Our Unique
Approach

young patient swinging in the play area at Black Bear Academy

Family and Community Support

We are a family

As a team of compassionate specialists, we support our community of children and parents through information, education, and caring relationships.

We specialize in
special children

We provide an early childhood educational setting to serve children who often cannot be accommodated at other schools. Many children with developmental or social emotional needs do not receive optimal care at other preschool settings and are left to feel isolated or treated as if there is something wrong with them. We see children as unique individuals who can learn and grow regardless of ability level.

young boy sitting on the ground playing with toys at Black Bear Academy in Chicago, Il
Meaghan Milbourn smiling and playing with a young boy sliding down the slide

We serve
the whole child

The transformational benefits of Conscious Discipline® serve the whole child with multisensory approaches to social, emotional, and cognitive learning and development.

We use a
multi-disciplinary
strategy

We utilize our expert staff of therapists and teachers to aid in the optimal development of the whole child with the intention of setting them up for future educational success.

Amanda Zabel of Black Bear Academy smiling and talking to a young girl

We offer Academic
and Therapeutic
solutions

While we provide stand-alone therapeutic solutions, we also offer the opportunity to integrate a comprehensive approach by combining education at The School with therapy through The Clinic.

We support learners
at every level

We believe every child is one-of-a-kind with one-of-a-kind needs. That’s why we assess, evaluate, plan, and tailor specialized, research-driven solutions for each individual child and family.

young patient color and playing with toys at Black Bear Academy in Chicago, Il

Our Core Values

Student-centered growth

We believe in helping children grow and develop according to their individual needs.

Parent partnerships

We believe in partnering with parents to maximize each child’s unique skills and strengths.

Learning opportunities for the whole child

We believe in protecting the joys of childhood while facilitating optimal opportunities for each child to learn at a self-determined pace based on interest and aptitude.

Research-driven programming

We believe in building a child’s neural network through a multisensory approach to learning that emphasizes play and motor cortex development and helps students reach their highest levels of potential, regardless of traditional or adult-determined age expectations.

contact us

Thank you!
Your message has been received. We will respond as soon as possible.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.