Kids Academy

Reviews

• CB

  Christina Burney

  Oct 3, 2026
  1.0
  PARENTS OF AUTISTIC AND SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN: PLEASE READ BEFORE ENROLLING YOUR CHILD AT KIDS ACADEMY IN MANTECA. I would NEVER recommend this daycare for an autistic child or a child requiring additional patience, accommodations, or support. They may come across sweet and welcoming on the outside, but my experience was VERY different once my autistic son actually needed support. And Miss Lisa? Absolutely not. I found her rude, judgmental, impatient, and lacking the emotional regulation I expect from someone caring for children with special needs. I could SEE the irritation and judgment on her face when my child required additional support. If an adult cannot regulate their own frustration and emotions around an autistic child, how are they supposed to help that child regulate theirs? You are the adult. He is the child. I also personally observed what I felt was a noticeable difference in the understanding and accommodations given to certain special-needs children connected to staff versus what my child received. Patience and accommodations should be available to EVERY child who needs them—not based on who their parent is. But what parents REALLY need to know is this: My son is autistic and an elopement risk. A staff member opened the playground gate to let arriving children inside, and my son eloped through that open gate. And this wasn’t an interior gate leading to another secured area. This is the gate right by the STREET, on the busy corner across from Second Harvest Food Bank. My son got outside the enclosed playground and onto the grass area along that corner. For an autistic child who elopes, this could have become dangerous very quickly. What happened afterward speaks volumes. Instead of taking accountability in a way I felt was appropriate for such a serious safety incident and discussing better supervision, safer gate procedures, or an elopement safety plan, MY CHILD was ultimately told he was no longer welcome back. Think about that. An adult opened the gate. My autistic child eloped. And HE was the one removed from the daycare. My son wasn’t a “bad kid.” Elopement is a very real safety concern for many autistic children. He needed adults who understood his disability and took his safety seriously. This is exactly what I mean when I say somewhere can appear “special-needs friendly” until a special-needs child actually NEEDS additional support. If your child is autistic or an elopement risk, PLEASE look at that playground gate yourself and ask what procedures are followed when it is opened during arrivals and departures. Ask what happens when an autistic child elopes and what accommodations they are actually prepared to provide. Parents of autistic children entrust people with kids who cannot always come home and clearly tell us what happened or advocate for themselves. I pay very close attention to how adults treat my child when he struggles. I paid attention here. I did not like what I saw. It’s easy to say you accept children with special needs. How you treat them when they actually demonstrate those needs tells parents everything they need to know.
• AA

  Audrey

  Jul 17, 2026
  5.0
  I had such a great time here, this is the best program I have ever been to! Thank you!❤️
• AB

  Anna Basuil

  May 10, 2026
  5.0
  My daughter has learned so much in the preschool program. They are also very understanding and tentative.

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