We are not adding any new comments to this page but you can still read some of the comments previously submitted by readers. Tamie, Phoenix, AZ My daughter is also at Casa by the Sea and has been for 14 months now. Casa is not a 'boot camp". It is a behavioral modification treatment center and boarding school. Kids do not wear military style clothing, they wear uniforms, much like you would find at any private school. You know, khaki pants, long sleeved shirts with button down collars and ties. Secondly, they do not use physical activity as a form of discipline. And finally, Casa, and all of the WWASP schools, do treat the underlying emotional problems of the child and the family. They promote whole and healthy families through education, growth and change. The students and parents attend seminars seperately and together. Students attend group therapy on a regular basis and may also get individual therapy as needed. In addition to treating their emotional issues, students continue their education through an American accredited Academy. Janice, Riverside, USA As a parent sending a child to a school like this is very hard, but until you have been in that place yourself, dealing with an out of control teen who is on the path to self destruction, you should not judge. My son has truly changed his life, he now has a vision and a goal for his life and intends to live it with gratitude and love. He is ready to take challenges and contiue on his journey. Also, he has graduated high school at Casa by the Sea six months early, that alone is a great feat as he was 18 months behind his grade level when he entered the school. On the day we brought him home, he sincerely thanked us for sending him to Casa. Annon I am British, but live in the States and my daughter is at Casa by the Sea. For three years we saw her spiral downwards into a life of drugs, heavy drinking, dropping out of school, trouble with the law etc. I feared for her life and wondered if she would ever pull out it, seeing as she intended to leave home as soon as possible. We tried every avenue of help available and nothing worked. In the end she went to Casa. Yes, it works on behaviour modification. And the problem with that? It is a warm and caring environment. My daughter is clean and sober and working on getting back on track. They don't wear army fatigues or run around carrying logs. She seems relieved to be taken out of the destructive spiral she was in, where she was losing everything she ever cared about. She is making up the education that she lost. She has made great friends, has many happy days and doesn't hate us. We did it because we love her enough to risk losing her love in order to save her life. Perhaps if a few more people would take responsibility for their children when they lose themselves, we'd have a few less problems in our society. Annon My daughter had started to get into trouble at the beginning of 7th grade. I took her to a psychologist, but this outlet didn't make any difference. She began to hang out with kids who at her age were already in drug and alcohol rehab programs. By February 2001, my daughter was going to rave clubs. We learned of runaway plans the week of March 9, 2001, and shortly thereafter we had her escorted to Casa by the Sea. We did not send her there to "break" her, and she is not "broken." She was broken before she got there. She became whole at Casa. She examined what her values were, determined what it meant to live her life according to the values that SHE developed, decided what she wanted her life to look like, and developed a strategy to get to that life. We've seen tremendous changes in her since March 2001, and are very proud of her. She just finished precalculus in the accredited educational program and now says she wants to be a physicist. | 
Inside Out - Yorkshire & Lincolnshire: Monday 6th January, 2003
