A School to Call Home: The Lily School for Child Development & Easterseals of Southwest Florida

By Simone Knego | January 2023

Colorful murals, children’s artwork, and the smiling faces of incredible teachers greet you as you walk down the hallways of The Lily School for Child Development, an inclusive early childhood and education program for children six weeks to five years old. It provides a comprehensive early childhood curriculum, including field trips, Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK), community-based learning, yoga, visual arts, Spanish, and more. But what makes this school so exceptional is the people—the staff, the children, and the volunteers. 

Elizabeth Seymour, whose son, Chase, is in the Pre-K, discovered The Lily School through a conversation at Early Steps, the place where Chase was originally receiving his occupational and behavioral therapy. She had been searching for a place for her son when she heard about The Lily School. 

“As a single parent who was struggling with a child with behavioral issues— who was expelled from multiple preschools and was not invited to playdates—I found a place where I never had to worry. A place where they never called me to pick him up. Because they were able to work with him. They dealt with his issues. And now, after a couple of years of intense therapy, and love and dedication and expertise, I can see how my son is flourishing. It’s because of this school.” 

She recently traveled with Chase to New York City, a trip she would not have attempted before his transformation at The Lily School. Chase experienced his first plane ride, and they went to see The Lion King on Broadway. 

Amanda Corcoran, whose son is in the K-1 classroom, stated, “Even before the pandemic, finding a preschool that would accept Jackson was like finding a diamond in the rough; it just didn’t exist.” 

There were multiple preschools within a ten-mile radius of their home in Englewood, but none that could care for all her quadruplets. Jackson had been politely asked to leave his previous preschool because the school did not have the resources to appropriately help him with his unique needs. 

When Amanda found the Lily School—a place where her son was accepted for exactly who he is—life changed for all of them. She finally found a place where her family felt at home. And since the Lily School is an inclusive preschool, all of her kids could attend together. 

Jackson is making progress by leaps and bounds. He is holding markers, coloring, and stamping. Those were not things that he was doing before. According to his teacher, April House, “Even about a month ago, he was slapping materials, and now he has this nice way of pointing at things and vocalizing as he points.”

The school has had such a powerful impact on Amanda and her family that she now works there as their Family and Community Engagement Coordinator so that she can help other families like her own. 

Elizabeth and Amanda are just two examples of the many families whose lives have been changed by The Lily School and Easterseals. They are two moms with children who have different disability struggles but have both found a safe space for their children. 

Elizabeth and Amanda came in as parents and quickly realized that the school is more than just an educational facility; it’s a place that changes lives. They now work, volunteer, and raise funds for The Lily School and the various Easterseals programs because they truly understand the difference that these programs make in the lives of families.

Amanda shared, “We have kids who are not neurodivergent in the preschool. They’re learning empathy and sympathy from an early age. Those kids go off to public school and might see a kid who reminds them of a friend they had at the Lily School. Instead of allowing them to sit alone on the playground or at lunch, they invite them to be friends.” These are valuable skills that our world needs.

When children graduate from The Lily School, they can continue their education at the Easterseals Academy. It’s a K-12 program that provides exceptional services for students with disabilities and their families by empowering individuals to live their lives to the fullest. Easterseals Academy serves students through age 22 who are challenged by developmental, physical, learning, mild behavioral disabilities, and autism. 

Easterseals Academy has piloted two Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) classrooms, a therapeutic model where six behavioral therapists and two teachers work with six children with autism. Children receive all of their therapy, an individualized education, and direct behavioral support for seven hours a day. 

In 2022, Easterseals of Southwest Florida launched The Autism Center for Excellence, a holistic approach to autism services, in both The Lily School and Easterseals Academy. This new model allows families to have their children evaluated for autism and receive therapy and an education, all under one roof. 

Typically, schools that cater to children with disabilities charge separately for therapy. At The Lily School and at Easterseals Academy, everything is included—occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and ABA therapy.

Jill Gass, Vice President of Philanthropy, stated, “The ability to have all of their therapies at the school is beneficial for the children because it’s not disruptive to their day. It’s also great for the parents because they’re not driving all over Sarasota and Manatee Counties trying to get the therapies their children require.” 

“In the past,” she continued, “you had to come to the school with a diagnosis, or the school would send you somewhere else to get it.” They now have two psychologists on site that can evaluate the children, which expedites the waiting time to get a diagnosis. The school has about a two-month wait for an appointment and diagnosis, whereas it can be up to eight to twelve months wait anywhere else.

April, a teacher in the K-1 classroom, has worked at the school since 2007 and has seen miracles happen with her students. “Some of my earlier students have graduated and now have jobs or have gone off to college. It’s amazing to see a two-year-old that I had worked with that was nonverbal and made no eye contact, and now he’s running his own painting business with his dad. It gives me so much hope for these kids. The investment that Easterseals makes in these children is just incredible.”

“When you receive a diagnosis—when your child is unique and doesn’t fit into the mold—you go through almost like a mourning process of the life you had expected. But because we have this support system, this village, we have so much hope for Jackson’s future. It might not be the future I had expected, but it will be incredible.” Amanda said.

According to Elizabeth, “Chase was exceptional from the day he was born. This school has changed our lives, and I know when Chase grows up and looks back at his childhood, he will understand how important this school was and will continue to be in his life and the lives of every family who will walk through these doors.”

Their words are true for every student who is part of the Easterseals’ village. Every child who walks through their doors is going to have a better future because of the work that is done here to create a better life for every student.

Elizabeth’s invitation is this: “Come visit the school. Come see the amazing work that is happening here. Our goal is to help as many families as we can, and the more people that can see the amazing work we are doing, the better.”

Easterseals of Southwest Florida has been a part of the Sarasota-Manatee community for over 75 years. Their mission is to “provide exceptional services for persons with disabilities and their families across a lifetime by empowering individuals to live their lives to the fullest.” According to Jill Gass, “We have the full lifespan of services for people. If they need us. We’re here.” They provide services for over 1300 people each year. 

Easterseals annual celebratory event, The Ability Shining Luncheon, will take place on March 2^nd at Michael’s on East. To find out more about The Lily School, Easterseals, and how you can support their amazing programs, please visit easterseals-swfl.org or call 941-355-7637.