Parent Testimonials


Alee started at Hopeful Journeys in July of 2007. Between us we had quit a medical practice and a university faculty position to move from Florida to Massachusetts, all in order to find a better school for Alee. I called Hopeful Journeys and spoke with Jill Larsen. I had told her that I was looking for a place where our son could be helped with behavior therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. Time was running out, since he was regressing rapidly. Hopeful Journeys was not yet a school at that point, so he started by enrolling for multiple therapies every afternoon. Since July 2010, Alee has been a fulltime student at Hopeful Journeys. He has flourished. He has been communicating with pointing, gesturing, some speech, and a special computer program. He is now eating with utensils, continues to receive toilet training during the day, and participates in multiple activities; these include swimming, ice skating, and bowling. Most importantly, he is happy when he comes to school and at the end of the day when we pick him up. As a family, we are always so thankful for the daily teaching, the commitment to learning, and the caring that Hopeful Journeys teachers and therapists, under the direction of Jill Larsen, are giving to Alee.

-Marcia Chatfield-Smith and David Simon


The progress our son has made at Hopeful Journeys has been incredible. The teachers and specialists that work with him are highly qualified, exceptionally well trained, and dedicated. The staff is responsive and thorough. They always go above and beyond and have the best interest of the children they work with at heart. The are very thoughtful in working with families to address challenging behaviors at home or in the community in a consistent way. Every day he is surrounded by the most qualified and caring teachers. We trust them implicitly. There are no words to express how grateful we are for all that the Hopeful Journeys team has done for our son.
-Keri and Matt Holian


We have been a part of the Hopeful Journeys community for six years, and it’s difficult to sum up in a few words what a life-changing blessing and indispensable gift Hopeful Journeys has been for our family. Since our daughter Rhema was three she has been cheered on for every small-big step. She has accomplished things that once seemed impossible – from buttoning her shirt... to saying “Hi”... to learning to swim... to using a communication app on her iPod. All this, only because of her brilliant, tireless team at Hopeful Journeys. I am always amazed by their commitment to her day after day, the creative ways they teach her, and the million-and-one small ways they care for her so well. One of my favorite Hopeful Journeys moments is when Rhema learned to write her name. We’d been told by another institution that Rhema’s pre-writing imitation skills were not progressing, and they’d given us a stamp with her name on it for her to use instead. Rhema’s OT at Hopeful Journeys believed in our girl and dreamed big dreams for her. In a year’s time Rhema learned to write her name. Now she is writing her last name and several other letters! Her teachers take all the “No’s” and disappointments and doubts and redeem them somehow. They hand us back our dreams for our daughter and say, Here, just look what she can do now. Rhema is happy, known, secure and loved by her teachers at Hopeful Journeys and it has made all the difference in her learning.
-Jeneil & Brandon Russell


It seems almost impossible to put into words what an education at Hopeful Journeys has done for our son Nicholas. The individualized one on one instruction provided by highly skilled teachers and staff seem to be the key to his success. His happiness is evident and he looks forward to going to school every day. I have also noticed that he is more connected to the world around him and is very eager to learn. His newly found focus and hard work have even enabled him to shine as a “Student of the Quarter” in this past year. We are so proud and continue to envision the possibilities. We realize that this has all been made possible through the continued support and commitment of the amazing teachers, therapists, and staff at Hopeful Journeys. For this, we are forever thankful. Being able to attend Hopeful Journeys has been the greatest gift not only for our child but our entire family as well.
-Michelle & Carmelo Santisi


Our entire family feels cared for and nurtured by the wonderful people at Hopeful Journeys. The women and men who work with our son are knowledgeable, patient, and kind. Every one of them demonstrate dedication and commitment to their students.  Our parenting style and choices are respected and honored, and we feel we're an important part of our son's school experience. The structure of his school day are excellent and open communication eases the transitions between home and school. This enables us to have the most relaxed, typical home life we possibly can, which is what we desire for our Hopeful Journeys student as well as all the members of the family!
-Jennifer & Doug Smith