Torrance Clinical Research Review

Very nice staff. Easy to work with especially under these circumstances. They are very considerate and understanding. I never feel rushed when we come in.

Cortica has changed our lives. Their BCBA's and BI are amazing and I have seen HUGE changes in my son, all positive. We LOVE Amanda, Danyel, Allen and Lawrence. Thank you for everything you have done for us. Amanda thank you for always listening to me and helping our family come up with solutions.

I've been receiving services across multiple Cortica locations, and am so impressed by the consistency and quality of care our family receives. The doctors travel between sites, which has given me great continuity in service over time. I find the medical care to be extremely attentive, looking at all applicable diagnostic tests and avoiding unnecessary medications.
This new location is absolutely beautiful, especially the colors and lighting which conveys an overall sense of well-being and hope.
I have been very impressed with the full set of providers at the Torrance location, including speech, OT, ABA. It's clear to me from the front desk staff to the clinical therapists, everyone is so focused on creating a warm and beautiful experience, not just for the child but for the entire family unit.
I'm so grateful to have Cortica now available in our backyard!

Cortica is likely the most competent group of therapists we have worked with so far (from California (OC) to Michigan and back to California (LA) again.) Cortica's tremendous multi-point therapy collaborative is exactly what we were looking for and we feel so very fortunate to have been able to find a place for our daughter as they launched their Torrance office.

The Cortica team has exceeded my expectations. What sets them apart from other behavioral companies is they have a highly trained group of knowledgeable professionals working together as a team all under one roof. Their clinic was impressive as well. Different specialties such as Speech, O.T., Behavioral therapists as well as their Medical doctors all collaborated together as a team to create an efficient knowledgeable approach towards understanding the child and his unique complexity that challenges him. Overall, our experience with Cortica has been truly amazing.

I've had a consultation with Dr. Shapiro but it wasn't for us. They were recommending an EEG within a few minutes of observing my son and talking to me. My son doesn't have seizures. They also recommended blood work but I don't think my son needs supplements at this time and I'm not comfortable with it. We just needed ABA and they never called us back to say if they could take our case.

They sounded promising in the beginning and their customer service was good but I feel like they were just trying to sell their services without really caring if they were appropriate for my son. I don't believe there's a one size fits all solution for all ASD kids. EEG's aren't always necessary, and supplementation is optional. That's what my current neurologist said, I got a second opinion. I feel that Dr. Shapiro should have talked more and spent more time with us before making recommendations.

My neurologist didn't even say that EEGs were a best practice, just that just because someone is diagnosed with ASD, it doesn't mean that he or she should get an EEG. I have been seeing her with my son for one and a half years and EEGs never came up. The only best practice, our neurologist said is genetic testing which we've already done. I asked about the music therapy and they didn't have it available unlike advertised on the website. I feel that the evaluation was meant for me to get as much services from them as possible, (selling) whether necessary or not. It seemed to me that my son's schedule was too limited and we only wanted ABA, so they weren't interested in having us as a client. I would've appreciated if someone at least call us back to let us know, so I wouldn't have wasted my time waiting and just pursued another provider right away. I followed up three times.

(UPDATE)

This company keeps on turning out to be a bigger and bigger nightmare. I got an explanation of benefits from my insurance today, and turns out they tried to bill insurance 500 dollars for that first visit with Dr. Shapiro. None of the charges were allowed, and insurance says I don't have to pay anything. It wasn't a real neurological evaluation, because there were no results! Why would we get charged for a consultation that yielded no report or results? Dr. Shapiro said we don't have to do the Care Plan meeting, and instead suggested that we meet again with the bloodwork results so we could talk about supplements. They ordered bloodwork from Miller's Children Hospital and then never called us back. We got nothing from that neurological evaluation. They charge you for the first appointment when it is really nothing but an introduction for the company into their services. This company is using a non-evidenced based protocol for their autistic patients and charging you for initial meetings that should be free.

I'm so glad I went with another company and avoided dealing with the mess of this disorganized start-up!

Also, beware of fake reviews and fake posters on Facebook groups, google and social media who try to promote Cortica under the guise of real moms and real patients. I have personally chatted with one of them on an Autism Facebook groups.

We have had a good experience so far with Cortica, we have gone mainly for visits with the neurologist, Dr. Shapiro is very knowledgable and he is very patient with our son, it was the first time that someone explained the reason for every behavior and lack of speech in my son. The staff is also very polite and the wait time both for clinic and in the phone is minimal.

Dr.Shapiro is very kind and intelligent.He always helps us with my all questions.We like OT very much specially my son loves OT in cortica.He asks us to go to cortica everyday.All OT therpists are very good.

The Cortica Care team has been nothing but helpful, friendly, professional and accommodating to all our needs for our son and as a family. I am looking forward to working with this agency to help my son with his sensory, behavioral and speech needs. In just a few sessions that he has had, I am watching him thrive and really benefit from all the service that are being provided to him.

I have been to a couple Cortica locations now, because of where we live between centers - and I just can't say enough about how helpful this team has been to my family. Just a really really beautiful place, with well educated, trained, hard working and compassionate people.