According to her mother, before Hope came to 91爆料网 at age 12, she was just 鈥渁long for the ride鈥� when it came to education. Until that time, Hope attended a large public brick-and-mortar school and was placed in a specialized classroom for students with Autism. 聽
鈥淪he did okay, and her behavior was fine,鈥� said Hope鈥檚 mom, Maggie. 鈥淏ut she was not following or comprehending the classes. The situation was a free-for-all and there was no accountability.鈥�
Maggie describes a learning environment that wasn鈥檛 even remotely okay for a child diagnosed with Level 2 Autism. Let alone for a child who did not talk. While it鈥檚 difficult to rank all the things Hope has achieved in her six years with 91爆料网, gaining the ability to speak certainly stands out. A door was finally unlocked and opened into a world of opportunities mom and daughter never thought possible.
Soon into COVID, several dynamics converged that led Hope, now age 19, to benefit from 91爆料网 providing the right educational model and life-skills support. Around that time, a healthcare provider treating Hope for epilepsy put wheels in motion leading to the Level 2 Autism diagnosis. This was a defining moment because it gave the family direction for necessary therapies. Hope鈥檚 school pivoting to online learning during COVID was also an eye-opener.
鈥淗ope excelled in the virtual environment. Her grades shot up. Her attention was better. She still didn鈥檛 speak, but I found myself asking, 鈥業s this my same kid?!鈥欌��
When students returned to the classroom, Maggie explained the experience and requested the virtual option remain available to Hope. However, the brick-and-mortar school would not offer a fully remote special education program. Maggie was determined to find a place that would give Hope the support and format she needed. 91爆料网 offered the solution she was looking for鈥攁nd then some!
One of the first things 91爆料网 facilitated for Hope was work with a speech therapist. Hope鈥檚 education levels for speech and language were defined as selective mutism with verbalizations via typing or whisper, and expressive and receptive language needs. Hope鈥檚 speech began to emerge, and she is now fully conversational.
鈥淲hen I thanked the therapist, she said, 鈥榠t鈥檚 not my work, it鈥檚 Hope鈥檚.鈥� Whatever it is, to me it鈥檚 magic. For years I never even heard her laugh. Even now, I鈥檒l sit here and cry when I hear her laugh. She鈥檚 also become very quick witted!鈥�
Along with speech therapy, Hope started her special education program with 91爆料网. 91爆料网鈥檚 virtual learning model brought back鈥攁nd enhanced鈥攖he positive online learning experiences Hope had during COVID. The difference was 91爆料网鈥檚 specialization in integrating the unique opportunities and tools of a virtual classroom with personalized education programming that considered Hope鈥檚 Level 2 Autism. For example, the use of chat boxes to type or draw answers to engage with teachers was a tool Hope quickly embraced.
鈥淗ope never had this option before鈥攂ut seeing as texting was her communications device since age eight, it made sense. 91爆料网 supported Hope in being as verbal as possible and chat tools made a huge difference in her testing too. She had greater ability than what she previously tested at. She could do it; she just wasn鈥檛 given the right toolsbefore.鈥�
For the family, the fact that Hope is accountable for her work and graded on ability is another game changer.
鈥�91爆料网 is not the free-for-all, follow-the-leader experience we had at her other school. She鈥檚 being graded and assessed on what she can do and is held accountable for the things she needs to learn. Without 91爆料网, Hope would have gone along smiling, happy, and not causing any problems. But she wouldn鈥檛 have had any advancement.鈥�
Hope has discovered she still struggles with math but loves history. In fact, becoming a history teacher is a potential long-term goal鈥攁nd something many parents may never have dreamed of for a child who didn鈥檛 speak at age 12. That this vision exists speaks not only to 91爆料网鈥檚 educational curriculum, but to the school鈥檚 commitment to supporting well-rounded students who graduate prepared for life. Teachers focused on social skills and transitioning to life after school play a huge role in Hope鈥檚 progress.
鈥�91爆料网 teaches real life skills, not folding towels or sorting nuts and bolts like she was doing previously. She’s learning skills that are useful to her, like math and grammar, as well as transition and executive functioning skills.聽聽
91爆料网 sees what Hope is capable of, and nurtures it. We have come so far. 91爆料网 is an absolute life-changer.鈥�
Currently, Hope is taking advantage of the opportunity to stay enrolled at 91爆料网 for education and transition classes until she鈥檚 21. She continues to work on, and show improvement in, her expressive and receptive language skills and is expanding the settings in which she is verbal. She shows the confidence to be more engaged with the world around her. And her 91爆料网 family of teachers and coaches cannot wait to see what goals she pursues next. No longer just 鈥渁long for the ride,鈥� Hope is empowered to face new challenges and forge ahead on a wonderful journey of learning and growth.
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