Sophie likes to get her hair done, eat pizza, hang out with her friends, and put her feet up to watch TV. In a lot of ways, she’s just like any other teenage girl. But while there are a lot of ways Sophie’s life is typical, her journey getting here has been nothing short of extraordinary.
When Sophie was diagnosed with autism and came to Garden Academy at seven years old, she had almost no ability to communicate—her mom told us how she’d get frustrated and cry, leaving her family to struggle to figure out what she needed in that moment. We immediately saw how important it was to give her a way to let us know what was on her mind.
Our behavior analytic teaching method helped Sophie blossom. There were fewer tears as she learned how to share what she was thinking with her communication device. Her personality began to shine through.
Sophie has attended Garden Academy for seven years now, and we’re helping her to become more independent each day. She’s learning how to ask for what she wants—like TV and pizza. She’s learning how to eat independently and make food for herself. She’s found ways to express her sassy, sweet personality. We’ve even gotten to see a bit of Sophie’s rebellious side—she is a teenager, after all.
While a lot has changed at Garden Academy in the seven years Sophie has been here, what hasn’t changed is our dedication to helping her have a brighter future. To us and Sophie’s family, we’re on a journey—there may be stops and starts along the way, but we’re on the right path and we are in it together.
We can’t wait to see where Sophie goes next.