Testimonials
Hear from Parents and Former Students
Our son Coby was 8 years old when he enrolled at Variety School in August 2009. Coby had a rare seizure disorder called Dravet’s Syndrome. He had his first seizure soon after his first birthday. The seizures became more varied, more intense, more prolonged, and more frequent (often multiple times in one day). Thankfully, after 4 years, we were able to gain control over Coby’s seizures.
We thought the worst was over and focused on getting Coby caught up on the physical, social, and academic development he lost during those 4 years. Unfortunately, it turned out that we were just beginning another battle – with the public school system. Coby was excited to attend school. Unfortunately, we had to fight to get him accepted into the Special Education program at our local school even though we had numerous written reports from our doctors, therapists, and social worker.
Once Coby was enrolled in SPED, every year was a constant battle to ensure that he received the services he needed. In addition to dealing with the school’s resistance to providing Coby with the services and assistance he needed, we had to contend with the low expectations of his teachers. When Coby tried to imitate his classmates and copy the homework assignments that were on the board, the teacher told him, “You don’t need to do that. You’re SPED.” When his first-grade class put on a play about “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”, he was assigned to play the bridge. When we expressed concern about the difficulties he was having with Math and reading, we were told by the vice principal, “It’s okay if he doesn’t get it. He’s SPED.”
After 5 years of attending public school, the last straw came in the summer of 2009. We were taking Coby to summer school when he refused to get out of the car and started to cry. Coby had endured 4 years of seizures, multiple doctor and hospital visits, numerous needle sticks and procedures, all without complaining or protesting, but now he was crying because he didn’t want to go to school. We took Coby home and immediately called Variety School. Duane Yee was the director at the time, and he said, “I think we can help Coby. Come in and let’s talk.”
When we met Duane, he told us, “At Variety, we believe that every child is different. Each one thinks differently and learns differently. Our teachers understand if there are ten kids in the class, they may have to explain something in ten different ways. And, since EVERYONE is different here, NO ONE is different here.”
The teachers and staff at Variety see KIDS – not special needs kids, not disabled kids, just kids. They are not defined by their diagnoses or their inabilities. Teachers helped Coby learn to read and write using his extensive knowledge and love of construction machines. Early Math instruction involved his favorite toy – LEGOs. The “bar” is not set since nobody knows just how far each child can go. When kids are successful, teachers raise the “bar” a little higher the next time. There are no “fails”, just opportunities to learn.
In school programs, Coby sang, danced hula, played ukulele, and performed in skits. In the high school talent show, he did an Aikido demonstration. As a blue belt and a junior leader, he assisted with the Kids’ Classes at our dojo. Coby’s teachers helped him to develop his sense of humor by graciously playing along with his “pranks” – hiding his reading coach’s water bottle and scaring his teacher by hiding under her desk.
Coby spent time with his friends on weekly CBI outings, camping at Erdman, dressing up for Spring formals, and performing community service activities like beach cleanups and assisting preschoolers from The Children’s Center in picking Halloween pumpkins at Aloun Farms. Coby and his friends each took a preschool “buddy” in hand and escorted them through the pumpkin patch, patiently presenting pumpkin after pumpkin for their “buddies” to inspect until the perfect ones were found. Then Coby and his friends graciously carried the huge pumpkins back to the bus for their little “buddies”.
Now in his twenties, Coby, the SPED kid who “wasn’t getting it”, is a voracious reader of current events on the internet, is curious about local politics, and researches each candidate and amendment before voting. He loves to travel and knows all the U.S. state capitols and airports. Foreign guests from Japan, Germany, and China have visited our Aikido dojo, and Coby is always eager to meet them and learn about their countries and cultures.
A few years ago, without any assistance, Coby applied for a full-time job at Walmart, and now the kid who learned Math by using LEGOs is a cashier in the Electronics department. He insists on being independent and catches the bus and rail to home/work and to outings with his former Variety School classmates. Variety School’s teachers and staff have given Coby the skills and confidence to live a happy, productive life. This quote by Willa Cather explains why Variety School is so special: “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.”
~ Clarise Ikeno, former parent
Nico, our son, started at Variety after we had become frustrated with the lack of effective education plans in the DOE. From the very start we were met with warmth, caring and knowledge. Not only knowledge of behavioral therapy techniques and special education techniques that have helped him flourish, but at how well the staff has all gotten to really know him. The teachers at Variety know what makes each child tick. They know what their likes, dislikes and personality “quirks” are. Armed with that knowledge and years of training they created an environment that set Nico up for success. He is happy to go to school, has been supported and encouraged to make friends and we are always at peace knowing that he is safe and nurtured. I cannot recommend this place enough.
~ Dr. Nannette Duca-Cruz, parent
Prior to attending Variety School, Mitchell had a tantrum almost every Sunday night when he saw his school bag propped up by the front door, in preparation for the following day. He would grab that bag, while crying, and throw it back in his room. He hated school. Words such as, “no,” “that’s wrong” or “listen” caused great anxiety for him and made the family overly sensitive to these trigger words that could set him off. Forcing him to attend speech therapy or other such sessions by the school had him covering his ears, trying to run away or rolling and throwing himself on the floor. The school was merely going through the motions, forcing the same destructive pattern of instruction on him day after day. As a result, Mitch developed a lot of bad habits. Then, we found Variety School.
When Mitchell started at Variety School, the teachers had to undo his bad habits step by step. They were also flexible with tailoring his educational needs to suit his abilities and strengths. He received consistent, individualized attention in a positive and welcoming environment. When your child enjoys being at school, they can focus their attention on learning. Variety has taught Mitchell about self-care, how to cope with undesired activities, how to socialize with others, how to follow instructions, and how to ask for help. Mitch has been at Variety for over 10 years now. Today, he will tell me about his day, how hard he worked to complete his assignments and most of all, how proud his teacher is of him.
~ Susan Chen, parent
Variety School has been everything for our son. We first approached Variety School shortly after our son started Kindergarten. We were scared, and out of options. Newly diagnosed to be on the autistic spectrum, we had been asked to remove our son from his small private school. At the same time, our local public school could not provide what we felt were necessary services. Variety School changed our lives. It is and remains, a safe and nurturing environment that has allowed our son to develop at his own pace into a functional, productive individual. In addition to working with caring teachers on subjects such as math and reading, he has received specialized counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, as well as physical education to develop gross motor skills and development. The School has pushed our son to achieve goals that we did not think were possible, and when he struggled, they were there to support him in ways that clearly demonstrated that they cared about his whole person, not just the student.
The child who once refused to stick his head under water, now goes swimming in the pool every chance he gets. He used to be bothered by moderately loud noises but no longer lets that bother him. He did not really talk, and now he can hold a conversation. He was afraid of crowds, then later performed a dance routine with several classmates at the Honolulu Zoo and has performed a cappella at Variety School galas – all in front of family, friends and the public. Former Head of School Duane Yee summed up their mission well – that their first goal is to ensure that the child becomes comfortable in his/her own skin. That has happened, and we are now looking at getting him ready to attend community college to pursue a veterinary tech certificate and volunteer at the zoo – which all seemed to be improbable when he first started at Variety School. Thank you, Variety School.
~ The Kim Family
We’re very proud of our son. He was diagnosed as autistic when he was attending preschool. That started our journey to find the right fitting schools and support to help him, as early intervention helps to provide better outcomes. We worked with his DOE school staff and teachers, stayed current with his IEP and even paid for a Skills Trainer to assist with his learning when he no longer was qualified for one. Our son made progress until the 5th grade. It was a horrible experience for all of us, and we were afraid that he didn’t want to go to school anymore – Just when he would be transitioning to middle school! We were fortunate to have Variety School admit our son and to have worked with them. Variety helped him to like school again and even set the goal of getting him ready to attend an appropriate private school. Variety saw his potential and provided him with a nurturing environment, a grade appropriate curriculum, encouraging teachers and staff. Our son attended Variety School for 2 years and was accepted at the Academy of the Pacific (AOP), where he did well academically and was part of their Sailing Team. He even welcomed his Variety School classmates when they arrived at AOP. We were faced with finding another school when AOP closed after our son completed his sophomore year. Pacific Buddhist Academy (PBA) accepted our son and while they offered a small classroom environment like AOP, they had placed him on a track to earn a Certificate instead of a Diploma. He was placed on the Diploma track after demonstrating that he was performing as well as the non-autistic students. Our son graduated high school (with honors) and went on to complete his associates degree in liberal arts at Kapiolani Community College. He has been able to hold a part time job for almost 4 years. We’re so thankful to Variety School and believe that they were essential to laying the foundation for our son’s success.
~ Former Parents
Before variety school, I was struggling to make friends and learn daily life skills. People didn’t comprehend the things I think about and the way I feel. It was hard for me to express myself in a positive way. I ask myself “am I the problem?” Then I realized I’m just different in a unique way. But when I was at variety school from Room A all the way to the Next Step Program, it was really a journey for me. I learned life skills I never thought I would learn. Learning life skills such as paying bills on time, filling out applications and even planning events really meant a lot to me. Hanging out with my friends made me feel very special because you can’t do much when you are lonely. Sometimes you have to pick yourself up and say “there’s something I need to work on.” I would love to thank all the staff who really motivated me to do better in life and that life has its moments and hardships. I especially like to thank Ms Shandra and Ms Lori for helping me prepare for college and even a full time job for the future. I never thought someone like me could even have the ability to get a full time job and graduate with a 3.0 GPA. I wish everyone at variety school nothing but the best. Until next time, Mahalo and Aloha.
~ Thomas Chang, Former Student
In 2009, we enrolled our autistic son, Nalu at Variety School. Nalu had attended a public preschool where his experiences were not positive. At this point, Nalu was scared, confused and distrustful of people. At Variety School, they worked with Nalu and us (parents) to earn Nalu’s trust and to make him feel welcome and at ease. It did not take long for Nalu to realize that, at Variety School, he was in a safe environment.
During his first couple of years at Variety School, Nalu was immersed in multiple programs/therapies that helped him learn how to better articulate when speaking, how to make eye contact and read facial expressions, how to write legibly with a proper grip on the pencil, how to control his body with various movements…and how to handle uncomfortable situations.
One of the many things that Variety School did for Nalu was helping him overcome his fear of water. Nalu used to be extremely afraid of water, not allowing us to rinse his hair without screaming. Variety School worked with Nalu in a shallow pool where, over time, he overcame his fear. It is important to interject here that Variety School communicates with parents extremely well on a daily basis. As we learned of Nalu’s progress in the water, I (dad) began working with Nalu on swimming in the ocean and in a pool. It did not take long for Nalu to learn how to swim on his front and back, jump in the pool, and play in the waves. Nalu was jumping off the diving board and boogie boarding in fairly large waves within a couple of years.
Nalu was terrified of dogs, too, and, similar to his experience with water, Variety School introduced a therapy dog to the students and encouraged each of them to approach and pet the dog when they were ready. Again, it did not take long before Nalu was coming home, excited to tell us how he was petting the therapy dog. He now enjoys playing with the family’s 2-year-old chocolate lab.
Variety School has meaningful field trips to public places where the students learn to interact appropriately with other people. Safety is a constant lesson and Nalu would emphasize to us how they were taught to cross a street, what to look for, what to avoid…all the details were taught and retaught.
Academically, Nalu learned math, reading and writing, music, art, history and, throughout all of the lessons, Nalu and his classmates were taught the value of organization, time management, neatness and collaboration.
Patty and I saw so many positive changes in the 14+ years Nalu attended Variety School. Friendships were forged and Nalu would meet his classmates at a restaurant where they would order, eat, pay (with appropriate tip), and thank the server…ALL of these life skills were taught at Variety School.
All Variety School students were encouraged to pursue their individual interests and share their experiences with the other students. Nalu is part of an active family who swims, surfs and works out often. Nalu entered several cross country races, representing (unofficially) Variety School in ILH races. He participated in 5K races with his brother and dad. He was a member of the Hawaiian Islands water polo club with his brother. He participated in a basketball camp and an indoor soccer league with his friends from Variety School.
Towards the end of his years at Variety School, Nalu was encouraged to take on-line classes with a California-based college called Exceptional Minds. He immediately took to working with special effects and animation. The teachers at Variety School supported this passion and balanced his regular school work with his EM work. Nalu spent the last year at Variety School working on passing his Hi-Set tests to earn his high school equivalency credentials so he could attend Exceptional Minds the following fall as a full-time student. Nalu’s teacher balanced his regular work with specific academic work to help him review for the multiple tests he needed to pass.
Nalu graduated from Variety School in the spring of 2023 having passed the Hi-Set tests he took while still a full-time VS student. He is now in his 2nd semester of college, attending Exceptional Minds on a full-time basis.
Nalu’s journey would not have been possible without Variety School. He has grown from a scared, confused boy into a confident, talented, healthy young man.
We will forever be grateful to the Variety School family…and they are family!
~ Anonymous