The Black Mountain Academy Reviews 

It is an amazingly supportive team for both the student and the family. It is not a easy journey, but it was worth it. Black Mountain gave our son the tools he needed to be successful and gave us the skills to adjust the family structure to be more supportive for everyone. 3 years later, I cannot save enough positive things. This truly changed the course for us.

The Black Mountain Academy did an outstanding job helping our son and us navigate his diagnoses and help him develop the skills needed to be successful in school and life. The staff, teachers and therapists worked well together to help our son engage and succeed in school, work successfully with other students, engage in community activities, and even get a part-time job. Weekly parent calls and quarterly parent workshops helped us learn how to best support our son and guide him in his growth. We learned skills to support him and communicate with him more effectively. Our son made friends and trusted the team. We always knew what was going on and how our son was doing and where he was challenged.

I have worked at Black Mountain Academy for over a decade, and I can say with confidence that the school is committed to investing deeply and with care in the growth of neurodiverse students and their families. The staff is dedicated to getting to know each student and providing intentional support, focusing on their strengths and interests as well as their challenges. The school partners with and values the entire family in meaningful ways. The students are seen, celebrated, and gently guided toward growth.

I have been working with this program and the Clinical and Executives Staffs since they opened over 10 years ago. These neurdivergent teens and young adults are so well taken care of and their lives are changed for the better. Noone works better with struggling neurodivergent people than Black Mountain.

Having worked with neurodiverse students of all ages for over 30 years as a teacher, tutor, dorm parent, admissions director, and consultant, I can say without hesitation that Black Mountain sets the gold standard of care and community culture.

Brandon and his team truly understand these complex young men and the unique challenges they face. Equally important, they deeply appreciate the profound level of exhaustion and dedication parents experience simply trying to help their sons find a place in the world.

Black Mountain will challenge a student, and they will challenge a family to recalibrate in order to grow. This process is not easy—nor should it be—and the transformation is profound when families fully commit to their thoughtful, compassionate approach.

Very few schools vet prospective students with the level of due diligence that Black Mountain does. They recognize that a truly safe, supportive, and successful environment for every member of the community begins with getting that fit right from day one.

Thank you,
JD

I came here during the most turbulent time in my life. A time where everything was uncertain and changing. It was in the summer of 2018. A troubled teenager whose life was in discombobulating chaos. The structure provided helped more than anything. The tools and resources and time I was given was all for my betterment even if sometimes I didn’t see it that way. Everyone there from the Teachers to the Staff only wants you to become the best version of yourself. I look back at my time there and would not change a thing. I am who I am today because of the time and care and tools they gave me.

Black Mountain Academy is an outstanding, caring community for neurodiverse boys. The dedicated staff of leaders in the field provide thoughtful, individualized support that helps students grow academically, socially, and personally. Highly recommended!

BMA was a wonderful experience for both my child and us as parents. Their care, concern, and focus on teaching my son was incredible. My son felt supported and made connections which are so important for children who are ASD. When my son was graduating from the program, the faculty and staff were emotional at him leaving the campus. However, their purpose is to assist in the growth of their students and that is exactly what my son needed. When he finished the program to move to a step down program and finish high school, my son told me that he was living his best life and that he was so glad that he was given the opportunity to be at BMA. He wants to visit and has kept in contact with several of the staff and some students. As a result of his experience at BMA, he wants to receive a B.A. in Social Work and to work at BMA or a place like BMA. I can't say enough about how lucky we are that he is a BMA alum and will forever be grateful.

Our Son was late being Diagnosed, so when we came to Black Mountain, it was just about our last hope for getting help for him. Immediately we noticed the care at which the staff handled his transition to the Academy. We were encouraged to visit(we lived on the west coast) and had most our family meeting via Zoom.
Our son had his struggles as did we, However the therapy team and entire staff worked diligently to help everyone get past whatever barrier was holding us back. It was hard, no doubt, but the hard work paid dividends.
Today our son is starting his 3rd year of college and is Majoring in Child Psycology with an eye towards at risk teens he currently looking at schools for
his Masters.
The work Black Mountain does is hard. Its hard for the students, it's hard for the parents and it's hard for the staff. However, I believe their work is crucial and valuable and the best thing you can do for your child.

The BMA staff was well organized, experienced, and incredibly patient with my son. Their academic program was excellent, providing the structure, individualized support, and encouragement he needed to succeed. The teachers and staff were dedicated to helping my son reach his full potential while also offering consistent guidance, understanding, and support. They were compassionate and encouraging, but also firm when necessary, providing the accountability and structure that helped him develop responsibility, confidence, and resilience. Their commitment made a meaningful difference in my son's academic achievement, personal growth, and overall success. I am truly grateful for the positive impact BMA has had on our family.

Please, to any parent considering sending their child here, I beg of you, consider how treatment facilities like this affect your relationship with your child. The lasting resentment and distrust that this will leave your child with will permanently set back and complicate your relationship because of these three reasons. The first is that it will leave them resentful and hurt. No matter how many times you say it, no matter how true it is, they will feel that they were sent here because they were not good enough, for their family, their school, or for themselves. Even if they understand the reasons why they were sent here, the bottom line will persist: that everyone else was good enough to live in a normal household, to go to a normal school, to have a normal life, and they were not. The second is that it is forever. Yes, at some point your child will leave the program, but there are two things that will persist after: first, the resentment and even hatred of you for sending them here, and second the fear of going back again, to this or another facility. Indeed, they will never truly be able to live at home again, as they will constantly be looking over their shoulder, in fear that they will once again fall short of everyone else's expectations. And third, the program does not actually help them behaviorally. It does not make them a better, more intelligent, or functional person, or even instill in them the desire to make themselves onto one; instead, it makes them into perfectly obedient people-pleasers, and makes them desire to conform to the expectations and rules of society, keeping them in a box and destroying their creativity and individuality.

Our son came to Black Mountain Academy after completing two residential treatment programs in Utah. Those programs helped him make important progress, but BMA was exactly what he needed next. It struck the perfect balance between accountability, increasing independence, strong academics, and therapeutic support. Rather than simply maintaining the progress he had made, BMA gave him the opportunity to continue growing into a confident, capable young adult.

One of the things that makes BMA unique is its location. Black Mountain is an incredible community, and the program thoughtfully incorporates it into the students' growth. As students earn trust and demonstrate responsibility, they have opportunities to walk to local coffee shops and the library, and even earn part-time jobs. These aren't just privileges—they're opportunities to practice real-world skills and independence in a supportive environment.

Academics were also a major reason we chose BMA. After our son's previous treatment experiences, we wanted a program where education was a genuine priority. BMA delivered. They understand that preparing students for life after treatment means helping them succeed not only emotionally, but academically as well.

What sets Black Mountain Academy apart most, however, is the people. The staff truly care—not only about the students, but about their families. They intentionally create a community where parents can support one another through an incredibly difficult journey. That support became just as meaningful to us as the work our son was doing. Years later, we still keep in touch with members of the staff and several of the families we met through the program. Those relationships have become lasting friendships.

Looking back, I can honestly say our family would not be where we are today if we hadn't found Black Mountain Academy when we did. Watching your child struggle is one of the hardest things a parent can experience, and finding the right place can feel overwhelming.

For our family, BMA was that place. They helped our son build the skills and confidence he needed for the next chapter of his life, and they gave our family hope when we needed it most. We will always be grateful for everything they did for our son—and for us.

I am absolutely certain that our son would not be where he is today without the help of Black Mountain. We were struggling desperately at home and we did not have local resources that he needed. He struggled significantly with emotional dysregulation, leading to threats of self harm, running away, as well as poor social skills, lack of insight and executive functioning; the list goes on. He attended several other programs before BMA, receiving some benefit from each, very slowly maturing along the way, but still needed substantial support when arriving at BMA. Brandon is an exemplary leader and sets the tone for the entire school and community. He has a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges of these students. We particularly appreciated BMA‘s willingness to support our son’s specific interest of rock climbing, which meant providing transportation when it wasn’t convenient or in the plans of the residential staff. Also BMA’s understanding and willingness to give him another chance when he had a significant setback, resulting in a second wilderness program. We are tremendously grateful for BMA, including the leadership, the therapists, teachers, and activity and residential staff. Our son was at BMA for about one and a half years before graduating from there. We were very impressed with the compassion, understanding, and patience of the entire BMA team. They truly care about these kids, they seem to enjoy and take pride in their work. Finally, the parent support is very valuable and appreciated. Particularly the parent workshops, which include time to connect with other parents who truly understand this difficult journey, and the guest speakers who have provided some real hope and insight for us. With great appreciation in our heart, we recommend BMA without reservation.

Caring and knowledgeable staff with experience and understanding of the issues of and therapies for high functioning autistic children were evident.
There were good living conditions and supervision.
The continuation of academic education and grade advancement was evident, as well as programs for outside work experiences.
Personally, my son , although always reticent about enduring a mandatory environmental therapy program, came to accept the situation and did well.The staff helped him to understand and realize his situation. He graduated high school during the two years of his attendance and came back home with a more mature social awareness. We gave him the choice of work or school when he returned.
He went to community college and now is in junior year at university to graduate with a clinical laboratory science bachelor's degree. He remains somewhat noticeably socially awkward but interacts and functions adequately well with others.
We are greatly appreciative for the help that the Black Mountain Academy gave my son to overcome as optimally as possible his handicap.
It is important to match the individual child to an appropriate treatment facility and Black Mountain has a great screening process to evaluate applicants.
In selecting a program make sure that it is evident that they uphold the dignity of each person in all their care modalities. Black Mountain manifested this rule.
An important aspect of the Black Mountain program is integrating the involvement of the student's family and conducts many in person events and conferences.
Don't expect miracles. It is a long and arduous labor of love; so be patient even when the situation requires all your energies and hope. In the end , it is a beautiful satisfaction to feel you did the best for your child. I feel that this is the heart of the the Black Mountain goals.

Black Mountain Academy was transformative for our son and our family. The stellar team - academic, therapeutic and residential - met him exactly where he was, building trust first and creating a foundation for real growth. With patience, structure and genuine care, they helped him re-engage academically, manage overwhelm and develop tools to face challenges with confidence. He was able to form lasting friendships, open up his mind to new and healthy interests and become an amazing big brother to our younger kids.

Black Mountain Academy helped us as parents. The staff guided us in learning how to communicate with our son in ways that were supportive, productive and grounded in values. We became more effective partners in his growth. We couldn't have achieved this level of evolution at home.

Through the highly intentional programming at BMA, our son became more self-aware, more confident and more willing to take responsibility for his progress and challenges. We saw meaningful growth in school, in resilience, independence, life skills, communication and self-esteem. BMA is the real deal and has impacted our family in the best possible way.

Black Mountain Academy was absolutely transformative for our son and for our family. When we dropped him off, he was refusing to go to school and talking about dropping out entirely. By the time he completed the program, he had caught up academically and was truly ready to transition to a new school — where he is now flourishing.

The staff is exceptional: deeply attentive, genuinely caring, and clearly invested in each student’s growth. Communication with parents was consistently excellent, which made an enormous difference during what can be a very stressful time. The parent workshops were especially valuable, offering practical, compassionate guidance that helped us become better parents for our child, not just in theory but in real day-to-day life.

I cannot say enough about the impact this school has had. Black Mountain Academy changed the trajectory of our son’s education and well-being, and it positively changed all of our lives. We will always be deeply grateful.

My son went her for 12 months (junior year). It was a wonderful (and hard), life-changing experience. He's now in college studying psychology because of the teachers, counselors, and staff at Black Mountain. Cannot say enough wonderful things about these people. Make no mistake - this is hard work for everyone involved. It's expensive and heart-heavy. And worth all of it.

I am reflecting on BMA and its role in getting our son to his life's current trajectory. We have no regrets. I have to say a member of BMA's team, when our son was there 2018-2019 said, please wait until he is 25 to be sure the full maturity/growth is able to blossom. I admit we are still on our way there. He is now 21 and counting. Her timeline seems to be appropriate. I am not sure any intervention can truly reverse heredity, genetics - he is who he is DNA and and all. His addiction to tech, aversion to showers, inability to executive function for room care are all still ever present. But he has improved in emotional regulation and he has always been empathetic. We are proud of Tim and his association with BMA. One day at a time....

After several years in programs in Utah, we were grateful to find Black Mountain Academy in North Carolina for our teenage son on the autism spectrum. He began at BMA in 2016 when it was still a relatively new program operating out of a rental home, and we had the privilege of watching both our son and the program grow.
BMA became an exceptional program that gave him the support he needed to mature into a self-sufficient young man. He later transitioned into a college program and graduated with a degree in cyber-security. Throughout his time at BMA, we knew he was in a safe, structured environment with a staff that truly cared and communicated with us regularly.
Although enrolling him was one of the hardest decisions we have ever made, it made an extraordinary difference in his life. We are deeply grateful to the dedicated people at Black Mountain Academy who became part of our “village” in raising our son.

As a social worker, I’ve been very impressed with the clinical and academic team at Black Mountain Academy. My clients that have gone to the program have done very well and kept their progress going post treatment. I especially appreciate the Frontline staff who do a lot of the heavy lifting: modeling pro social behavior, social skills, and appropriate behavior to the students in the moment.