Parent Testimonials

Esti Schiffmiller is a tireless activist whose goal is to help every “out of the box” Jewish child (and parent) grow and thrive. She has a wealth of knowledge about children with special needs, as well as every local school setup, access to community resources, and knowledge of institutional infrastructures and local organizations that may help. Esti selflessly gives of her time and knowledge to try and help parents struggling with where to send their children who are not succeeding in a mainstream yeshiva environment. Often, these parents feel discouraged and disillusioned, being rejected from multiple schools and unsure of where to turn (and even unsure if their child will ever be able to continue to receive a Jewish education). Esti reaches out to these parents, even if she doesn’t know them, to give encouragement, support and ideas. She also has a vision to change the world of special needs and how it is viewed, and to help local parents, schools, and the community at large with how they perceive and educate our children with special needs. Esti has a soft and pleasant demeanor, and a charm which draws all people to her. She is intentional in her written and spoken words, but don’t mistake that placidity for passivity! Despite her even-keeled, gentle and thoughtful personality, Esti is not afraid to have tough conversations with school administrations, organizational leaders, politicians, or anyone who may be able to help with this cause. We are lucky to have Esti in our community fighting for a better future for any child who may be struggling!

Esther Price-Lejbovitz

Parent of a special needs child and School Administrator (Tiegerman Preschool, FR)

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As a new mom of a little boy with an IEP, I felt many mixed emotions. One day, I randomly posted in a Facebook group. My question was about different school options in the local area and what would be available for a kid who doesn’t fit the typical mold. Esti Schiffmiller was fast to respond and reach out to me. Although I was lost, confused and conflicted at the time, I instantly felt comfortable describing my situation to her. She was warm, kind, and showed compassion. She recommended other group chats for me to join, so that I could have additional sources of support and information. She listened and shared advice/updates from many different local resources, as well as her own perspective and personal school experiences.

She is literally saved in my phone as “Esti Schiffmiller- Facebook Angel”. I was completely distraught at the time. I had been completely beside myself with pain and worry for my child’s educational future. When Esti reached out, suddenly I didn’t feel alone anymore. She helped explain many things to me. She described how the district worked and what to do to advocate for services. Most notably she offered a loving heart and her ears to truly listen and try to help. Mom to mom, she speaks to you with sensitivity and proactively tries to assist you with any concerns or questions you may have. It’s been a few years since my initial post that Esti had responded to, and we still keep in contact. She’s a gem. She really empowered me to take charge of my child's specific needs and taught me not to let my emotions get in the way of fighting for everything my child deserves and is entitled to.

- Melissa R.

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Esti helped me and my son through a really desperate and difficult time. She is always available, always quick with advice and resources. Her advice, her perspective as a mom, her support, and her kindness…all have been invaluable to me while going through the process of obtaining behavioral services for my son. She helped me get him back on track to be successful, when others had failed us. Most importantly, she advocated for us and showed that she really cared about our success.

Esti came through for my son in a huge way, with only an hour of notice she agreed to attend his school district meeting and read all of his reports so that she could learn more about him and advocate for him effectively. She was always offering to join meetings and talk to people for us because she truly cared about our success and she always backed up her words with action.

I can’t thank her enough!!

-C.A.

Postscript (It took a while to figure what I wanted to write because I can literally go on and on about how wonderful and kind you are.)

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Esti is so sensitive and caring and knowledgeable.

When I really didn’t know which direction to turn to for my own daughter, Esti was always there to guide me and help discuss all the different options available .

I felt that Esti helped me navigate the system for my daughter as if it was her own child going through this.

The reason she is able to do this successfully is because she has gone through the system herself on many fronts with her own kids. She guided me on who to go to (in terms of evaluations and medical referrals). She even knew the ins and outs of many of the different medications and possible side effects, and gave me tips and questions to ask the doctor.

When my daughter was having a hard time transitioning in camp, she brainstormed with me all the available options that could help her thrive. She helped locate a psychologist to do an evaluation and made the referral herself so that we could be seen sooner.

I would highly recommend Esti to any parent who is lost and needs help navigating. Sometimes as a parent, we reach out to family members, friends or professionals. They mean well, but they don't know what it's like to be there, in the trenches. Esti really gets it, because she lives it. She is always a great sounding board for advice. Whether it is going through a difficult school or medical situation, Esti can give the support and guidance to help get back on track.

-A.G.

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As parents, we are so emotionally invested in our kids it’s sometimes hard to verbalize our hopes and concerns clearly. Esther Schiffmiller validated my feelings and concerns and helped me be my daughter’s voice. I consider myself a resilient mother who was never discouraged. However, we had difficulty getting the services that would best help our daughter succeed. I didn’t have the right tools until Esther Schiffmiller came my way. She was my voice and she had my back as if my daughter was her own daughter.

The information I learned from her was invaluable. I received an education about my daughter's rights and our rights as parents. Had I known about other school options, our daughter’s rights, and everyone’s obligations, I would have handled those situations very differently. Esther asked for my daughter's reports, and many other items she thought were pertinent and spent the time reading and speaking to me.

Her knowledge and expertise were incredible! Her assessments were spot on- as if she knew my daughter. I felt like we were finally in good hands. She was able to assist our family from behind the scenes, being very involved in guaranteeing our daughter’s special education rights and best school placement. She came to meetings with notes prepared and really knew what to ask for. Her poise, tact, and intelligence are evident and her points could never be refuted.

After our meetings and phone conversations, I left feeling like I couldn’t have done better by my daughter. Alone, I would not have gotten the results of mainstreaming her in a Jewish school with appropriate support.

As a parent, you always worry if you are making the best decisions and choices for your child. You fight with reason and you fight with your instincts. But I finally felt confident and at ease that my daughter is getting the testing, observations and guidance that are appropriate for her.

Esther Schiffmiller will educate you and leave you feeling like you did the best possible job for your child… and wistfully wishing you that you had known her 2 years earlier.

My words, my money , and my thanks seem so small compared to all she has done- but my testimony is from my heart.

Thank you, Esther Schiffmiller!

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I worked with Esti on a proposal for a specialized ICT class for kids with mild ASD in the day school system. As a mom of kids with extra support needs, Esti has personal experience with how difficult navigating this world can be, and is an extremely passionate advocate for kids with special needs. She is an articulate and creative thinker and is particularly gifted at having her finger on the pulse of the community and cultivating relationships with organizational leaders. Esti has a talent for balancing diplomacy with persistance-she has the skills to effectively fight for your child, gently yet persuasively, and without ever compromising her message. She would be an invaluable asset to anyone looking for an advocate.

-Hannah S.

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Esti- I was thinking of you the other day. I called our service coordinator to figure out how we could get extra support/extra help for our son, and I was so, so grateful and appreciative for everything. And then, I was thinking to myself- How did we even get to this place? But if it wasn’t for that day (that chance meeting in the park), and your advice, I would NEVER know…I literally would not have known what to do, where to turn! I did not know that all these services existed. B"h with this support, our son did SO well this summer. But if it wasn’t for you Esti, I would not even know where to start. I would be lost, stressed, depressed, anxious- I wouldn’t even know where to go, what to ask. You literally opened the doors for me- you have no idea! I am so grateful.

Recently, I was speaking to my husband, about covering the cost of the para, all the extra hours our son needs, and what’s going to happen with our son’s future, and he said to me, “Don’t worry, remember how you got here!” And then it hit me- it really hit me. We literally wouldn’t be here- we would not be standing here- if not for you.

Where would we be today if we hadn’t met that rainy day at the park?

Esty M