helped make that a reality.”

Evelyn Chamberlain

Rocker Photo

“Our outlook for Rucker has improved 110% since we met Brighton! We are beyond grateful for the services we received.  Rucker can now communicate without frustration and we can understand most of what he says.  Our family is now thriving because of Rucker’s improvements!”

 

Micah, Rucker’s Mom

Archer Rutledge Playing

When our son Archer was just a few weeks old, he was diagnosed with Sagittal Craniosynostosis, which is the premature closing of the suture that runs from front to back at the top of the head. We were worried that he had a motor delay from the start and scared that the surgery and helmet could set back his development. We reached out to Brighton and began working with a Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist and Early Intervention Specialist and immediately we felt so much more confident. With Brighton on Archer’s team, he has been able to overcome food and medicine aversion, learned to roll, crawl, sit, stand, cruise around despite his helmet, and learn how to communicate using sign language. Archer’s Brighton Team has provided us comfort and confidence at times when we were concerned, scared and hopeless and have been an amazing support system for our family.

Alexandria & Derrick Rutledge, Archer’s Mom & Dad

Picture of Reylan

When I first met Reylan, it was extremely difficult for him, his teachers, and his family just to get through the day. He had been kicked out of six other preschools for his extreme behavioral difficulties, violence, putting others in danger, and inability to regulate his emotions. He was behind on meeting developmental milestones, his classmates were fearful of him, and he was constantly in a stressed fight or flight mode. But after Reylan was enrolled at Brighton, all that began to change. Through an individualized learning and behavior plan that Brighton teachers and parents worked together to implement, coupled with being in a loving, nurturing and inclusive environment, Reylan has been transformed. He happily skips to class each morning where he actively learns and plays with his friends. He has gotten to a place where he is back on track developmentally, happy and emotionally at ease, and he has the tools and confidence to take on life after Brighton. The thing that makes my heart smile brightest is seeing how other children who were once fearful of Reylan are now his friends.

Alix Martinez, Brighton’s Preschool Director

Picture of Noelani

My daughter, Noelani, has spina bifida, cerebral palsy, a shunt, and paralysis that prevents her from being able to fully take care of herself at school. We were met with a lot of resistance from her school district in being able to accommodate my daughter; Brighton helped to change that. Brighton’s Special Education Support & Services program helped tremendously in getting us the special education services my daughter needs to succeed in a general education setting. With a one-to-one assistant at school, Noelani is flourishing in her general education classroom, even rising above her peers academically. This would not have been possible without Brighton. Noelani is one of the top students in her class and has developed high self-confidence and even more independence with getting all her needs and accommodations met. Brighton has saved our daughter. If it weren’t for Brighton, my daughter would have been held back in a self-contained special education classroom, based solely on her physical conditions. It is because of Brighton that she’s now succeeding with her peers and thriving!

Analisa Spicer, Noelani’s Mom

 

Picture of Ophelia

Around 18m, I started getting worried that my second child Ophelia wasn’t communicating the way she should be for her age. She wasn’t telling me she was hungry, thirsty or what she did and didn’t like. All she would do was cry…a lot. We would both end our days completely frustrated with each other. My pediatrician agreed with my concerns and quickly referred me to Brighton where I was assigned a Speech Therapist and an Early Intervention Specialist that then started coming to my home to work with Ophelia. Slowly but surely, we saw progress but it wasn’t as quick as I had hoped.

And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The in-home therapy visits that I was used to completely stopped and went online. I was less than thrilled at the idea of having to be behind a camera listening to my Brighton Team while I had to do all the work with Ophelia. But those online visits completely changed my daughter…and me.

With the online coaching from Brighton’s Team, I had to really implement all the strategies and tools that they had been working on with her. They could no longer do all the heavy lifting when it came to my child’s development. I started really understanding the things I could do and say every day that would help my Ophelia to begin communicating. To my surprise, her progress skyrocketed! She went from saying only one word at a time to starting to put two words together and telling me when she was hungry, thirsty or tired. Better yet, Ophelia and I deepened our relationship because her and I now felt like we were in this together, no longer getting frustrated to tears with each other. I was so worried that Brighton’s services would stop once the pandemic hit, but in fact they only got better. Brighton’s ability to pivot to online services and make them even more successful then they were in person is just a testament to how amazing their staff is!

Natasha Rico, Ophelia's Mom

Tatiana Brighton Center Testimonial

“At first I was nervous because I didn’t want my daughter to start school so young, but her starting at Brighton’s Preschool Program was the best decision I could have made for her.”

Fran Starks, Tatiana’s Mom

Amelia Brighton Center Testimonial

“With Brighton’s help, I feel like we now have the tools to help Amelia process her sensory issues. Amelia has made such a huge progress in her speaking that her delay no long seems insurmountable. Without these services, we would not be able to communicate with our daughter. Brighton Center’s Early Childhood Intervention services are invaluable to families like ours.”

Maria Saylor, Amelia's Mom

“I appreciate the staff tremendously. As a parent I felt like I wasn’t doing enough for my child’s development, and the reassurance from Brighton’s therapy team made all the difference.”

Angela Null, Andric's Mom

“Everyone at Brighton has been extremely accommodating. When I’m not comfortable with something or feel that something isn’t working, my team of Brighton therapists listen and help me choose a different avenue.”

Laura Gueringer

“When I thought there wasn’t anyone that would be able to help or understand our situation, Brighton’s support was there and didn’t make me feel like a failure as a parent.”

Ashley Mendez

“Brighton’s Education Advocates are passionate, well-versed, and speak up for children as if they are their own. I finally felt like I had a true partner in my corner.”

Jorge Garcia

“Brighton gave me hope. My family was at a point of despair and Brighton showed us a huge light at the end of the tunnel.”

Amy Lewis

“Since starting therapy with Brighton, Aj has shown significant improvement with the skills and tips provided by his therapy team. Aj is talking more, learning sign language, and walking/running better than ever.”

Charlene Garibay, Aj's Mom

“My daughter has gone above and beyond my own expectations, even surprising her therapists a few times! I appreciate Brighton’s help in making sure she meets and exceeds her milestones.”

Addy DeJesus

“My son had achieved a few significant milestones that included rolling over on his own, crawling, and walking. I know these are regular progressions for a child, but he was delayed when it happened. That’s when I knew Brighton had made a difference.”

Brice Wolf
Brighton Center Child Esteban with Mother

We want to express our deepest gratitude to Girasol, we were not only lost, but also desperate. We did not know the services that the school can provide and that my son, according to his condition and needs, should receive. Neither the aspects or the details most important aspects of an IEP, PLAAFP or ARD, she patiently trained, explained and prepared us for each ARD meeting with the school.
At each meeting we were always able to observe his extensive knowledge regarding these issues, he always conducted himself with respect while continuing to advocate for our son’s rights.
Now, with her help, we are ready to start the next school year with a well-structured IEP, extra help, and compensatory services through an extended school year.
We look forward to continuing to count on Girasol’s support to help us monitor services and ensure that everything flows as it should.