Gersh Academy for Students on the Autism Spectrum - Cougar Mountain

#AspieFreedom
Oct 9th, 2022

Best place to work. Super friendly staff and it's one of the best jobs to have. Very family oriented and the number one place for students on the spectrum to really grow.
May 3rd, 2022

Very expensive
Dec 10th, 2021

Teachers are good but not given the authority to make decisions for their students that they should be permitted. There are not enough BCBA certified personnel per student - in fact they are woefully understaffed. The staff is not given enough resources overall to do their jobs. Admin and the "event planning committee" does not truly understand the needs of autistic children. They plan events last minute with little to no notice to the teachers, teachers assistants, families and especially the children themselves. Lastly, the school utilizes Autism Speaks as a resource on their website, which is repulsive, as Autism Speaks is a hate group wanting to "fix" autistic individuals, they believe in and want to implement eugenics practices to get rid of autism altogether... Gersh Academy not only utilizes A.S. as a resource, but cites them and describes them as "a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families on the Autism Spectrum, provides a great starting point for families seeking resources and information regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder." Gersh is also listed as a recommended school on the A.S. website. As an advocate for autism education and an autistic person, I find the practices, procedures and affiliations of Gersh egregious. The 2 stars would not have even been given if it weren't for the instructors and the effort they put in. Kevin Gersh and the entire admin need to be removed and replaced with people who understand and fully empathize with students on the ASD spectrum.
Dec 9th, 2020

Best school for autism in all of Washington state
Aug 12th, 2019