Ace & Quentin’s Story

Where They Started

The brothers were completely nonverbal when they started at Cornerstone. They had almost no mastered skills. Even basic gross motor imitation took hundreds of trials to teach. Quentin had to sit at the computer to do even the most basic task because he needed almost constant reinforcement.

Where They Are

Fast forward to now and Quentin is primarily working in level 2 with some skills in level 3 on the VB-MAPP. He independently uses 2-3 word mands. He has expanded his choices for reinforcement beyond the computer and iPad. Ace is also mostly working in level 2 with a few deficits in high level 1. He can independently mand for various items with vocal approximations and signs. Most vocal approximations are understood by familiar adults however, we are pairing the signs and shaping the vocals to ensure that novel listeners can also understand his requests.

Allan’s Story

Where Allan Started

When Allan started at Cornerstone in August of 2018, he worked primarily within Level 1 of the VB-MAPP assessment. He engaged in several behaviors that were targeted for reduction, including scripting, noncompliance, and mouthing. For example, he could not tie his shoes or brush his teeth independently. Allan also struggled with conversational skills and would only use a few words at a time to communicate.

How Allan Improved

By graduation, Allan was primarily in Level 3 of the VB-MAPP, the highest level! He also had ZERO behaviors targeted for reduction! Allan had been sitting in an advanced classroom setting at Cornerstone since August of 2021. He worked on skills such as independently completing worksheets, raising his hand, and sitting in his chair for 30-minute tabletop activities with peers. In addition to this, Allan worked on daily living and self-help skills in technology, clothing and laundry, dishes, and housekeeping and chores! One thing that has been consistent with Allan since he started therapy is his smile, laugh, and positive attitude. Allan’s happy, upbeat, polite personality has been an absolute delight to have, and we know that will contribute to his success in the school environment! We are so proud of all that Allan has learned during his time at Cornerstone.

Austin’s Story

Where Austin Started

As the son of co-founders David and Debbie Ide, Austin was Cornerstone’s first client in 2010. “We set out to create a center that we wanted for our own child,” says Debbie. “A place he could thrive, that would accommodate his individual needs. We knew that if we did it right, other parents would want that for their children as well.” Austin wasn’t new to ABA when he started at Cornerstone and already had made significant progress across all domains. Language and social skills, however, remained significant deficits, as well as life skills that would help him to become independent. He was often anxious, especially with new people and situations so he struggled in social situations. His conversations with other were very limited and he often just quietly repeated his therapist’s words. He demonstrated non-compliance and maladaptive behavior when frustrated.

How Austin Improved

Austin is now 17 years old, and his programming emphasizes social interaction and life skills. Since implementing these programs, Austin’s conversations have improved significantly, especially his voice volume and intelligibility. While he used to become very anxious in social settings, he now excels in these areas, and often leads groups and is a peer model for other clients in life skills programming. “His anxiety has gone down with peers and even with us,” said his morning therapist, Jordan Baker. “He is more relaxed and is okay talking to us instead of getting frustrated. He has even developed a sense of humor and laughs openly with us!” His conversations still need some prompting by his therapists, but Austin is learning how to ask more questions and engage with peers on his own. More exciting is witnessing this skill transfer to the community when he interacts with peers when engaged in outside activities, like swimming at the YMCA. There have been several occurrences when therapist Rebecca Tiekling watched Austin independently initiate conversation and ask to play water basketball with the other kids. “The last few times Austin has shown great interest in other kids in the pool,” said Becca. “One day he played basketball for about 10 minutes and was independently sharing the ball and shooting baskets!” Austin also has a “job” at a local food pantry to work on life skills. He volunteers with his therapist to stock food on the shelves for the families that shop there later in the evening. He takes his job very seriously, making sure to stock all of the food in the right place. In terms of life skills, Austin has had success in other programs in the center, with the goal for these skills to transfer to home and the community. Things like laundry, counting and rolling the money from the vending machine, filing, taking inventory of center supplies and delivering mail and other items are some of the skills that he has mastered with his programming. “Cornerstone has given him a wonderful base of skills through his programming, and he is getting to use these skills in practical, everyday life situations,” said Hannah Burkholder, MA, Austin’s clinical leader. “He uses his social skills all of the time in the community, from checking in at the YMCA, playing basketball with others while swimming, talking with people at the food pantry, ordering his own lunch at a restaurant, and so many others. Austin is getting to apply what he has learned at Cornerstone out in the community, and he is thriving while doing it.”

Ana’s Story

Where Ana Started

Ana started at Cornerstone on January 15th of, 2018, and it is absolutely amazing to see the progress that she has made in the past five years! Ana had her initial assessment when she was two years old, and her parents reported concerns about tantrums, dropping, noncompliance, and elopement. She did not engage in any spontaneous language, nor did she point to indicate what she wanted. Ana did not use utensils when eating and could not put on her shoes. She had trouble transitioning from her mother and did not play with toys functionally during her initial assessment.

How Ana Improved

Ana has completed countless programs and goals on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VB-MAPP). She has also flourished in life skill areas such as eating meals at school, core academics, and common knowledge. Ana used a speech device for some time but, in the past year, has transitioned to communicating primarily with vocal speech. She can now ask for what she wants in complete sentences, including playing with friends and, most importantly, singing! Ana has blossomed during her time here and has recently been sitting in a classroom setting and working on group instruction and early academic skills to prepare her for the transition to school. We are so excited to see Ana grow and learn at school, and we wish her all the best!

Armonie’s Story

Where Armonie Started

When Armonie started therapy in February 2016 at age three, he had 8.5 out of 170 available milestone points on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VP-MAPP). Armonie was only able to consistently request one item. His communication was limited to only pointing. His therapist started working with him on building his communication through vocal approximations. At the time, he also wasn’t interacting with peers, and he had minimal eye contact.

How Armonie Improved

Armonie graduated in July 2019 — by his graduation date, he mastered all of the VB-MAPP milestones. He also mastered the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) programming. He can prepare his lunch, brush his teeth and fold his laundry. Armonie communicates in full sentences, and he was able to give his own graduation speech by reading it off of a piece of paper. Armonie would seek out his friends to play with them — spending time with friends became one of his highest reinforcers while at Cornerstone. “We are thrilled with the progress Armonie has made since starting therapy,” said Macy Kirk, MA and Team Lead. “We know he’s going to achieve great success!”

Ameer’s Story

Where Ameer Started

Ameer started therapy at Cornerstone in September 2014. He exhibited frequent instances of non-compliance that lasted an average of 2 minutes long. He would frequently engage in tantrums and elopement to escape demands. He had a difficult time eating any food besides ramen noodles. He struggled with extreme distractibility and hyperactivity. He had difficulty focusing on tasks and as a result had very limited social interactions.

How Ameer Improved

Ameer is now able to focus on programming for 20 minutes at a time without exhibiting problem behaviors. He frequently asks peers to jump and swing with him. After implementing a food desensitization program, he is eating a variety of foods including cucumbers and other vegetables and hot dogs without any non-compliance. Ameer sits at a lunch table with his friends and asks them questions about what they are eating and how their day is going. “Working with Ameer has been fun,” said therapist Katelyn Haskell. “He’s a super smart kid who continues to progress in social and academic skills. His ability to focus on programming is outstanding. He’s such a joy to work with everyday.”

Anna’s Story

Where Anna Started

When Anna started with Cornerstone in 2014, she had limited communication skills. She used a couple of modified signs, and made a few sounds, including “duh” and “sss” to communicate. Anna resorted to perseveration to gain attention from others, averaging 31.41 instances per day. Socially, she would play near peers, but never initiated interactions with them. If tasks were difficult for her, she was very quick to shut down and refuse to try to complete the task. She also needed assistance with daily living and self-help skills. Her skills fell in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, and she started with 5 points on the VB-MAPP assessment.

How Anna Has Improved

By the time Anna graduated from Cornerstone, her language had flourished! She was able to speak in full sentences and initiate appropriate conversations with her peers. She would ask them what they did over the weekend, about their family, and about trips they went on. As her language increased, her instances of perseveration decreased substantially, to an average of 0.81 instances per day when she graduated. Socially, Anna also excelled. She chose to play with peers often and enjoyed playing derby cars and completing obstacle courses with them. When asked before her graduation what her friends liked about Anna, they said they liked that she was silly and funny. Anna’s parents said she has been playing with her brother, Evan, more often by building forts out of couch cushions and “painting the sidewalk” with chalk together. Anna also learned to ask for help if tasks were difficult. She showed an increase in independence with self-help and daily living skills, including dressing, toothbrushing, and opening her own containers during meal time. She mastered a pill swallowing program and is now willing to use the hand dryer after washing her hands. When she graduated from Cornerstone, she has completed almost the entire VB-MAPP, mastering 163 of the 170 milestones. “Anna is such a sweet girl with a bright personality, and we will miss her a lot. She is caring, hardworking, spunky and spirited, and she has made a lasting impression on all of us at Cornerstone. We are so incredibly proud of Anna and know she will do great things in 1st grade!” said Kelsey Endres, Anna’s clinical coordinator and BCaBA. Anna’s parents have said she has been riding the bus independently to and from school, and she is happy upon returning home each day. They said she has been doing an awesome job in school! “As always, we are so appreciative for everyone at Cornerstone and our lives have all been changed because of the caring, supportive staff. You will be missed.”

Austin’s Story

Where Austin Started

In December 2012, Austin began therapy at Cornerstone. He had a lot of energy and would spend time in the motor rooms. Peers would play around him, but he wouldn’t engage with them or give any eye contact. He had a difficult time in group settings. At times he would scream “no” and throw his chair. When he started therapy, he had very little functional communication. His language skills were significantly below the expected levels for a child his age. Austin struggled with waiting, and he would only wait for short amounts of time before becoming upset. This has gradually improved during his time at Cornerstone. When Austin experienced changes in his routine, he expressed maladaptive behaviors.

How Austin Improved

Austin still has loads of energy. This year, he would often be found riding his bike around the gym with his therapist, while laughing the entire time. He also would line up three yoga balls in order to make a hammock out of them that he could lay across. His creativity and play skills have really grown! Now, Austin can wait and transition appropriately. This has greatly improved his ability to function in a school setting. Austin is able to transition between classroom activities with little preparation. He can engage in a variety of group activities with relative ease. Austin is more interested in engaging with his peers. Before his graduation, he would meet with friends daily to play basketball. “Austin is a sweet boy who was always happy to see his therapist and his peers,” said Kathryn Kintner, MA, BCBA. “Cornerstone has been fortunate to see Austin’s happy and excited personality develop over the years.” His team was impressed by his improvement in group skills. Before graduation, he would follow directions with minimal redirection to complete all group activities, with his therapist there to guide as needed. When Austin moved through the various level groups at Cornerstone, his therapists were able to fade back more, allowing him some independence and autonomy. When he graduated, he was able to follow instructions, wait for his peers to finish their work, respond to instructions from various session leaders and to respond to questions from his peers. This has aided in his ability to follow instructions from multiple teachers/staff members at school with ease as he switches between subjects throughout his day! “When I think of Cornerstone, I think of Austin,” said Melissa Maggard, ABA therapist. “So many of us have been a part of his story, so it will not be the same without him here. It’s bittersweet because we will miss him, but it’s so exciting he’s going to middle school!”

Aziz’s Story

Where Aziz Started

When Aziz first began ABA therapy at Cornerstone in August 2018, he was assessed and only scored 14 points out of the 170 milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Aziz was unable to request his wants and needs and could not imitate motor movements or vocal sounds.

How Aziz Has Improved

During Aziz’s time at Cornerstone, he developed the skills to mand for desired items from adults and peers, mastered all motor imitations from the VB-MAPP, and increase his vocals where he can now speak in full sentences. As his abilities grew stronger, Aziz began working in a full-day classroom setting with other peers in preparation for his transition to school. He was able to master all skills in reading, writing and math will now take turns with peers during games, and complete worksheets in the classroom! In July 2022, Aziz graduated from Cornerstone with a total of 147.5 out of the 170 milestones from the VB-MAPP assessment; he mastered a total of 4360 targets during his two years! He has worked so hard, and we are very proud of him. We are so excited to hear about his future successes! We will miss you, Aziz!

Bailey’s Story

Where Bailey Started

Bailey began attending Cornerstone in August of 2017. At that time, Bailey had difficulty with peer interactions, engaged in frequent tantrums, and had trouble transitioning from one activity to the next. Regarding peer interaction, she had difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues that could help lead a conversation. She was very rigid in her play and became upset if someone went off script and didn’t follow her directions.

How Bailey Improved

Bailey has made such amazing progress during her time at Cornerstone. She has completed all three levels of the VB-MAPP, has improved her ability to interact functionally with her peers, and has worked on a variety of daily living skills. Bailey attended a daily Social Thinking group at Cornerstone and has gained a greater understanding of topics such as empathy and active listening. She has become a master at sweeping, washing dishes, and making a bed. Bailey has worked on initiating conversations with peers and does a great job of having reciprocal conversations with others. “She has been a joy to have at Cornerstone,” said Bailey’s Team Lead, Ellen Brooks. “We wish Bailey the best in all her future plans!”

Bentley’s Story

Where Bentley Started

Bentley came to Cornerstone with many skills already – he is intelligent, funny, and has many interests and hobbies. Bentley’s very kind heart shows in his interactions with others at Cornerstone. When he started therapy, Bentley struggled with functional communication with others and sometimes had difficulty expressing himself. He also had trouble with daily living skills such as putting on socks or making the bed.

How Bentley Improved

In his time here, Bentley has grown so much in his skill set, especially his communication skills. Bentley has given input regarding his goals and programs at Cornerstone, which has been an excellent experience for both Bentley and the clinical team. Bentley has also worked on many self-help and daily living skills, including goals in dressing, chores, and various academic skills. Bentley, we loved having you at Cornerstone and are proud of your progress. We look forward to seeing your success at school, knowing that you will do great!

Brady’s Story

Where Brady Started

Brady was a client of Cornerstone for almost 3 years and started receiving therapy in August of 2013. He was a half-day client, spending the other part of his day in a classroom setting. The major behaviors his therapists were tracking included tantrums, mouthing his hands or objects, and biting his thumbs. Tantrums occurred a few times a session and sometimes lasted up to 25 minutes. Mouthing occurred an average of 41 times a day and biting occurred an average of 11 times a day. Brady’s highest reinforcer when he started services was the iPad. When he was denied access to it, he would begin to cry. His tantrums were often accompanied by biting his thumbs with strong force. When Brady began services, he was babbling, and had a handful of signs, but wasn’t able to vocalize his wants and needs very well. He also preferred to play alone, typically not wanting to choose peers to interact with. He had trouble making eye contact, was a picky eater, wouldn’t ask to use the bathroom, and wouldn’t allow anyone to give him a haircut. “It is so neat being able to say that I have been able to be a part of Brady’s life for almost 3 years,” said Kelsey Endres. “I love that I was able to work with Brady as both his therapist, and then later as his lead. I loved being a part of all of the progress he made, and do feel that ABA has definitely changed his life for the better.”

How Brady Improved

Brady loved to tell and listen to jokes with his friends, and he was known around the center for the animal noises he could make. Brady loves music and would sing along during group time or play “Mary had a little lamb” on the piano. Brady learned to be able to sit calmly for an entire haircut given by Kelsey and his dad. He also was able to then generalize that skill to hairdressers in the community. He is now willing to try almost any food when given a “first/then” contingency (e.x. “first green bean, then raisin bran”), including green beans, pears, and carrots to name a few. He mastered programs such as zipping up his coat, riding his bike, writing his phone number and address, speaking in full 5+ word sentences and staying calm when unexpected changes to his routine occurred. His mouthing and tantrum behaviors decreased the most, although all of his targeted behaviors did decrease over his time with Cornerstone. His mouthing behavior decreased from an average of 40 instances a day, to between 1-2 instances a day, and tantrums occur less than 1 time per day, on average. In addition, the duration of his tantrums have gone down substantially, from 20-25 minutes long, to often just a few seconds of whining/whimpering. As his ability to communicate his wants and needs increased, his tantrums and self-injurious behaviors decreased. Brady learned that to get others’ attention, he could use his words to ask for help, a break, or to get attention. Now, Brady is able to use full sentences to ask for items he wants or needs, and can label emotions of himself or others, for example, saying “I’m excited.” “He is an incredibly hard worker, and was very quick to master newly taught skills,” said Endres. “He very quickly caught on to both signs and vocals that were taught, and started to make friends at Cornerstone during his sessions there.” This spring, Brady graduated from Cornerstone! Brady is now about to finish 1st grade and start 2nd grade in the fall. “When we first found Cornerstone, we were lost and so confused on what to do for our son,” said Cristy, Brady’s mom. “Within just a few short weeks, we felt so much hope! Brady’s first therapist, Kelsey, brought out Brady’s personality, his voice, his smile, and so much more. When we first started, Brady did not speak. Just a few years later, he gave a graduation speech! I don’t know where we would be now without Cornerstone, but I know that with it, we took a ride around the block together on our bikes, and when we got home, Brady asked for water on his own.”

Brandon’s Story

Where Brandon Started

When Brandon began therapy at Cornerstone, he would point to items he wanted, or use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. Brandon came in with elopement, physical aggression, and tantrum behavior. Over time, his therapists began working with him on building his communication through vocal approximations. Social skills were difficult for Brandon as well, as he had minimal eye contact and difficulty interacting with peers.

How Brandon Improved

Since beginning at Cornerstone in July 2016, Brandon has made gains across all areas of the VB-MAPP assessment and AFLS. From the VB-MAPP assessment, Brandon gained 150.5 milestone skills out of the 170. Now, Brandon is manding for items using three or more words and using individual’s names to gain their attention appropriately. Brandon is able to write his own name, count to 100, write numbers and letters, and has began to read short passages. Brandon has successfully completed toilet training at Cornerstone and can independently complete his lunch time routine of sitting at lunch appropriately and using a napkin, plate, and utensil as needed. “We are so proud of Brandon and all he has accomplished here at Cornerstone,” said Caroline Bowman, MA, BCBA. “We will miss Brandon dearly and can’t wait to hear about the amazing things he does in the future,” said Hayley Hardin, Team Lead.

Braelyn’s Story

Where Braelyn Started

Braelyn started at Cornerstone in December of 2013. When she started, her language was incredibly limited, which led to high rates of inappropriate behavior throughout her day. She primarily communicated using a handful of ASL signs and attempts at verbal interactions.

How Braelyn Improved

After beginning at Cornerstone, Braelyn was introduced to an augmentative communication device, and the use of this device decreased the need for problem behaviors. Her device allowed her an appropriate means to get her therapists’, caregivers’, and peers’ attention. She is able to use this device to indicate her wants and needs. The device also increased her ability for social interactions and allowed her family to see her sense of humor and personality. Not only has her appropriate communication increased exponentially, but Braelyn also has successfully potty-trained and maintained this skill. Braelyn graduated from Cornerstone Autism Center in August 2019, and she transitioned to the 5th grade. “We are so proud of Braelyn’s hard work,” said Kathryn Kintner, MA, BCBA. “We cannot wait to see what great things she will do!”

Braxton’s Story

Where Braxton Started

One of the many facets of Braxton’s personality is that he has an encyclopedic memory. He will remember your name, the date of the first time he met you, when your birthday is and what day of the week in which it will fall. However, he may not initiate conversations with you or look you in the eye. He may need help from his therapist knowing what to do next during a task. This is why the programs Braxton has been working on at Cornerstone are based around building his social and functional life skills. Braxton came to Cornerstone in July 2013 through the home-services program. Once the center in Columbus opened in June 2014, Braxton began services in the center half-day, spending the other half of the day in a school setting. The VB-MAPP (a developmental curriculum) assessment revealed that Braxton was in the highest level for communication skills; however his conversations needed improvement. For example, he would not pick up on social cues, such as knowing when to start a conversation and when to wait. He would gather facts rather than ask questions based on the topic of discussion. Our functional assessment revealed that Braxton needed assistance with functional life skills such as self-care tasks and household chores. Braxton did not know how to brush his teeth, wash his hands, put on clothes or tie his shoes. Instead, he relied on others to help him through these situations.

How Braxton Has Improved

The Columbus opening has helped Braxton in many ways. He is now able to work on more social programs by interacting with his peers in the center. Jen Riddle, MS, BCBA, said he has many friends that love to follow him around and play games with him. “He’s like a big brother to them,” said Riddle. “A lot of the younger kids really like having him around.” His conversations with others are flowing much more naturally. Braxton’s therapists have worked on teaching him how to wait up to 30 seconds instead of interrupting others, asking questions such as “What do you want to play?”, and giving empathetic statements to others. Functional life skills have also improved dramatically. Since he has gone above the VB-MAPP levels, Braxton is working through the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). He can now brush his teeth, wash his hands and face, tie his shoes and put on his clothes. Braxton also has programs that include sorting the recycling and going to the grocery store. Social stories have been essential in helping him with these programs. Going to the grocery store on Fridays has become a motivation throughout the week to work hard and be on his best behavior. They call it “Fun Friday” and it is something he is rewarded with after doing well with his other programs during the week. These functional life skills have helped him not only in the center, but at home as well. “His family was afraid to take him out into the community because they weren’t really sure what he would do,” said Riddle. “But because we are taking him out, they feel more comfortable with it. We expanded horizons to help them expand horizons.”

Braydon’s Story

Where Braydon Started

Braydon began at Cornerstone in August 2016. At that time, he scored primarily in Level 1 of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP), and his verbal language was not very easily understood by unfamiliar adults. This lack of functional language, along with strong fixation on certain items like cars, hindered Braydon’s ability to sustain conversation with others and to interact with his peers. He had experienced several failed daycare and preschool placements that were unsuccessful due to his lack of language and problem behaviors. He would engage in regular tantrums, hitting and biting others, and throwing objects at other people when he was upset and unable to communicate his wants and needs. Braydon engaged in extreme ritualistic behaviors, where he would have excessively wash his hands or brush his teeth, insist on washing all his toy cars each night before going to bed, or meltdowns if the family took a different route while driving to their destination.

How Braydon Improved

After receiving ABA therapy, Braydon successfully mastered all milestones in the VB-MAPP assessment and several goals within the AFLS assessment protocols. He loved playing with his peers, and this became his number one choice of reinforcement. Braydon’s problem behaviors were reduced significantly, and he tested above the cutoff scores in all areas of social and academic development when assessed for preschool! Braydon graduated from Cornerstone in December 2017 and will be attending kindergarten in the fall. “Braydon is an amazing kid with such an infectious personality,” said BCBA Hailey Guidi. “I will especially miss seeing him ride around and patrol the center on his “police bike” to make sure everyone is following the rules! We are all so proud of him and everything he accomplished here at Cornerstone!

Braelyn’s Story

Where Braydon Started

Braydon has been at Cornerstone since February of 2018. Over the last four years, he has grown and developed new skills. Some areas he improved in were communication, coping, and daily living skills. When he started therapy, he had limited verbal communication skills and would engage in high rates of repeating what was said to him. He would struggle to get dressed correctly and could not brush his teeth independently.

How Braydon Improved

Now, Braydon has mastered 4,332 targets since he has been at Cornerstone. He talks in full sentences, initiates conversations with peers, puts clothing items on facing the correct way, and tolerates brushing his teeth independently for up to one minute. In January, Braydon began 5th grade at his new school. All of us at Cornerstone wish him the best as he continues to grow in his new journey.

Brett’s Story

Where Brett Started

Brett first started ABA therapy at Cornerstone Autism Center in April 2019. When he first began therapy with us, he scored 15 out of 155 possible milestone points from the VB-MAPP Assessment. Brett is Deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate; however, when he began at Cornerstone communication was challenging for Brett. He would attempt to point but would primarily pull people to general areas of what he wanted. His inability to fully express his wants and needs was highly triggering for Brett. Alongside challenges in communication, Brett also struggled to attend activities for more than a few seconds, making any activity or learning difficult. The team quickly began identifying over his first few months of treatment that Brett was developing his own unique way of communicating, which gave us insight into the amazing way his brain was working to communicate with the world around him! Through access to images and his amazing memory, Brett began demonstrating the ability to map out with his finger the locations of his wants and needs, including a trip to Chick-Fil-A with his family!

How Brett Improved

As time passed, our team continued to fall in love with Brett and the unique way he saw the world around him. Brett’s creativity and huge imagination continued to emerge as he continued to grow during his time with us! During his time here at Cornerstone, Brett developed the ability to ask for the items and activities he wanted using complete 3–5-word sentences in ASL, as well as acquire the skills necessary to have conversations about his favorite things, including maps and numbers with his friends, family, and therapists. During his day at Cornerstone, Brett followed a daily schedule where he worked on programming for 15 minutes and attended social groups with his peers. During his free time, Brett enjoyed making complex designs with origami and building with blocks. We suspect he will be an engineer or work at NASA one day! PAH! Brett is graduating from Cornerstone with 141 milestones across the VB-MAPP Assessment and has mastered over 5,250 targets! Brett has worked hard on many kinds of programming, including working on targets to teach him more about Deaf culture and his community. These programs included learning how to appropriately get the attention of others, respond to lights flashing to get his attention, and give his name sign when asked to introduce himself to help further connect and create meaningful relationships with his family, friends, and others in his community! We will all miss him so much, but we know he has a bright future ahead of him! Well done, Brett!

Bryan’ Story

Where Bryan Began

When Bryan first started at Cornerstone, he had limited abilities in making eye contact with others, difficulties with echolalia and articulation. Additionally, Bryan had difficulties with self-help and daily living skills and required assistance with dressing, hair washing, toothbrushing, and haircuts. Bryan exhibited several target behaviors including physical refusal, tantrums, property destruction, physical aggression, and elopement. Furthermore, Bryan exhibited hyperactive behavior daily (i.e., trouble concentrating and staying on task).

How Bryan Improved

Bryan has demonstrated tremendous growth during his time at Cornerstone Autism Center. He engages with his peers and approaches them to play while making eye contact. He is able to maintain conversations and ask “WH” questions and has generalized asking questions to both adults and his peers. He has met a total of 167 milestone points out of 170 milestone points possible from the VBMAPP assessment. This makes Bryan’s total milestone point growth since his initial assessment in 2020 a total of 115 milestone points. At graduation, Bryan was able to stand in front of his peers and give his graduation speech stating, “At Cornerstone, I like to play with hot wheels, swing, and play with action figures. I also love to play basketball and costumes with friends. When I leave Cornerstone, and graduate, I will miss my friends and therapists the most. At Cornerstone, I learned about the days of the week and mastered a lot of programs. When I go to school, I am excited to learn more about superheroes and to meet new friends. I love Cornerstone”.

Bryer’s Story

Where Bryer Started

When Bryer started at Cornerstone in February of 2016, he was quiet but loved to sing songs, such as “Five Little Monkeys.” One of his strengths was echoing the words of others, but he was very limited in the ability to communicate his wants and needs. He also had difficulty manding yes or no for items that were presented to him. Bryer found many daily living skills to be aversive and could not tolerate getting his hair cut. He was motivated to gain the attention of others but often resorted to physical aggression to gain that attention, as he did not yet demonstrate the ability to request attention appropriately. In addition, he frequently eloped with his therapists in the center and his family when at home or in the community. Bryer only tolerated complying with a few instructions at a time and demonstrated difficulty in attending to stimuli. He initially only worked on programming for a few responses at a time. Bryer relied on prompts from his therapists to correctly respond during programming, particularly when labeling items. His skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 33 points.

How Bryer Improved

By the time Bryer graduated from Cornerstone, he was communicating using complete sentences without prompting from his therapists and could even use conjunctions when manding! He did a great job communicating whether he also wanted items that were presented to him. He could also independently complete several daily tasks as part of his morning routine. When a hairdresser came to the center, Bryer tolerated all the steps of getting his hair cut. Bryer sought out attention appropriately by smiling at others. He attended to whether his therapist was with him when wanting to move to a different area and stayed with his caregivers when not at Cornerstone. Bryer worked on programming for an average of 12 minutes before receiving reinforcement and consistently mastered skills across all operants of the VB-MAPP and in various areas from the AFLS! Bryer mastered 121.5 programs from the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment during his time at Cornerstone and achieved a score of 154.5 out of 170. Bryer gained numerous skills to increase his ability to communicate and live more independently. These skills will help him succeed in school and everyday life. Kayla Helms, Bryer’s BCBA, said, “It was amazing to be a part of Bryer’s journey as both his therapist and BCBA over the last six years, and it has been incredible to watch him gain new skills to get him ready for school. I will miss hearing his laugh while he jumps on the trampoline with his favorite exercise ball!”

Caleb’s Story

Where Caleb Started

When Caleb started with Cornerstone in the fall of 2017, he had limited communication skills. He struggled with articulation, which made it difficult to understand him. Caleb resorted to perseveration to gain attention from others, averaging 24.88 instances per day. Socially, he would play near peers, but he didn’t typically initiate interactions with them. His interests were very specific, and he would prefer to look at clocks rather than play with toys that were typical of his age level. Caleb also needed a lot of assistance with daily living and self-help skills. He had a lot of difficulty staying calm when changes to his routine would occur. His skills were in Level 1 of the Verbal Behavior Assessment (VB-MAPP), and when he began at Cornerstone, he started with 34.5 points on the VB-MAPP assessment.

How Caleb Improved

By the time Caleb graduated from Cornerstone, his language had flourished! He was able to speak in full sentences and initiate appropriate conversations with his peers. As Caleb’s language increased, his instances of perseveration decreased substantially, to an average of 1.61 instances per day when he graduated. Caleb also became very interested in his peers, and he had several friends that he would choose to play with often throughout his day. He enjoyed playing board games with them, dressing up as superheroes, and he would also swing with them. When asked before his graduation what his friends liked about Caleb, they said he was fun and helpful. While at Cornerstone, Caleb also learned how to complete a lot of different self-help and daily living skills independently, including toothbrushing, chewing with his mouth closed while eating, and appropriately choosing a bathroom stall and waiting until it was vacant. Caleb mastered a variety of desensitization programs, including pill swallowing, haircutting, nail clipping and dentist practice. He also became toilet trained, and mastered a food program, as he is now willing to try a variety of different foods, such as different main entrees and fruits. He mastered the ability to stay calm when unexpected changes to his routine occurred and would communicate his concerns or opinions about the changes appropriately. When he graduated from Cornerstone, Caleb completed almost the entire VB-MAPP, mastering 168.5 of the 170 milestones. “Caleb is kind and sweet, and he has become such a social butterfly! He is incredibly creative, is a hard worker, and we are going to miss him a lot. We are so incredibly proud of Caleb and know he will do great things in Kindergarten!” said Kelsey Endres, Caleb’s clinical coordinator and BCaBA.

CeCe’s Story

Where CeCe Started

Cece started therapy at Cornerstone Autism Center in June of 2018, when she was four years old. During her initial assessment, Cece demonstrated 17 out of 170 milestone points from the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). She loved to sing songs and had tons of language when singing and playing but struggled to request her wants and needs to those around her. Alternatively, she expressed herself through self-injury and tantrums when trying to communicate, making it difficult for her to learn and grow. She worked hard on pointing to items of interest and then echoed her therapists when they prompted the correct word to increase her language repertoire and communication skills.

How CeCe Improved

Cece concluded her time at Cornerstone, in July of 2022 achieving 165.5 out of 170 milestones! She gained the ability to express her wants and needs independently and functionally express her feelings. She also started working on the introductory school skills section of the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) and completed 35% of the entire assessment in just a few short months. She gained the ability to work independently for up to five minutes and would participate with peers in activities for up to 20 minutes with minimal assistance from her therapists. She also gained an interest in her peers and would seek them out during social time to dance and play games like duck-duck-goose. “Cece has grown tremendously during her time at Cornerstone. We are going to miss her sweet personality very much. We know she is going to do great things.” BCBA, Charlotte Williamson

Christopher’s Story

Where Christopher Started

When Christopher first started at Cornerstone, he was non-vocal and exhibited aggressive behaviors, elopement and property destruction on a regular basis. Group settings were aversive to Christopher. In these settings, he would try to run out of the room or throw items. He would often run out of rooms unexpectedly, going towards items he wanted instead of communicating what he wanted.

How Christopher Improved

By the time Christopher graduated from Cornerstone, he was reading, using full sentences to talk and working through programs in level 3 of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Christopher was participating in multiple groups with peers throughout the day. He was also beginning to work on adaptive living skills from the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) assessment and doing a phenomenal job. Christopher also began showing interest in different types of reinforcing activities- such as pretend magic sets, dancing, and talking into a pretend microphone on stage. “We will miss his energy, smile, knock-knock jokes and his love for doing magic tricks with all of his therapists,” said his clinical coordinator, Elle Scanlan.

CJ’s Story

Where CJ Started

CJ and his family started their journey with Cornerstone in February of 2016. When CJ first began one-on-one therapy here at Cornerstone communication was a significant challenge for him. He would engage in stereotypic and scripting behaviors. CJ would independently emit two-to-three-word requests. However, due to his engagement in stereotypic behavior, when asked a question it made understanding his wants and needs difficult. CJ also struggled with articulation, which caused additional barriers in understanding his wants and needs. He could complete minimal self-help tasks at the time and required an adult helping him through all the steps (i.e., brushing teeth, washing hands, and using the bathroom). He struggled with toilet training, and was unable to tolerate the sound of toilets flushing and hand dryers running in public restrooms. CJ also struggled with self-stimulatory behaviors, which had set him apart from his peers in the daycare that he was attending prior to Cornerstone. He would engage in intense hand-flapping behavior and would perseverate on doors opening and closing in his environment. In addition to his self-stimulatory behaviors, CJ would also engage in the maladaptive behaviors of non-compliance, elopement, tantrums, physical aggression against peers and self-injury. He had begun with only 34 out of the potential 170 milestone points on the VB-MAPP, with extreme deficits across levels one and two of the assessment. Some of CJ’s most significant developmental deficits presented in the areas of social behavior and social play, listener responding skills, motor imitation, and visual perceptual skills and matching-to-sample.

How CJ Improved

On July 20th, 2018 CJ graduated from Cornerstone, completing 169.5 out of the 170 milestones on the VB-MAPP assessment across levels one, two, and three. In addition to these significant milestone gains, CJ completed multiple targets across a variety of areas within the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS), such as dressing, toileting, grooming, community knowledge, basic communication, meals at school, routines and expectations, and social skills. CJ conquered toilet training head on and is now able to tolerate the sounds of toilets flushing and hand dryers running in public restrooms. Behaviorally, CJ no longer engages in any types of aggression, elopement, self-injury, or tantrums. CJ has developed self-management tools through his behavior intervention plan by expressing his emotions or when he needs a break to combat his previous engagement in non-compliant behavior. CJ grew to become a leader in the pre-school group modeling appropriate behavior and advanced language skills for his peers and has learned to develop friendships with those around him. “Watching CJ’s fun and loving personality emerge was truly the greatest part of his journey here at Cornerstone,” said Stephanie Dille-Huggins, MA, BCBA. “Once a withdrawn child who would shy away socially from others, CJ became a social butterfly inviting other children around him to do the same.” CJ is transitioning to 1st grade at a nearby elementary school with a love for reading, writing, and math (as well as his continued love of elevators and Food Network). CJ touched many lives here at Cornerstone and it was an honor to serve both CJ and his family. Cornerstone is confident that CJ will continue to grow and learn with success in the general education classroom setting! Congratulations CJ!

Colin’s Story

Where Colin Started

When he started at Cornerstone, Colin struggled with multiple splinter skills within the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP) that hindered his ability to fully grasp multiple academic concepts such as writing, matching items and labeling items. Colin also struggled with impulse control and appropriate conversation skills.

How Colin Improved

Upon time for transition, Colin was able to utilize appropriate manding skills to gain access to items, even out his splinter skills amongst his programming, and utilize reciprocal conversation skills with peers to discuss age appropriate topics and events. “I am beyond proud of what progress Colin made in the short amount of time that he was at Cornerstone,” said Amy Thomas, clinical coordinator. “He had the ability to make you laugh with just the simplest joke or story and had the personality that could light up a room! I have no doubt that he will be successful at his new school! We are all so proud of him!”

Cooper’s Story

Where Cooper Started

Upon beginning therapy at Cornerstone in 2018, Cooper had 47 out of the 170 measurable milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Cooper had a difficult time spontaneously initiating social interaction and would only do so when prompted. Before beginning therapy, Cooper emitted problem behaviors such as physical aggression when prompted to stay on task and would engage in task refusal to escape demands.

How Cooper Improved

With just over three years at Cornerstone, Cooper graduated with all 170 measurable milestones outlined in the VB-MAPP assessment! Cooper also began working on the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). He mastered several life skills such as laundry, dishes, personal hygiene, other vocational skills. Cooper became a helper at lunchtime, helping to prepare meals for some of his peers. He learned to create and follow a visual schedule and stay on task for longer periods. Cooper learned how to initiate and carry more appropriate conversations with others and many other skills. “We are so proud of Cooper and the progress he made while attending Cornerstone. We are so excited about his new adventure in high school. He will do great things!” Haley Sanders, BCBA.

Cris’ Story

Where Cris Started

When Cris came to Cornerstone, he had significant deficits in use of functional speech and social interactions with peers. His language largely consisted of scripted speech from sources he heard or from videos or TV and it was difficult to understand what he was saying. He could not respond to simple instructions given to him. He also was only able to communicate his needs to others by bringing the desired item to an adult or by taking the adult to the desired item. Cris did make eye contact with nearby peers and engaged in brief parallel play. His attention to a task was fleeting, and he was often distracted by engaging in high rates of self-stimulatory behavior or by being overly-focused on other stimuli in his environment. He also engaged in tantrum behavior when he was denied access to preferred or desired items. The restroom was a highly aversive location for Cris, and his therapists would have to change him in another room away from the restroom.

How Cris Has Improved

In three short months, Cris has improved his language skills. He is able to verbally request desired items or activities, often with two word phrases, and his speech is much more intelligible. He is very social and has made several friends here at the center! He participates in social play and group activities, and he will also initiate interactions with his peers. Cris is able to attend to a task for a longer period of time, and he can sit and work with his therapist for up to two minutes before taking a break. Cris is able to go into the restroom without issue, and he is now potty trained. Tantrum behavior has significantly decreased during his time at Cornerstone as well. These are wonderful accomplishments, and we are excited to continue to watch him grow!

Damon’s Story

Where Damon Started

Damon began therapy at Cornerstone in November of 2016 when he was only 11 years old. He is now 17 years old and has grown so much! When Damon began attending the center, Damon only mastered 15 of the 170 Milestone skills on the VB-MAPP assessment. He required prompting with all self-help activities such as toileting, dressing, bathing, and brushing his teeth. He had difficulty expressing his wants and needs in an age-appropriate manner, causing many challenging behaviors that affected his ability to learn and socialize well with others.

How Damon Improved

During his time at Cornerstone, Damon has mastered 85 of the 170 Milestones skills from the VB-MAPP. His behaviors originally outlined for decrease have dimensioned significantly, and he now communicates more consistently to express himself. Damon uses a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) as his mode of communication. He currently has 12 pages in his PECS book in which he can mand, or ask, for what he wants/needs. He can now complete self-help and daily living skills with minimal prompting and plays well with his peers. We are so proud of Damon and all of his hard work! We will miss his goofy personality and big smile, but we know he will do well and meet new friends at school!

David’s Story

Where David Started

David and his family started their journey with Cornerstone in February of 2012. David, who was four years old at the time, began services with only 13 out of the potential 170 milestone points on the VB-MAPP, with substantial deficits across level one of the assessment, which correlates to the developmental age of a child from 0-18 months. When David first began 1:1 therapy at Cornerstone, communication was a significant challenge for him as he presented with limited functional communication skills. At that time, David communicated primarily through pulling people to what he wanted or would simply do things for himself; when unable to successfully communicate, he would engage in problem behavior such as physical aggression, tantrum, elopement, and moving his face inches from faces of others with vocal protest while upset. Within the developmental operant of tacting, David was unable to label any items upon request. David also demonstrated significant challenges in the area of listener responding where he struggled to follow one-step instructions and respond to his name when called.

David’s Improvement In-Center

During his time in-center, David made substantial gains across parts of level two and three of the VB-MAPP assessment and had begun to excel in using American Sign Language to communicate across the verbal operants. David had also worked diligently on AFLS goals to increase his autonomy and achieved mastering daily living skills such as wearing gloves, toileting, brushing his teeth, and showering.

Davin & Kairon’s Story

Where Davin Started

When Davin began therapy at Cornerstone in August of 2014, he was five years old and had minimal communication skills. At that time, he only scored 16.5 out of 170 on the VB-MAPP during his initial assessment. It was difficult for Davin to make spontaneous requests and consistently label items. Davin also struggled with daily living skills, including dressing, hair washing, toothbrushing, feeding, and haircuts. When Davin started at Cornerstone, he engaged in various behaviors, including elopement, tantrums, and head banging. Davin has always been passionate and excited to talk about his favorite video game and movie characters.

How Davin Improved

By the time Davin graduated from Cornerstone, he had completed every target on the VBMAPP and begun several school readiness targets in the last few years. In Davin’s eight years at Cornerstone, he has mastered 8,519 targets! A few more special skills Davin has learned include engaging in back and forth conversations with others, writing detailed paragraphs, learning long division and multiplication, and learning how to make lasting friendships. Davin worked through some complex, challenging behaviors over the years and has had fantastic behavior-free days earning all of his plus signs on his report cards. We’ll miss him teaching us about his favorite video games like Cookie Run and Plants Versus Zombies, talking about Terrance the Angry bird, and laughing about the goofiest things.

Dawson’s Story

Where Dawson Started

Dawson came into Cornerstone with self-injurious behaviors and other attention-seeking behaviors. He struggled with focusing on tasks for extended periods of time and started with only working for one minute at a time before receiving reinforcement. He started his time at Cornerstone working in level two of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP).

How Dawson Improved

By the time Dawson graduated, he had mastered 164 out of 170 goals in the VB-MAPP. He was working in the classroom group for 30 minutes at a time and was able to work for over 4 minutes without maladaptive behaviors. He began working on writing his name and numbers, as well as other basic school skills before graduating. He understands the days of the week and months of the year. Dawson excels in communication skills, and he can now independently hold a conversation with his peers! “I am so proud of Dawson for everything that he accomplished during his time at Cornerstone,” said BCBA Drew Young. “It was amazing to see his growth and getting to be a part of that. He worked so hard and he is going to do so well in school!”

Diego’s Story

Where Diego Started

When Diego first came to Cornerstone, he was using one vocal to request an item– “Ba” for ball. One area Diego had deficits in at the time of his initial assessment was listener responding.

How Diego Improved

Diego learned how to respond to more than 100 listener responding commands throughout his day at Cornerstone. His play skills with peers also showed improvement—his favorite has been playing chase with his friends. He has expanded the foods he will eat to include most of the foods the rest of his family eats regularly, so that makes life for mom and dad much easier! One of our favorite Diego memories at Cornerstone was when he led a “dance party” with a number of our therapists. He showed off his signature moves as a featured performer on our “Happy Because” video on YouTube. Diego started elementary school in January 2018, where he now attends a special education classroom and works on a variety of subjects catered specifically to maximize his academic growth. He enjoys hanging out with his fellow classmates his age during specials, lunch and recess. Prior to going to school, Diego read a social story and watched a digital video where he was introduced to his teachers and learned more about his school. Upon arrival to school, Diego had all smiles and remembered his teacher’s name from the digital greeting. We are very excited to continue to hear about his growth at elementary!

Dominic’s Story

Where Dominic Started

Dominic was in 5th grade before he enrolled at Cornerstone. He enjoyed school, specifically reading, but Dominic was displaying inappropriate social and classroom skills. He began in Level 2 on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP) for social skills and was in Low Level 3 on VBMAPP for manding, independent play, intraverbal and group skills. Dominic spent a year at Cornerstone working on social skills, which included cooperating to achieve a common goal, cooperating with sharing items and coping with denied access. He also worked on classroom skills, such as staying in his seat for an extended amount of time, paying attention to the instructor, completing a worksheet in an allotted amount of time, sitting in a group with peers and listening to their ideas.

How Dominic Improved

In his time here, Dominic worked on many different social skills! Dominic completed group skills, intraverbal skills, manding skills and play skills within the Level 3 and was able to accomplish most of the Level 3 social skills goals as well. He is such as bright, fun and caring kid. We watched Dominic make friendships with peers and show genuine interest in their lives. He worked very hard every day to improve his self-help skills from showering to preparing his lunch to making a bed. Through use of many social stories, role playing and modeling, Dominic gained the social skills, classroom skills and self help skills needed to transition back to school. Has A’s and B’s within his first month of middle school!

Elias’ Story

Where Elias Started

When Elias started therapy at Cornerstone, he struggled with reading and writing for long durations, spontaneously socializing with other peers, and maintaining a reciprocal conversation. He would often pick to play with his therapist instead of peers and avoided social situations: greeting others was difficult for him. In addition, Elias did not understand how to complete some of the tasks on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) such as listener responding to a feature, function, class, or items.

How Elias Improved

Before transitioning, Elias completed all areas of the VB-MAPP! He can now read over 60 chapters of the Headsprout reading program and enjoys reading about UnThinkable and Thinkable characters from the Superflex Social Stories program. In addition, he can work in a group setting and can complete self-help skills on his own such as showering, grooming, and dressing. Elias can now read at a 2nd-grade level, he has improved his writing, and is transitioning into a 2nd-grade classroom! “Elias, we are so proud of you for all that you have accomplished at Cornerstone. I am looking forward to seeing where you go in the future. Best of luck!” Ellen Thang, BCBA.

Emilie’s Story

Where Emilie Started

When Emilie started at Cornerstone, she was experiencing problems in her home, therapy and public environments. She struggled with behaviors such as noncompliance, tantrum and physical aggression. Emilie had a difficult time with completing daily tasks independently, which included bathing, dressing, toileting, tooth brushing and handwashing.

How Emilie Improved

During her time at Cornerstone, Emilie has progressed to being over halfway done with Level 3 goals on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP). She has worked on improving daily living skills, including grooming, dressing and laundry skills. Emilie has also made great progress on her social skills during her daily Social Thinking group with peers. One of her previous therapists, Nicole Yehling, spoke at her graduation and shared some touching memories with everyone: “Normally, I don’t wear red lipstick, but Emilie asked me to wear red lipstick today. I think I speak for everyone when I say how proud we are of her. Emilie has made so much progress. I remember being Emilie’s therapist and knowing I didn’t have to wear make up because she would always want to do it for me. I was so excited to show it off and say that Emilie did my make up. I will always cherish those times. As Emilie’s make up abilities progressed, so did her academics. I watched as she went from counting by ones to tens, to counting by twos and fives up to thirty. I got to see her social skills improve as well. I’m going to miss the dance parties where she would show me all the new moves she learned in dance class. And our make up sessions where Emilie would try to make me look like a celebrity. I’m so excited for what’s in store for Emilie next… [It’s an honor to] say congratulations on graduating, Emilie!”

Emmanuel’s Story

Where Emmanuel Started

When Emmanuel first began therapy at Cornerstone in 2017, he had 23 out of the 170 measurable milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Emmanuel had a difficult time spontaneously requesting for items, interacting with peers, and unfamiliar people had a challenging time understanding his speech. Before Cornerstone, Emmanuel would engage in problem behaviors such as physical aggression and self-injury.

How Emmanuel Improved

In the past four years at Cornerstone, he expanded his ability to communicate his wants and needs and is now speaking in full sentences. Emmanuel graduated from Cornerstone with 169 out of the 170 measurable milestones across the VB-MAPP assessment. He also began working on the Assessment for Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to better prepare for the transition to a school setting. While attending Cornerstone, Emmanuel learned how to carry on a conversation with peers, read and write, and attend a virtual classroom group.

Gabe’s Story

Where Gabe Started

Gabe began his journey here at Cornerstone Autism Center in September of 2017. When he started treatment, he was quiet and withdrawn. He only used one-word signs and/or gestures to communicate. The keys required to unlock Gabe’s abilities to communicate were unique by nature. What sets Gabe apart from other clients at our center is that he is Deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. Upon starting intensive one-on-one therapy, Gabe’s response to the world around him would be to immediately retreat, much of the time without warning, when demands became challenging. This meant he would sink to the ground, shut his eyes, and move into the fetal position, which made communication with him impossible at the time. Any abrupt transitions for Gabe would trigger intense and long episodes of maladaptive behaviors that could last anywhere from one-to-six hours in duration. During these episodes, Gabe would become a danger to himself and others. Communication quickly became a critical piece of Gabe’s puzzle to fill. Not only did Gabe’s therapists need to be Registered Behavior Technicians who were fluent in ASL to bridge his gap in the ability to functionally communicate, they also needed an intensive understanding of Deaf culture and their community. “The goal for any client placed into intensive one-on-one ABA-based therapy is to place them back in a less-restrictive environment,” said Stephanie Dille-Huggins, MA, BCBA. “However, Gabe’s transition also included a transition back into an entire culture and community with its own social and vernacular parameters.” Gabe’s programming, which derived from the VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program) and the AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills), quickly became distinctive, with programs targeted on teaching him how to respond to flashing lights, introducing himself properly using his name sign, tapping others appropriately to gain their attention and making iPhone calls in emergency situations using the FaceTime feature. When he started at Cornerstone, Gabe was functioning primarily within level one of the VB-MAPP, which equates to the developmental age of 0-18 months.

How Gabe Improved

Gabe graduated completing levels one through three of the VB-MAPP, as well as demonstrating substantial competency across the three assessments of basic living skills, school skills, and community skills from the AFLS. Gabe’s highly dedicated group of ABA therapists were able to use his native language of ASL to teach the replacement behavior of functional communication to rapidly reduce his engagement in scripting behavior that dominated much of his therapy day and vastly impaired his ability to socially connect with those around him. Over the course of Gabe’s treatment, his clinical team watched him blossom from a quiet and withdrawn child into an outgoing, funny, caring and highly intelligent young man. Gabe went from communicating through one-word signs and gestures, to signing in full sentences and engaging in varying topics of conversations with both clinical staff and his peers. “Gabe became a role model for other Deaf clients at the center to look up to, and inspired other clients and staff to learn basic ASL in order to communicate with him,” said Dille-Huggins. Upon graduating from Cornerstone, Gabe showed a passion for learning; his favorite areas being math and science. As writing once proved greatly aversive in nature, Gabe graduated with the ability to write in at least five-word sentences. He also demonstrated substantial improvements in his ability to read, which allowed him to learn more about countries around the world that greatly interested him. Gabe is entering the 6th grade. He is greatly looking forward to making new friends and learning in a classroom environment where he will be completely immersed in ASL. We wish Gabe all the best in his very bright future ahead!

Gabriel’s Story

Where Gabriel Started

Gabe arrived at Cornerstone with a failed preschool placement and worries that he would continue to be fearful of school-like environments. He has initial difficulty separating from family members, but quickly grew to love his time with both therapists each day. Gabe started off struggling to play with different items in the center for longer than a few minutes at a time. However, access to the wide variety of toys and activities available at the center and patient therapists help him to find new choices.

How Gabriel Has Improved

Gabe is now a rock-star, mastering hundreds of programs across all types of verbal language, matching, social, and group skills. He is a big fan of “The Animal Boogie” and acts out all the parts of the video, imitating the movements of each animal. Gabe even gets his friends to sing and dance along! Gabe is always excited to come to therapy each day and greets his therapists with hugs and hellos. He loves to invite friends to play along with the equipment in the motor room, making excellent eye contact and asking for them to play together.​

Grayson’s Story

Where Grayson Started

When Grayson started at Cornerstone on June 5, 2019, he was unable to make requests through any mode of communication but loved to smile at and engage in physical play with his therapists. He acquired some language through American Sign Language but often scrolled responses or overgeneralized new mands. Grayson had difficulty with discrimination and with attending to stimuli, making it difficult for him to acquire and retain receptive skills. Grayson found many self-help tasks to be aversive and did not yet demonstrate signs of toileting readiness. However, he quickly mastered several desensitization programs, such as hair cutting and nail clipping. His skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 14 points at the time of his initial assessment.

How Grayson Improved

By the time Grayson graduated from Cornerstone, he was able to mand for his most preferred items with his Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. Grayson also continued to gain social skills and was able to generalize these skills to his peers. In addition, Grayson attended a daily classroom group with his peers and could complete work stations independently. He was able to both discriminate between items from an array of four and find objects in the natural environment. Grayson’s ability to attend to stimuli dramatically improved. He was even able to scan an array of 10 pictures to complete matching programs. Grayson also became toilet trained and could independently complete many daily living skills, such as independently dressing and undressing himself and using a napkin to clean his face/hands during mealtimes. His overall score was 54 on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment when he transitioned from Cornerstone. Everyone at Cornerstone is very proud of Grayson for working hard at Cornerstone each day to accomplish new skills and prepare himself to transition to school. Grayson is one of a kind, and he will be greatly missed. The staff at Grayson’s school are lucky to get to see Grayson’s smile each day. We know that Grayson will do great at school!

Griffin’s Story

Where Griffin Started

Griffin started at Cornerstone in 2020 with only 32.5 VB-MAPP milestone points. He could communicate with adults but often repeated what they said instead of forming his own thoughts. He engaged in the behavior of self-injury in the form of biting his arms or wrists when he became upset and had lengthy tantrums. Griffin was not potty trained and wore a pull-up throughout his day—he was unwilling to sit on the toilet and a desensitization plan was put in place to aid in his tolerance of this aversive activity.

How Griffin Improved

After only a year of ABA therapy at Cornerstone, Griffin attained 142.5/170 VB-MAPP milestone points. He can write his name at the top of a worksheet, identify letter sounds, state his phone number and address, and work on a pre-academic workbook independently for up to five minutes. He can now complete daily living routines without adult assistance like tying his shoes, washing dishes, and peeling his oranges at lunch time. Before graduation, Griffin spent time in the transitional classroom and used a visual daily schedule to identify what academic subject came next. Based on this schedule, he can work for intervals of 15 minutes before taking a break to play and took scheduled bathroom breaks with classmates. He can communicate with adults using full sentences and is a social butterfly with his peers. When Griffin graduated, his self-injury was at near-zero levels, and he learned how to regulate his feelings using deep breaths and talking through his feelings with an adult. Griffin left Cornerstone both urine and bowel trained, able to spontaneously tell an adult when he needed to go to the bathroom and could complete the entire hand washing routine. “Griffin is thriving in school! His mom reported that he gets so excited every day to ride the bus with his friends. His sweet smile and laugh are already missed so much at Cornerstone. We are so excited to see how far he goes in life!” said Victoria Oliver, BCBA and Kathleen Leahy, Team Lead.

Gus’ Story

Where Gus Started

Gus started at Cornerstone in 2016, when he was three years old. Everyone quickly fell in love with his contagious laugh and energy! In the beginning, most of his vocalizations mimicked scenes from movies and shows, and he rarely requested the things he wanted independently. Often, when Gus struggled to express his wants and needs, it would lead to challenging behaviors that affected his growth and learning.

How Gus Has Improved

Now, Gus is ten years old and has grown so much! He has gained many communication skills and spontaneously asks questions for others’ attention. Gus worked hard in the classroom and with other peers, which prepared him for school after Cornerstone! He also learned to follow a visual schedule and stay on task for extended periods of time without engaging in disruptive behaviors. Everyone here will miss Gus’ big personality, but we are very proud of his hard work! We are so excited about Gus’ journey to school!

Hayden’s Story

Where Hayden Started

Hayden joined the Cornerstone family at 4 years old in September of 2011. From the time he started ABA therapy to now, he has made drastic improvements across many areas. When Hayden first started at Cornerstone, he only had 11 milestone points across the VB-MAPP assessment, correlating to a typically developing child ranging from 0-18 months in age. Hayden was delayed in the areas of manding, tacting, motor imitation, and echoics. Upon starting at Cornerstone, Hayden had minimal language abilities. He struggled to appropriately request his wants and needs and was unable to echo any sounds. Hayden communicated primarily by pointing or pulling another person to gain access to a reinforcing item or activity. Following simple demands posed as a substantial challenge for Hayden. He was only able to work through one demand at a time, and he required frequent access to reinforcement throughout the day. In addition, Hayden was also unable to complete any daily living skills, including feeding or dressing himself, and he was not toilet trained. Hayden engaged in frequent maladaptive behaviors, including non-compliance, mouthing, elopement, property destruction and tantrums that would last for hours in duration. He also had no awareness of dangerous situations. Hayden would frequently attempt to ingest inedible objects and would elope from the environment multiple times per day. He engaged in property destruction throughout the day, which consisted of throwing toys, dumping large bins of items, and knocking things over.

How Hayden Improved

Hayden is now 14 years old and has gained independence in so many areas of his life. Hayden’s programming over the last several years has focused on helping him to gain autonomy in his every day life. Each morning, Hayden has a morning routine that he completes upon arriving to the center that includes toileting, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, washing his face, putting on deodorant, and even showering, which Hayden is now completing with minimal prompting from his therapists. Hayden’s programming has also incorporated many mealtime goals, including using a microwave to warm up his own food. Hayden will now select and cook his own lunch with minimal prompting from his therapist. In addition to gaining significant independence in his everyday life, Hayden has worked diligently to complete 144 out of the 170 possible milestones points across levels one through three of the VB-MAPP assessment. Hayden’s language has grown exponentially during his time at Cornerstone and he is now demonstrating the ability to ask for different items, activities, and information using complete sentences and various parts of speech. Hayden is now able to work for up to six minutes at a time without access to reinforcement. Hayden has also grown socially over the last six months showing an interest in hanging out and playing basketball with a select group of peers. Most importantly, Hayden’s personality has blossomed so much over the last nine years. “Hayden has grown into an independent, kind, funny, and sweet young man who will be greatly missed around Cornerstone,” said Ashley Willey, MA, BCBA. “We are so proud of Hayden and all his hard work during his time with us!”

Hudson’s Story

Where Hudson Started

Hudson began therapy at Cornerstone Autism Center in August of 2016. When he first started, he was not interested in peers and had almost no appropriate play skills. At the daycare he attended previously, he mostly sat alone and engaged in stimming behaviors. He had no conversation skills and it was often difficult to understand his speech. He also struggled to follow simple directions.

How Hudson Improved

Now, Hudson has formed close friendships with several of his peers. In fact, playing with friends is one of his most preferred activities. Hudson is a great peer model for his friends. He engages in a variety of age appropriate play activities, such as basketball, art projects, and playing musical instruments. He can now follow complex directions for tasks like brushing his teeth and tying his shoes. He has also begun working on reading, writing, and math skills! Hudson recently graduated from Cornerstone and transitioned into a preschool setting. On his last day during his graduation, he had a dance party with his peers to celebrate how far he has come! “Hudson is a ray of sunshine! In his time at Cornerstone he has become such a social butterfly. He is one of the hardest workers I know and I am so proud of all he has accomplished!” said Denise Maxie, one of his therapists.

Ian’s Story

Where Ian Started

When Ian began therapy at Cornerstone at 11 years old, everyone immediately fell in love with his smile and laugh. Initially, he had little to no manding skills to communicate his wants and needs, and ritualistic behaviors dominated his day. He scored in the 0–18-month-old level on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Ian struggled with daily living skills and needed constant support.

How Ian Improved

Over the past four years at Cornerstone, Ian mastered most of the VB-MAPP assessment and significant portions of the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). Ian can work for extended periods without engaging in problem behavior such as physical aggression and self-injury. And Ian now handles changes in his routines well. He can now independently complete many daily living skills such as dishes, laundry, toileting, and some vocational skills. Ian Graduated from Cornerstone in July 2022 and is enrolled in a high school special education classroom. We are so excited for Ian’s journey to continue outside of Cornerstone!

Isaac’s Story

Where Isaac Started

When Isaac started at Cornerstone in July 2017, he struggled to communicate his wants and needs in an age-appropriate manner, especially when tasks were difficult or not something he enjoyed. Instead, he would resort to exhibiting high rates of physical aggression and property destruction, as well as noncompliance behaviors that would last up to 3 ½ hours in duration. He was argumentative, and struggled with following directions from those in authority. Isaac was a very literal thinker, often misunderstanding when others used language figuratively. He also refused to complete most self-help and daily living skills that were asked of him.

How Isaac Improved

Isaac made incredible gains over the year he was at Cornerstone. When he graduated, he was able to communicate his frustrations without resorting to aggression and property destruction behaviors. Even if tasks were difficult, he pushed through them. Isaac is doing amazing at Earlywood and home. His new teacher has nothing but good things to say about him! “We are so thankful for the staff at Cornerstone for all they have done to help in Isaac’s success! Seeing such a big smile on his face in his graduation pictures makes my heart happy. That smile was a rare thing to see prior to Cornerstone and now we see it on a pretty regular basis.” He had taken an interest in his programming and asked great questions about the topics he was learning about. He learned to follow directions from those in authority, and if he had a question or disagreed, he did so in an appropriate way. He learned the meaning of lots of idioms, was able to use them accurately in conversation and was able to joke around with his therapists and team lead. Isaac also completed many of the chores around the center on a daily basis, including loading and unloading the dishwasher, dusting, sweeping, doing laundry, cleaning mirrors and wiping down the tables in the cafeteria. He also mastered most of the skills in the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) assessment. “We are so proud of Isaac and all that he has accomplished over the past year. He taught us that with a little bit of hard work, determination, resilience and imagination, you can overcome any obstacle and achieve anything you set your mind to. We will miss his silliness, his curiosity, and his passion for learning,” said Kelsey Endres, Isaac’s clinical coordinator and BCaBA.

Isaiah’s Story

Where Isaiah Started

When Isaiah entered Cornerstone in March 2014, he had recently been diagnosed with autism and had received few services to improve his speech and reduce problem behavior. He struggled with challenges with receptive language, social skills, and motor imitation. Isaiah would often refuse to participate in activities when he first started, as many as 80 times in one day! He also had aggressive behavior and tantrums that prevented him from making progress.

How Isaiah Has Improved

As Isaiah became more engaged with his therapists and excited about earning drawing and watching his favorite YouTube videos, he started mastering targets very quickly. Isaiah is now able to ask peers to play on his own and speak in 3-4 word sentences. He sits through a 20-30 minute small group with peers, raising his hand and responding to questions asked to the entire group. Isaiah had many failed attempts at toilet training and was resistant to trying again. After showing some initial interest in sitting on the potty for reinforcement, Isaiah started toilet training at Cornerstone. Within 2 days of training, accidents were rare and after 4 weeks he was reliably asking to go on his own, off the set schedule! As Isaiah’s skills increased, his problem behaviors decreased. Aggression and tantrums only happen a few times a week and he has an increasing number of days where noncompliance doesn’t occur at all. Isaiah is making progress on eating new foods and reducing echolalia as he gains new ways to express himself. His beaming smile and giggles make our day!

Jace’s Story

Where Jace Started

Jace and his family started their journey with Cornerstone Autism Center back in the summer of 2015. When Jace first started back in 2015, he had no consistent manding skills. He would engage in tantrum behavior multiple times per day, for extended periods of time, when he was presented with demands or to gain access to the things that he wanted. Jace emitted some sounds but had no functional language skills. At the time, Jace would eat only a handful of foods and would only drink Mountain Dew. Jace needed a desensitization program to even put his glasses on his face. Upon starting at Cornerstone, Jace was presenting with only 11 out of the 170 milestones on the VB-MAPP. He struggled to respond to his name or to follow simple directions. He was unable to tact objects or imitate any actions or sounds. Due to his limited vocal abilities, Jace started communicating using American Sign Language, eventually transitioning to using vocal approximations.

How Jace Improved

Jace graduated from Cornerstone Autism Center on July 24th, 2020 and will be transitioning into a 2nd grade classroom at a nearby elementary school. Jace completed 146 out of the 170 potential milestones within the VB-MAPP. In addition to this, Jace completed many targets across the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to prepare him for a transition into a school setting. Jace is now able to frequently express his wants and needs on his own using multiple word sentences. Jace will now engage in conversations with his family, friends, and therapists. Jace can name and label objects using multiple parts of speech and complete sentences now. He will also respond to a variety of different directions in the natural environment. Jace has gained the ability to read and write multiple words, as well as complete basic math and counting skills. Jace will wear his glasses throughout the whole day and has conquered going to the dentist! Jace is also able to complete a multitude of self-care skills, including independently dressing himself, brushing his teeth, washing his face, combing his hair, and cleaning his glasses. Jace has expanded his food and drink repertoire and will now consume a variety of different foods and drinks! “We are so proud of Jace and all he has accomplished,” said Ashley Willey, MA, BCBA. “His sweet smile and infectious laugh will certainly be missed around Cornerstone!”

Jack’s Story

Where Jack Started

When Jack started at Cornerstone in the fall of 2012, he exhibited tantrum behavior frequently throughout the session, after almost every transition away from preferred activities. One of the first days at the center he engaged in a tantrum that lasted the majority of the 3 hours he attended. His eye contact when interacting with others was inconsistent, as was his responding to his name during play activities. He was still wearing pull-ups and had been unsuccessful at potty training in the past. Jack scored mostly in Level 2 of the VB-MAPP Milestones assessment.

How Jack Improved

Now, Jack is working his way up through Level 3 of the VB-MAPP, and continues to master multiple programs weekly. He is potty trained and has demonstrated the ability to succeed in group activities with peers. One area Jack has really excelled in is his social behavior and social play, and he transitioned to half-day to a preschool classroom with typical peers in the fall of 2013, while attending Cornerstone half-day as well. His conversation skills have greatly improved, and he can carry a conversation with peers that are years older than him. He has a group of peers that he enjoys interacting with and will work hard to earn tokens for free time to play with friends. Although he still occasionally exhibits tantrum behavior, it is less frequent and not as intense as past behaviors. Way to go Jack!

Jacob’s Story

Where Jacob Started

Jacob started at Cornerstone in 2015 and demonstrated 8 milestone skills on level 1 of the VBMAPP assessment. Since then, Jacob has mastered 4,213 targets from the VBMAPP and the AFLS assessment and demonstrates 100 of the 170 milestone skills on the VBMAPP across levels 1, 2, and 3. When Jacob started at Cornerstone, he would vocalize sounds but did not use functional words or point to objects to indicate his wants and needs. He preferred mouthing objects over functional play and did not respond to his name or display eye contact. Jacob displayed several sensory aversions and refused to walk on concrete, grass, or certain carpet textures. He did not like having his face touched and did not willingly allow his teeth to be brushed.

How Jacob Improved

Now, Jacob will look you directly in the eye and tell you exactly what he wants in complete sentences. He engages in functional play with the train table and makes 3D models of street signs and buildings. He responds to his name consistently, and while he still doesn’t enjoy toothbrushing, he will brush his teeth for 2 minutes when prompted. Jacob now loves taking walks and wagon rides outside and specifically asks to walk through the grass! He has grown so much during his time at Cornerstone and has done so well going half-days at Earhart. He always talks about Earhart, and we are excited to watch his journey continue at school. We will miss you, Jacob, but know that you will continue to learn and grow, and we are so proud of you!

Riley’s Story

Where Riley Started

When Riley started with Cornerstone in October 2018, he struggled with clearly communicating his wants and needs. He would often resort to screaming and whining when items and activities were not available or were being used by other peers, to escape from demands that were placed, and when female peers joined or engaged in the same activity that he was engaging in (e.g., swings). When he first started at Cornerstone, Riley engaged in tantrum behavior 11.85 times per day, on average. Socially, he had difficulty making eye contact while speaking to others, didn’t initiate interactions with peers, and needed a lot of prompting from his therapist to have conversations. He also needed a lot of assistance with daily living and self-help skills. Riley had difficulty staying calm when changes to his routine would occur. His skills were very splintered, meaning that while he displayed various skills in all three levels of the VB-MAPP, he had gaps in his skills across each operant, especially in the areas of tacting and social skills.

How Riley Improved

By the time Riley graduated from Cornerstone, his language and independence with self-help skills have flourished! As Riley’s language and ability to communicate his wants and needs increased, his instances of tantrums decreased substantially to an average of 0.66 instances per day when he graduated. Riley was able to hold conversations independently with his peers, including making eye contact, acknowledging a peer’s response, answering questions and asking follow-up questions. When asked before his graduation what his friends liked about Riley, they said he was nice and funny. While at Cornerstone, Riley learned how to complete a lot of different self-help and daily living skills independently, including tying his shoes, folding and putting away laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and his favorite activity, dusting. Riley even started asking to help with chores at home! He mastered the ability to stay calm when unexpected changes to his routine occurred and would communicate his concerns or opinions about the changes appropriately. When he graduated from Cornerstone, Riley had achieved all 170 milestones in the VB-MAPP. “We are so proud of Riley and all he has accomplished while at Cornerstone. We know he will go on to do great things!” said Arielle Lofgren, Riley’s BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst).

James’ Story

Where James Started

Meagan didn’t see the early signs of autism her son, James, was exhibiting until she became a therapist at Cornerstone. She noticed he was not playing with the other children. Instead, he was content with lining up his cars on the table, flipping them on their backs and spinning their wheels over and over again. He also had a speech delay and was not able to communicate his wants or needs. James was able to start services in February 2014, which was only a few months after diagnostic testing with Dr. Jessica Bissey and going through the insurance process. When he began services, his clinical leader observed that he was a picky eater. He would only eat eggs, pancakes, yogurt, mac ‘n cheese, bananas, and pizza. Therapists also saw James was non-verbal, and he did not do well participating during group with the other kids his age. He was also not potty trained at the time. Meagan said she hardly knew her little boy. He was lost in his own world, but she was hopeful therapy would help bring him out into our world.

How James Has Improved

James is now at Level 3 in the VB-MAPP, showing his communication has dramatically improved, and he masters over 300 targets monthly. James does not get as frustrated because he is able to communicate with others, and he is growing into a social butterfly. At the grocery store, Meagan said James likes to say hi to everyone and asks what their names are. She said he is able to talk in complete sentences that usually bring out his sense of humor. The new phrase he likes to say is, “Oh my gosh!” This holiday season he walked around telling everyone, “Merry Chrimas!” when he meant “Merry Christmas.” In his food program, James has made significant improvement. He will now try foods such as oatmeal, broccoli, celery, grapes, oranges and string cheese. At home, he often surprises Meagan by asking for foods he would not eat in the past. James is also more independent and is now fully potty trained. He also surprised Meagan during his first martial arts class by listening and following directions without needing prompting from her. Recently, Meagan has learned that James loves to draw and is becoming an amazing artist. During group time, James is able to sit and participate for up to 10 minutes without any tantrums. He also plays with other kids his age in the imagination room, where he pretends to be a chef with an apron and chef’s hat. Meagan said at home James plays and interacts with his little brother, Jonah, and also gets excited to see his older brother and sister, Nate and Natalie. She believes therapy has brought him out of the little world he was trapped inside. When asked how Cornerstone has helped their family, Meagan said it has given her hope. She now sees the possibility of James graduating and transitioning into a school setting. “I think that’s something that I was really concerned with before, I didn’t see how that would happen,” said Meagan. “Now I definitely see the bright future my son has ahead of him.”

Jase’s Story

Where Jase Started

Jase began services at Cornerstone Autism Center in April 2015. When Jase first started, he was unable to communicate his wants and needs with others. He first began learning American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. Jase displayed the behaviors of tantrum, non-compliance, physical aggression, and mouthing. Jase often engaged in these behaviors when he was unable to effectively communicate.

How Jase Improved

By the time Jase graduated from Cornerstone, Jase was working through Level 3 of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program and had gained 162 of the 170 milestones. Jase is now able to communicate using full sentences and is able to express his feelings throughout the day. In addition, Jase began working on skills from the Assessment of Functional Living Skills to better prepare him for a transition to school. Jase was also able to attend a group setting with his peers and respond to directives from other adults. Jase enjoyed playing dress up, video games, and tag with his friends at Cornerstone! “I’m so grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone at Cornerstone,” said Amber, Jase’s mom. “He wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for all of you! We will forever have a special place in our hearts for our Cornerstone family.” After he delivered his speech during his graduation ceremony, Jase left the stage to give all of his friends and family hugs and high fives. Several therapists and friends of Jase shed some bittersweet tears at his graduation. “We are all so proud of Jase and all of his hard work,” said Megan Graves, BCBA

Jayden’s Story

Where Jayden Started

Jayden startedbat Cornerstone back in February 2020. Jayden immediately stole the hearts of therapists and the clinical team with his undying love for princesses, especially Elsa. Jayden had a hard time attending to things, engaged in high rates of hyperactive behaviors, and had daily occurrences of physical aggression when asked to complete programs and transition away from playtime. Jayden loved to play chase with therapists and shared his contagious laugh with everyone who played with him but struggled to share with peers. Jayden started with 16 out of 170 milestone points on the VB-MAPP.

Where Jayden is Now

Now, two and a half years later, Jayden is speaking in full, clear sentences and using all parts of speech. Jayden asks questions about the world around him and has worked hard using his words to talk about his feelings. Jayden has grown exponentially in his social skills. He still enjoys playing with his therapists, but also plays well with anyone and everyone. He makes friends easily and shares his toys independently. Upon his transition, Jayden was following an all-day classroom schedule, using his words to talk about his feelings, and still making everyone laugh (future comedian in the making)! Jayden has mastered 155 out of 170 milestones on the VB-MAPP. We will miss Jayden so much, but know he is ready to take on first grade!

Joe’s Story

Where Joe Started

Joe started therapy at Cornerstone in 2012. We have had the privilege to watch Joe develop and grow in our center. Joe started at Cornerstone with little communication skills, no interest in toys or activities and very little interest in peers. Joe didn’t understand the word “wait” and had no patience when therapists did not give him the item he wanted. In the beginning Joe liked to throw toys and dump any container he could get his hands on. Joe used to show no interest in the IPad other than to knock it off his desk. In the past, Joe couldn’t care less about his peers or people in general. His mother reported he very rarely showed interest in playing with his brother. He used to wear a diaper and loved to pull it apart while wearing it. His meal skills have also greatly changed. When he started, Joe would shovel food in his mouth and store it in his cheeks. Joe used to grab and take items from everyone. Previously, he would not wait for more than three seconds and engaged in noncompliance or tantrums frequently when instructed to wait. He had no listener responding repertoire. Joe would become upset and display signs of frustration when he could not answer questions his therapist asked or when his therapist did not understand his answer. Joe’s behaviors have changed tremendously over the years. In the beginning Joe spent his days around the center yelling and seeing how quickly he could throw an item across the room.

How Joe Improved

Now, Joe loves to play with blocks and build structures. Joe engages with a variety of toys around the center. He will sit in his cube and play independently for five minutes with no disruptive behaviors. Currently, Joe enjoys watching college basketball clips and toy story on the iPad. He loves to play with blocks independently anywhere and everywhere. Joe now shows interest in the different activities his peers are engaging in and loves to participate in wagon rides around the center with his peers. He will also play with his brother and watch parts of movies with him. He loves to walk his brother Max into his school with his mom. Joe even attended his brother’s class Christmas party and had a blast participating with Max and all of his classmates in the holiday activities. Currently he is wearing a pull-up and can communicate if he is wet or dry. He can take off and put on his shoes independently. Now he is working on taking appropriate bites and manding for every food item he desires. Joe also has several approximations for words and some whole words that he uses to ask for items throughout the day. He uses the app Bitsboard to communicate and mand with pictures to his therapist and parents. Joe’s level of patience has increased significantly. He accepts the word “no” when he can’t have an item and understands that there are times he has to wait. Joe will answer listener responding questions or take his therapist to the area he wants to play. He spends more time giggling, interacting with his therapist, and playing with items than he did when he started in 2012.

John’s Story

Where John Started

John began therapy at Cornerstone in March of 2021. Before Cornerstone, John attended elementary school. At that time, the school he attended felt that they were not equipped to handle the behaviors he displayed. John engaged in a high frequency of physical aggression and property destruction, had difficulty engaging during class, and had trouble transitioning to the bathroom to change his pull-up. John relied heavily on visual timers to get through his day and fixated on what time he got to go home. John also experienced various sensory aversions, including wearing shoes throughout the school day, attending multiple doctor appointments, and tolerating different sensory inputs in the bathroom. Additionally, John struggled to communicate his wants spontaneously and needs to others and rarely initiated social interactions with his peers.

How John Improved

John started at Cornerstone with only 20 milestone points from the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Over the past year and a half, he has achieved 162.5 out of 170 milestone points! John has worked hard on improving his language skills and now will speak in complete sentences to both adults and peers and often engages in silly word games with his therapists. He is now independent in the restroom throughout the school day and can complete daily living skills appropriately. He has Improved significantly with tolerating additional tasks that used to be difficult for him and have mastered his desensitization programs for both the doctor and dentist. John now follows a full-day mock classroom schedule, can attend to the primary “teacher” for up to 30 minutes at a time without engaging in maladaptive behaviors, and can complete his lunchtime routine independently, including preparing his food, sitting at lunch with his peers, and washing and drying his dishes. We are so proud of how far John has come throughout his time at Cornerstone and can’t wait to see all he accomplishes in school!

Joseduardo’s Story

Where Joseduardo Started

When Joseduardo started at Cornerstone in 2016, he had difficulty with transitions, sharing with peers, and communicating his wants and needs effectively. Instead of using his words to express his frustrations, he would often engage in noncompliance for long periods of time, tantrums and physical aggression towards those around him. He displayed skills in level one and level two of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment. His programming sessions were very short, and he required frequent access to reinforcement. During reinforcement, Joseduardo did not like to engage with his peers or his therapists. He would play alone and would engage in high amounts of scripting behavior that was difficult to redirect.

How Joseduardo Improved

“Watching Joseduardo grow over the past two and half years at Cornerstone has been one of the most incredible experiences,” said BCBA Erica Bushnell. “He brightens everyone’s day, has learned so many new skills and has quickly become a well-known name with numerous friends.” Joseduardo graduated in January 2020 with a fully completed VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment and numerous points from the AFLS assessment in preparation for him to transition to 4th grade. Prior to graduating, Joseduardo was able to work for over 30 minutes at a time on a variety of tasks independently and able to self-manage when he became frustrated by using his words to tell his friends and teachers how he was feeling and what he needed to work through the situation. Seeing Joseduardo improve so drastically in both academic skills and behavior management has been so incredible. “We know he is going to be a favorite at his new school,” said BCBA Angie Robbins. “His bright smile, contagious personality, and comical nature will be greatly missed!”

Joshua’s Story

Where Joshua Started

Joshua started coming to Cornerstone Autism Center on August 29, 2016, when he was only four. He is now eight and has grown so much! He has made tremendous progress in the four years that he has been at the center. When Joshua first began attending Cornerstone, he was experiencing significant problems in his home, school, and public environments. Joshua could only communicate verbally using approximately fifteen words. He had difficulty communicating his wants, needs, or feelings. Joshua had difficulty with self-help skills like dressing himself and brushing his teeth.

How Joshua Improved

Joshua has mastered 2,496 targets since starting at Cornerstone in 2016. He is now in second grade, and he is transitioning to full day! While at Cornerstone, he has flown through areas of social play, communication, labeling, matching, and self-help skills. Joshua can complete a majority of the steps to dressing himself with limited prompts. He can help with dishes and make the bed. Joshua now has a vast vocal repertoire and is able to navigate his augmentative alternative communication device (AAC device) to communicate his needs. He learned how to read while at Cornerstone and has also learned new skills within writing and mathematics. Joshua is a pro at navigating electronics, and he could often be seen around the center listening to Frozen, Minions, or Pocahontas, or he might be shouting “Waahoo” while playing Mario Kart on the Wii. “Joshua is a sweet, compassionate, silly, and smart kiddo that will shine in a school setting,” says Sarah Glenn, MA, BCBA. Cornerstone will miss his infections laughter and his kind family. We wish Joshua and his family all the best in this next adventure!

Josslyn’s Story

Where Jossy Started

When Josslyn first began at Cornerstone Autism Center her parents had many things they hoped she would accomplish. Among those were motor skills, specifically walking and feeding behavior which included the use of utensils at meal times.

How She Has Improved

Jossy has grown an incredible amount in her motor skills and is now able to walk around all day with very limited help while at Cornerstone. She has also shown incredible growth in her feeding behavior. She is able to use a spoon independently and a fork with some assistance during meal times. Jossy initially lacked communication. She has since begun to learn several signs to help her communicate. When Josslyn is motivated she is able to emit several signs independently, including Ipad and swing. The target behaviors tracked by Jossy’s Clinical Coordinators have also decreased. At one point Josslyn displayed self-injurious behavior, mouthing, dropping and tantrums. Currently she has only two tracked behaviors, tantrums and mouthing!

Journey’s Story

Where Journey Started

Journey began therapy at Cornerstone in February of 2015, and she only attended therapy for two hours per day, three days per week. She gradually worked up to attending therapy full time after one year with Cornerstone. When Journey began attending the center, she was nonverbal and not able to request desired items or activities, and she did not show any interest in interacting with her peers. Upon entry, she learned to use American Sign Language (ASL) paired with emerging vocals to makes requests. She engaged in frequent maladaptive behaviors that served as her main form of communication.

How Journey Improved

After receiving ABA therapy, Journey now communicates her wants and needs more effectively and can spontaneously requesting desired items using two-to-three word phrases with different parts of speech; her articulation has also greatly Improved, making it easier for her to work with novel therapists and to interact with her peers. Journey can also politely ask to remove an aversive stimulus, which serves as a functional replacement behavior to decrease problem behaviors. Journey has worked in our transition classroom for the last six months, gaining the ability to work more independently and to work alongside her peers. She has worked on gaining the social skills necessary to be successful in a school setting and looks forward to playing with her friends. “We are so proud of all of Journey’s hard work in her time at Cornerstone, and we will miss her smile and her spunky personality,” said Hailey Guidi, MA, BCBA. Journey will begin kindergarten this year, and we know she will do great at her new school!

Julio’s Story

Where Julio Started

Julio began therapy at Cornerstone in September of 2015. When he began attending the center, he was nonverbal and not able to request desired items or activities or appropriately interact with peers. Upon entry, he learned to use American Sign Language (ASL) paired with emerging vocals to make requests.

How Julio Improved

When he graduated, Julio was speaking in full sentences and engaging in verbal exchanges with adults and peers. One of his favorite reinforcement activities was playing with his friends! Julio worked in our transition room for the last year, gaining the ability to work more independently and to work alongside peers. He had to learn social skills and self-management skills to be successful in a school setting. Julio graduated from Cornerstone in December 2019. He is enrolled in third grade at his elementary school, where he most looks forward to riding the school bus with his new friends. “We are so proud of Julio’s growth during his time at Cornerstone,” said Hailey Guidi, MA, BCBA.

Kaiden’s Story

Where Kaiden Started

Kaiden came to Cornerstone in July 2013. At that time, his communication was very limited and he was only motivated by dinosaurs or animals. He was working on requesting items only by pointing to them. He struggled with transitions and participating in group activities.

How Kaiden Improved

Kaiden still loves animals and dinosaurs, but is also motivated by a variety of other things, especially peer interaction. Kaiden loves to play with his peers, chat about his favorite movies and is quick to give compliments. He is a social butterfly! He now uses full sentences and has functional conversations. These days, Kaiden is extremely flexible with his schedule, handles changes with ease and is the first to volunteer to help or answer questions in group settings. Over his time at Cornerstone, Kaiden has mastered a total of 7,401 targets. He can read, write, identify letters and count to 100. Did we mention he loves his peers? He will spontaneously initiate conversation, has excellent eye-contact and will respond to his peers when they ask questions. He has masters quite a few daily living skills, including tying his shoes, washing dishes and making the bed. Kaiden graduated in December 2018 and has transitioned in January to an elementary school full-time. “Kaiden, I’m thankful I was able to be your therapist,” said RBT Kelcie Lewis at Kaiden’s graduation. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say your compliments, spontaneous singing and contagious laughter will be missed around here, but we know you are on to bigger and better things ahead. We hope you come back to visit us!”

Kamdyn’s Story

Where Kamdyn Started

When Kamdyn started at Cornerstone in January of 2017, he was manding (requesting) with one word and often needed prompting from his therapist to express his wants and needs. He had difficulty transitioning away from reinforcement and often engaged in self-injury when making new choices. He also found toothbrushing to be very aversive. His skills were mostly in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, and he had an overall score of 31.5 out of 170 on the Milestones Assessment. Kamdyn initially did not demonstrate mastery of any of the social skills milestones and displayed maladaptive behaviors when sharing with peers. He frequently engaged in repetitive behaviors, such as rolling trains in front of his face to watch the wheels spin. In addition, he had difficulty sitting still to do programming for 45 seconds.

How Kamdyn Improved

By the time Kamdyn graduated from Cornerstone, he was independently asking who/what/where/why/how questions and using full sentences to communicate his wants and feelings. He calmly put reinforcers away when his time was up and even asked to brush his teeth! Kamdyn learned a variety of daily living skills, as well, including warming up his food in the microwave and wiping the table after a meal. Kamdyn mastered almost all of the goals from the Milestones Assessment, including social skill goals, and achieved a score of 163.5 out of 170. Kamdyn was able to initiate appropriate conversations with peers and calmly share items with them. Additionally, he engaged in appropriate play with a variety of items, such as trains and scooters. Kamdyn could sit at his desk and work on programming for an average of 15 minutes, with his therapist available to guide him when needed. Kamdyn was excited to start school, but we will miss him at Cornerstone! When asking his therapists and team lead what words came to mind when thinking about Kamdyn, they said: enthusiastic, imaginative, extraordinary, bright, amusing, humorous, delightful, and hilarious. His BCBA Kayla Helms said, “Kamdyn brings so much joy to Cornerstone. He makes everyone laugh with his silly personality, and I am proud of him for working hard to go to school!”

Kari’s Story

Where Kari Started

Kari started coming to Cornerstone Autism Center in March 2018, when he was only 2 and half years old. He is now five and has grown so much. We are so lucky to have been a part of his journey! Kari has been a familiar face at Cornerstone for the last couple of years. His energetic spirit and tenacity are infectious. He has not only learned from us, but we have learned just as much, if not more from him. He has had many different therapists that have learned an unimaginable amount from him. Although his time here at CAC has been only been two years, he is a part of our family forever. In his two years at CAC, Kari has made so much progress. When Kari first began attending Cornerstone, he was experiencing significant problems in his home, school, and public environments. Kari started with having a very limited verbal repertoire and very little functional communication. He had difficulty communicating his wants and needs due to his minimal vocabulary and poor articulation. Kari would often babble or pull a person towards a wanted object in order to obtain it. Kari had difficulty with independence/daily living skills and was not potty trained when he came to Cornerstone. He was also a very picky eater. He was unable to remain at a table during mealtimes or use utensils independently. Kari’s mother reported frequent occurrences of physical aggression towards his siblings, as well.

How Kari Improved

Kari has mastered 2,163 targets since starting at Cornerstone in 2018. He began going half day to preschool in 2019. He will begin Kindergarten in the Fall. While at Cornerstone, he has flown through areas of social play, communication, reading, writing, and math. Kari now has an extensive vocal repertoire and is able to clearly communicate his needs. He can carry on clear conversations with therapists and peers! While at Cornerstone, Kari was potty trained and now independently uses the restroom including all steps of washing his hands. Kari is such a role model for all of our clients and loves teaching others. He is an incredibly smart, compassionate, and silly, kiddo that will shine and thrive in a school setting. “Cornerstone will miss his spunky personality and high energy,” said Mackenzie Massingill, Team Lead. “While we are sad that he is leaving us, we are so incredibly proud of him! We wish Kari and his family all the best!”

Katarina’s Story

Where Katarina Started

Katarina can be found on the swing in the motor room, smiling with her blue eyes sparkling and hands flapping. The swing has become her favorite activity at Cornerstone. When she started therapy, she was unable to tell her therapists that she wanted to swing. Kat would make sounds but could not pair them with desired objects or activities. Her frustration levels were high, and screaming tantrums were a common occurrence. “Her tantrums were 10 per day and lasted for hours,” said Director of Operations Megan DeYoung. “Now they’re down to five per day and they are not nearly as long.” Her therapists taught her a few ASL signs that gave her a way to express her basic wants and needs. For every sign, her therapist would say the word out loud three times to foster approximations for sounds and words. Some of her signs include swing, eat, iPad, cat, dog, book, ball, jump and help.

How Katarina Has Improved

When Kat wants to swing, she will now make the “s” sound to pair the vocal sound with the sign for swing. She can also say “iPad,” “up,” “bye-bye,” and she explores new sounds when she sees herself in the mirror or on camera. Speech Pathologist Robert Kurtz has been working with her on pairing sounds with objects through video self-modeling. “The most rewarding part of working with her was hearing her say her first word, iPad, on a consistent basis,” said therapist Brittany Royer. “She continues to develop more vocal approximations daily! She also continues to become more independent every day.” Kat transitioned from full day to half day recently. In January 2015, her tantrums were down to only five per day and were significantly shorter on average than they were months ago. As her communication expands, her frustration lessons, allowing her personality to shine. Kat seeks out social interaction more than she used to; she likes to play chase with peers, and her mom said to her therapist that this was the first year she played chase with her cousins at Thanksgiving. Her independent skills are growing as well. She is working with utensils during meals, and she will let her therapist know what she would like to eat from her lunchbox by pointing to preferred items. “I love watching how she’s growing and progressing,” said Royer. “Her frustration cries are less frequent, and she just seems happy. I cannot wait to see how she continues to grow and progress in the future!

Katherine’s Story

Where Katherine Started

Katherine has always been an intelligent, thoughtful, outgoing little girl. However, when she first came to Cornerstone Autism Center early this year she was struggling with independence and self-care. Her lack of control over her motor movements and mouthing inedible objects made functioning independently in settings like mealtime and transitions extremely difficult for Katherine.

How She Improved

Today, Katherine is currently feeding herself with minimal prompting. She is also consistently walking independently with minimal physical prompting to keep her hands to herself. This progress is just the beginning for Katherine and we are confident that she will continue to have her same sweet disposition while tackling obstacles and achieving milestones.

Kerissa’s Story

Where Kerissa Started

When Kerissa began at Cornerstone in 2017, at 13 years old, her love for makeup, hair design, and music was immediately embraced by the staff, but she struggled with several challenging behaviors that affected her ability to learn and become more independent. She only had 15 out of the 157 applicable Milestones from the VB-MAPP assessment and didn’t have a mode of communication that worked well for her. She struggled with self-help skills and needed physical prompts from her therapists in many daily living areas, preventing her from having the freedom and autonomy that all teenagers deserve.

How Kerissa Improved

Kerissa began using a dedicated Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device as her mode of communication and now spontaneously communicates in full sentences with her device. This has helped increase her ability to express her wants and needs, complete programming and communicate more with those around her. She has worked hard on becoming more independent and can now complete all steps of her daily hygiene and mealtime routines, and complete other life skills such as doing the dishes and laundry. Kerissa has now mastered 150.5 Milestones from the VB-MAPP assessment and we are so proud of her and all of her hard work! Kerissa is now 18 years old and is graduating from Cornerstone in June 2022. She will be attending an adult day program where she will go on community outings and continue to build her self-help and daily living skills with others her age and within the community. We will miss playing Just Dance and watching makeup tutorials with her, but we are so excited for the opportunities she will have on her new adventure!

Kooper’s Story

Where Kooper Started

When Kooper started at Cornerstone on August 24, 2020, he was highly motivated to communicate his wants, needs, and thoughts. However, he did not yet have a reliable mode of communication and, instead, used gestures and pointing to convey information. Kooper found loud noises to be aversive, particularly the hand dryer in the bathroom. He formed strong relationships with his therapists but had limited interest in peers. He avoided getting his picture taken by covering his face or ears when a camera was presented. Kooper struggled with fine motor skills and found toothbrushing to be aversive. However, he loved learning and enjoyed clapping with his therapists when he accomplished a new task. His skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 12 points at the time of his initial assessment.

How Kooper Improved

By the time Kooper graduated from Cornerstone, he was able to mand using three-to-five-word sentences with his Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. He enjoyed playing with and talking about his favorite characters and superheroes. Kooper excelled in a classroom group with his peers and had fun riding scooters with them. He was toilet trained and had no difficulty entering any of the bathrooms in the center. He no longer appeared bothered by loud sounds but was able to request and wear headphones when needed. Kooper found it fun to get his picture taken and make silly faces for the camera. He learned how to complete many dressing skills requiring fine motor skills, such as putting his socks on and fastening snaps. Kooper was also able to independently brush his teeth and found it hilarious to listen to “My Shiny Teeth and Me” while doing so. His overall score was 121 on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment when he transitioned from Cornerstone. Kooper’s team at Cornerstone is so proud of him for working hard to communicate with others, improve his independent self-help skills, and accomplish the skills necessary to transition to school. When asking staff what they will miss most about Kooper, they said they would miss his laugh, silliness, creativity, and overall bright disposition. Although he will be missed, we know that Kooper will excel in school! Good luck, Kooper!

Korben’s Story

Where Korben Started

When Korben began his journey at Cornerstone in September 2018, he had 30 out of the 170 measurable milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). When he first began Korben had a difficult time expressing his wants and needs, preferred to be by himself, and had little interest in other peers. Over the last almost three years of treatment, Korben worked diligently to greatly expanded his ability to communicate with his parents, therapists, and peers and is now speaking using full sentences on his own. Korben loves interacting with peers and enjoys having conversations with the friends he has made while playing on the playground!

How Korben Improved

During Korben’s time at Cornerstone, he tried different foods and can now tolerate eating chicken nuggets during mealtime! Korben successfully transitioned into Cornerstone’s classroom group with peers and worked on school readiness skills from the AFLS assessment. Korben officially graduated from Cornerstone in August and completed all 170 milestones across the VB-MAPP Assessment. We are so proud of Korben’s hard work at Cornerstone and are excited to hear about all the great things we know he will do at school! Congrats Korben!

Kristofer’s Story

Where Kristofer Started

When he started therapy at Cornerstone, Kristofer was not able to read and struggled with writing, social skills, and impulsive behaviors. He also struggled with sitting for periods longer than five minutes.

How Kristofer Improved

Before transition, Kristofer completed all areas of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP) and 85% of the Living Skills assessment (AFLS)! Kristofer was able to sit in back-to-back group settings for up to an hour, can now read at a 1st grade reading level, has greatly improved on his writing and has successfully been able to transition into a 2nd grade classroom where he was excited to make new friends. “I’m so very proud of Kristofer for all that he has accomplished,” said Amy Thomas, clinical coordinator. “He is a very determined young man, and you can tell by his hard work and determination that he will make great strides in the transition to elementary school and for his future in general!”

Kyler’s Story

Where Kyler Started

Kyler and his family started their Cornerstone journey in February 2020 at the age of two. When he began, he had limited communication and would only point to items of interest. He struggled to make eye contact with others and had limited social interactions. Kyler preferred to be carried from place to place and would engage in tantrum behaviors lasting for long durations. He started with 19.5 milestone points on the VB-MAPP.

How Kyler Has Improved

Kyler graduated from Cornerstone on January 7, 2022. In less than two years, he has gained skills across all areas of the VB-MAPP and AFLS. Kyler is communicating using full sentences to request desired items, share his imagination, and play with peers. He can independently write his name, sit in a classroom group, and identify letters and numbers. He has reached 152.5 milestones on the VB-MAPP and mastered a total of 4,829 targets during his time at Cornerstone. We are so proud of the progress Kyler made during his time at Cornerstone and wish him luck in school!

Lana’s Story

Where Lana Started

Lana began therapy at Cornerstone in July of 2017 when she was only 8 years old. She is now 13 years old and has grown so much! When Lana began attending the center, she had only mastered 30 of the 170 Milestone skills on the VB-MAPP Assessment. She wore noise-cancelling headphones every day and avoided crowded rooms. She received reinforcement after completing an average of 3 tasks. She had very few functional mands and was not able to functionally communicate her wants and needs.

How Lana Improved

Lana is now able to mand for her wants and needs in complete sentences. Throughout her time at Cornerstone, she has mastered 160.5 of the 170 Milestones skills on the VB-MAPP Assessment. She is able to complete self-help and daily living skills such as washing dishes and using the restroom independently. She currently works on tasks for an average of 12 minutes before reinforcement. “We are incredibly proud of Lana and very excited to watch her blossom at school,” said Shelby Foster, Team Lead and MA.

Layden’s Story

Where Layden Started

Layden would line up his toys in a perfect row. He spent hours gathering similar items, such as trains, spoons or snakes, and he would meticulously place them together into their own line. If you moved his array, he would become distraught and move everything right back where he had originally placed it. When he was a toddler, Layden didn’t engage in eye contact and made sounds, but he had not developed any words. When there were birthday parties or outings with large crowds and a lot of noise, Layden would cry most of the time and become easily overwhelmed. He struggled to wear his shoes, pants, shirts and coats for extended periods of time as well, making seasonal transitions and public events difficult for Layden and his family. Layden’s mother, Rachelle Vaughn, realized he may have a developmental delay when his younger brother was hitting milestones that Layden had not. She discussed her concerns with Layden’s pediatrician, who referred the family to First Steps. Layden was in the program for about one year, receiving Occupational, Behavioral and Speech therapies. At age three, Layden was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Soon after Layden began developmental preschool, Rachelle learned of Cornerstone and began the long process of acquiring the appropriate insurance for Layden so they he may receive services. In April 2013, Layden started one-on-one therapy at Cornerstone. “From day one, I felt completely comfortable with the team working with him and knew he was in good hands,” said Rachelle. “They understood him, and I never had any doubts that he was safe.” He began with 19 points on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP). Almost 7 years later, Layden graduated with 166.5 milestones out of a possible 170!! Upon starting ABA therapy, Layden had little functional communication. He couldn’t express to his family his wants, needs or emotions. When he did start to communicate, he would recite or “script” lines he memorized from movies repetitively. It was often hard for others to understand what he was trying to tell them.

How Layden Improved

Layden is now able to communicate in full sentences and use “Who/What/Where/When” questions on a regular basis! He even gave his own graduation speech and charmed the room with singing songs in the microphone. “I’ll never forget the first time he said, ‘I love you mom’, made his first friend, or spelled his name for the first time,” said Rachelle. “Enrolling Layden at Cornerstone was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Leading up to his transition at school, Layden was able to attend 15- 20-minute sessions with peers in a mock classroom setting with minimal prompts from his one-on-one therapists. Layden was also working on spelling, reading and handwriting. He started using a daily schedule and showed an increase in self-management skills.

Levi’s Story

Where Levi Started

When Levi started at Cornerstone in June of 2020, his imagination and creativity was amazing, but he engaged in scripting for much of the day. He found it aversive when peers were playing in the same room as him and avoided engaging with his therapists, making it challenging for his therapists to gain instructional control. Levi had difficulty ending reinforcement and handing back toys. Transitions from reinforcement often led to refusal. Levi frequently engaged in escape/avoidance behaviors but found it aversive to request a break. His skills were mostly in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, and he demonstrated few skills in Level 2 of the VB-MAPP. His overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment was 39.5 points.

How Levi Improved

By the time Levi graduated from Cornerstone, he was moving away from reinforcement and putting toys away when his therapists asked him to. In addition, Levi was able to engage in reinforcement next to peers and attend a 15-minute group with other children. He sought out the attention of his therapists and other adults and often asked them to join him in play. Levi would functionally communicate with his therapists and peers using full sentences, he communicated his feelings, and asked for a break when prompted to do so. Furthermore, Levi learned many skills during his time at Cornerstone, including reading and writing, and how to complete several daily living skills, such as wiping down tables and sweeping the floor. He was able to follow a daily schedule that included academic work, social skills training, and daily living skills. Levi mastered 117.5 programs from the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment during his time at Cornerstone and achieved a score of 157 out of 170. When asking Levi’s family about their experience, his mom said they have nothing but great things to say about Cornerstone! She continued, “I honestly don’t know where we would be without you guys. You have changed our lives forever, and by helping Levi, you have changed his life for the better. We will miss Cornerstone and his therapists, but I think he is ready for his next big adventure (public school). Again, we can’t thank you guys enough for everything. Keep doing your amazing work.” Levi made incredible progress and was ready to transition to school, but his hilarious stories and antics will be dearly missed by everyone at Cornerstone. We know that Levi will continue to master new skills and teach everyone about his favorite videos and characters when he goes to school!

Liam’s Story

Where Liam Started

Liam started at Cornerstone with 67 points out of 170 points on the VB-MAPP in his first assessment. During lunch, Liam’s therapist made his lunch for him and he would eat very quickly. He could not read or spell, and he worked in short sessions throughout the day.

How Liam Improved

Liam completed and earned all 170 points on the VB-MAPP. He mastered the skills in AFLS to help out at home with chores as well. He can do the dishes, help with laundry, dust and sweep. He can now independently prepare his lunch and has worked hard to control his pace of consumption. Liam is reading at a first-grade level; he can spell over 25 different words and can work for up to 8 minutes in a classroom setting without needing a break. In January 2018 he transitioned back into elementary school. We are so proud of Liam and all of the amazing milestones he has reached!

London’s Story

Where London Started

London and her family started their journey with Cornerstone in September of 2016. London, who was four-years-old at the time, had begun with 23.5 out of the potential 170 milestone points on the VB-MAPP. She had deficits across level one of the assessment, which correlates to the developmental age of a child from 0-18 months. When London first began 1:1 therapy at Cornerstone, communication was a significant challenge for her. At that time, she communicated primarily through pulling people to what she wanted. London often tried to vocalize her needs, but due to her poor articulation skills those around her would have to watch her body language and anticipate her needs. London’s clinical team could tell that she was highly motivated to make friends and socially engage with others, but her interactions with peers had to be prompted. London also required consistent prompting to complete daily living skills, including dressing, brushing her teeth, washing hands and the toileting routine from start to finish. London presented with aversions to wearing jeans, going to the dentist and trying new foods. Within the developmental operant of tacting, London was unable to label any items upon request. In addition, London demonstrated challenges in the area of listener-responding, where she struggled to follow simple instructions, respond to her name when called and make direct eye contact. London’s focus was fleeting, and she could not attend to a toy or book for more than 10-20 seconds. London had many self-stimulatory behaviors, which had set her apart from her peers in the developmental pre-school that she had been attending prior to Cornerstone. London would engage in consistent scripting, and she would perseverate on hoarding specific objects from home and the center. In addition to her self-stimulatory behaviors, London would engage in the maladaptive behaviors of non-compliance, elopement, tantrums, physical aggression and property destruction.

How London Has Improved

On August 2nd, 2019 London graduated from Cornerstone, completing all 170 milestones on the VB-MAPP assessment across levels one, two, and three! In addition to these significant milestone gains, London completed multiple targets across a variety of areas within the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS), such as applied academics, basic communication, classroom mechanics, common knowledge, community knowledge, core academics, dressing, grooming, meals at school, routines and expectations, self-management, social awareness and manners, social skills, and technology. London went from struggling to attend to a toy or book for more than several seconds to working for a minimum of 15 minutes at a time with minimal reinforcement. London conquered her fear of going to the dentist, trying new foods and will fearlessly rock a new pair of jeans without hesitation! Behaviorally, London no longer engages in any types of aggression, tantrum, or property destruction. London has developed self-management tools through her behavior intervention plan and daily reinforcement contingency contract by expressing her emotions or when she needs a break to combat her previous engagements in non-compliance, elopement, and other socially inappropriate behaviors. London grew to become a leader in the pre-school group modeling appropriate behavior and advanced language skills for her peers and has learned to develop friendships with those around her. Watching London’s fun, caring, driven and sassy personality emerge was truly one of the greatest parts of her journey here at Cornerstone. Once a child who became outwardly frustrated due to her inability to socially connect to others, became a social butterfly inviting other children around her to do the same. London is transitioning into 2ndgrade at a nearby elementary school with a love for learning (along with her love of Moana and Princess Tiana)! “London touched many lives here at Cornerstone,” said Stephanie Dille-Huggins, MA, BCBA. “It was an honor and privilege to serve her and her amazing family.” Cornerstone is confident that London will continue to grow and learn with success in the general education classroom setting! Congratulations London!

Maelyn’s Story

Where Maelyn Started

Maelyn began ABA therapy at Cornerstone Autism Center in January 2018. When she started, everyone instantly fell in love with her spunky and energetic personality! She was always on the move and playing with any toys she could get her hands on! Maelyn is hard of hearing and uses spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. During her initial days at Cornerstone, Maelyn scored 24 out of 170 milestone points from the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). She had little to no language and would struggle to attend to things for more than a few seconds.

How Maelyn Improved

Over time, Maelyn developed the skills to ask for the items and activities she wanted using complete sentences in ASL and has increased her interactions with her family, therapists, and friends. Maelyn is still constantly on the move but now spends time playing and talking with her friends and family! Maelyn is graduating from Cornerstone with 164 milestones across the VB-MAPP assessment! Maelyn has mastered over 5,600 targets, including working on different programs to teach her more about Deaf Culture and the Community! We will all miss her but are excited to see what the future holds for her. We know she is going to rule the world one day!

Malachi’s Story

Where Malachi Started

Malachi’s sense of humor is one aspect of his personality that his afternoon therapist, Kenzi, adores. He often plays hide-and-seek with his toys, shrugging his shoulders to pretend he does not know where they went. When he thinks something is funny, such as The Five Little Monkeys song, his entire face will light up with a smile. When Malachi started therapy in 2014, his personality could not shine because he was unable to communicate. He started in level 1 of the VB-MAPP, a behavior assessment. He did not have any consistent signs or verbal language to be able to ask for items. Due to this barrier, Malachi would become upset and often engage in tantrums or self-injurious behaviors. There were also issues during group time. Malachi had a group desensitization program to make group time a less aversive environment to him.

How Malachi Improved

Malachi started imitating ASL signs almost immediately. Malachi now uses over 30 signs consistently to ask for what he wants and to label items. He can also fill-in-the-blank with different songs and phrases. Malachi can pair sounds with his signs, usually attempting a vocal approximation of the entire word. One of the first words Kenzi heard Malachi say was “bubble” when they were playing with the bubble machine. “He can express what he’s feeling, and he doesn’t have to internalize everything,” said Kenzi. “It has really helped his family to understand what he wants and what he needs because he can ask for things now.” With the increase of his signs and vocals, his tantrums and self-injurious behaviors have significantly decreased in intensity and duration. Malachi would also put his hands or fingers in his mouth when he would become upset – which used to happen nine times a day on average – but now this behavior has been less than one instance per day. Not only will Malachi use signs and vocal approximations to tell people what he wants, but he also uses them as a way to interact with others. Malachi uses a specific sign every time he sees his therapists or his clinical coordinator. For Kenzi, the sign he uses every time he sees her is “swing” because it is his favorite activity to do with her. He associates the sign “monkeys” with group time because he remembers that they do the motions to the song The Five Little Monkeys. Group is no longer an issue for Malachi – he now looks forward to interacting with his peers. “I feel like Malachi is at a stage in his progress where he has become a little signing sponge,” said Stephanie Dille, BCBA and Sign Language Coordinator. “You can constantly look into his eyes and see the wheels turning, especially when he’s seeking the sign for a specific item, object or activity. I am so excited to be a part of his progress.”

Melanie’s Story

Where Melanie Started

“Melanie is the perfect mix of superhero and princess,” said Amanda Badger, Team Lead and MA. “She is full of energy and loves taking selfie videos to display her charismatic personality.” When Melanie first started at Cornerstone, she would not wear her jacket, shoes and socks. She wore noise canceling headphones every day and avoided crowded rooms. She was consistently on the move and could only handle a small set of demands prior to reinforcement. Socially, Melanie rarely made eye contact with others and did not enjoy parallel play with peers.

How Melanie Improved

Currently, Melanie will independently put on her jacket, shoes, and socks without engaging in any maladaptive behaviors. She follows a full day “mock” school schedule, where she works on tasks for an average of 20 minutes before reinforcement. Melanie independently mands. She also responds to her peers and consistently makes eye contact with others. “We will miss her giggles, big hugs, and the joy she brings to any room she enters,” said Amanda. “We are incredibly proud of Melanie and very excited to watch her blossom at school.”

Mia’s Story

Where Mia Started

When Mia first started at Cornerstone in 2016, she had 19 out of 170 measurable milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Mia struggled to request her wants and needs. She would communicate by pulling adults towards items of interest or engage in problem behaviors. She had limited functional living skills and little interest in engaging with those around her.

How Mia Improved

Over the past five years at Cornerstone, Mia gained 105 measurable milestones across the VB-MAPP assessment. She expanded her ability to communicate using three-word sentences. Her motivation to interact with others increased as she can now express her needs and can respond to the requests of others. She recently began working on the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to better prepare for school and improve functional living skills. “Mia made great progress during her time at Cornerstone and will be greatly missed!” Charlotte Williamson, BCBA.

Michael’s Story

Where Michael Started

Michael’s family began their Cornerstone journey in August of 2017. When Michael began therapy, he had a limited vocabulary and struggled to communicate his wants and needs with others. He was unable to make eye contact with other people other than his parents, and his social skills were extremely limited. He exhibited physical aggression and tantrum behaviors multiple times per day and had a hard time sharing with others. Michael was unable to complete self-help skills independently like toileting, dressing or brushing his teeth. Michael’s therapist, Stephen, shares what he loves most about Michael’s personality: “Michael is such an inquisitive little guy–wanting to know how and why everything happens,” said Stephen Bohney, ABA Therapist. “I loved our conversations about everything from the topics of vampires to gravity. Once something was explained to the furthest extent, then he would voice his concern of his head being too large as a result of ‘all the knowledge!’”

How Michael Improved

Michael graduated from Cornerstone at the beginning of August 2020. Michael is now able to communicate with others by sharing his wants and needs using full sentences. He asks others questions using “how” and “why” to ask in-depth questions about the world around him. Michael enjoys telling imaginative stories about the games he likes to play. Michael now actively seeks out social interaction with others, especially peers, and enjoys imaginative play as well as being silly. He has mastered 170 out of 170 points in the VB-MAPP, along with other AFLS goals such as independent dressing like adjusting clothes as needed and putting on a shirt right-side out. Michael can also independently brush his teeth, and he can tie his shoes without physical prompts. “Michael encourages your imagination and has the most contagious laughter, which I will miss so much,” said Sabrina McCarty, ABA Therapist. “His ability to share his feelings and carry a conversation blew me away everyday. I know he will grow to do amazing things.”

Mustafa’s Story

Where Mustafa Started

Mustafa began attending Cornerstone Autism Center on January 5, 2015. Upon arrival, he had a significant fear of unfamiliar adults and would spend hours engaging in tantrums and noncompliance. He would often elope as well to gain access to things that he wanted and to escape situations that he found undesirable. After becoming familiar and well paired with his two therapists, he was able to start progressing through the VB-MAPP assessment. A stranger desensitization program was initially implemented to help with generalization. Mustafa worked primarily within the Level 1 of the VB-MAPP when he started at Cornerstone. Mustafa’s greatest areas of deficit fell within his conversation skills, ability to mand for items or activities, echoics, and labeling items.

How Mustafa Improved

Mustafa made significant leaps during the summer and fall of 2015, mastering out of most milestones within Level 1 and 2 of the VBMAPP. Mustafa started showing interest in his peers by initiating conversation and social engagement with them. His spontaneous language significantly improved as well. Mustafa worked on a vacuum desensitization program, which later allowed his mother to vacuum their home without Mustafa engaging in tantrums and self-stimulatory behaviors. During the spring of 2017, Mustafa started reading in Headsprout, working on his counting skills, and writing letters and numbers. Mustafa started attending a part-day program at a local elementary, and he thrived! His teacher reported that Mustafa was more advanced academically than his same aged peers. Mustafa graduated on January 26, 2018. We will miss his contagious smile, but we are so proud of all of his accomplishments!

Nickolas’ Story

Where Nickolas Started

When Nickolas first started at Cornerstone, he engaged in continuous property destruction, elopement, and physical aggression several times a day. Program sessions only lasted three minutes and he did not spend time in the classroom.

How Nickolas Improved

Nickolas spends the majority of his day in the classroom and will work for 30 minutes before reinforcement. He has mastered all targets from the VB-MAPP and at least 90% of the AFLS school assessment. Nickolas independently uses a self-management app during his entire first shift and only requires gestural prompts to stay on task. When he is frustrated, he independently uses functional communication and coping strategies to calm himself down. He has transitioned back to school in January 2018. Since starting school, Nick has had zero behaviors and is being mainstreamed for specials, recess, lunch, and math! His teacher assisted with his behaviors at school prior to him coming to Cornerstone and told us she is amazed at his progress. She said his self-management skills and awareness are way more evident and he is doing so well with all of his academics and social settings! Go Nick!!

Noah’s Story

Where Noah Started

When Noah started therapy at Cornerstone in August 2019, at three years old, he had 35 of the 170 milestones in the VB-MAPP Assessment. Before attending Cornerstone, Noah went to a daycare here his mother received calls multiple times a week due to his maladaptive behaviors. Noah engaged in those behaviors to express his wants and needs at the time. Noah’s mother sought Cornerstone to increase his social skills, address his language and communication deficits, and reduce maladaptive behaviors.

How Noah Improved

During his time here, Noah has developed skills to talk about his emotions, appropriately play and share with peers, and wait for his turn. Fine motor skills presented as a challenge for Noah, but he is now buttoning his pants on his own and writing all the lowercase and uppercase letters with ease. Noah was not toilet trained before attending Cornerstone and over the last year he has accomplished that goal. In the last two years with Cornerstone, Noah learned new skills and developed many relationships with those around him. He has blown us away with his ability to count, read, and solve advanced math problems. Noah graduated in May 2021 with 135 VB-MAPP Milestones and numerous points from the AFLS assessment. “We are so excited to hear about the amazing things Noah does at his new school. He is going to blow them away, just like he has us.”, said his BCBA, Madison Morris.

Nolan’s Story

Where Nolan Started

When Nolan started therapy in January 2019 at age three, he had 15 out of 170 milestone points on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP). He graduated from therapy on December 15th, 2020 with 158 milestones. When Nolan first started, he wasn’t able to communicate his wants and needs. Nolan was only able to emit word approximations. Nolan did not interact with his peers and made minimal eye contact.

How Nolan Improved

Nolan graduated in December 2020. He was working through Level 3 of the VB-MAPP and had gained 158 out of 170 milestones at the time of his graduation. Nolan will now communicate using full sentences to express his wants and needs, he engages in social play with peers, and he is able answer questions after being read a short passage from a book. Nolan began working on skills from the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to better prepare him for a transition to school. He mastered programs such as writing and typing his name, writing letters, and stating his phone number and address. “We just want to thank everyone at Cornerstone,” said Nolan’s mom, Jessica. “We’ve always felt welcome since the first visit to tour the facility. Nolan has come so far in the almost 2 years he was there. He didn’t even talk when he started and now he doesn’t stop talking. He can now communicate his needs and wants, stays within a safe distance from an adult at all times, is fully potty trained, and loves playing with his family/friends. He has come out of his shell, for sure. We are forever in debt to all of you.” When Nolan started talking, he began to interact with peers frequently and Nolan quickly became a social butterfly! He was always willing and ready to play a game with any friend. We will miss his joyful personality! Nolan transitioned into a preschool setting with his twin sister after his graduation from Cornerstone Autism Center. “Nolan is going to excel in preschool,” said Macy Smith, MA, BCBA. “He worked incredibly hard each day at Cornerstone to be able to be with his twin sister at school. We are so excited for his bright future!”

Olivia’s Story

Where Olivia Started

When Olivia started at Cornerstone on August 27, 2018, she was eager to learn but struggled with discrimination and required physical prompting to complete many tasks. Olivia displayed many vocals but had very limited functional communication. Olivia often had tantrums for a long duration and struggled to communicate her wants and needs. She gained a few mands through American Sign Language and started using a picture exchange system to further her manding abilities. Olivia enjoyed engaging with a variety of reinforcers, especially looking at books, but she had difficulty transitioning from reinforcement. In addition, she sought physical play from her therapists and engaged in parallel play with her peers.

However, she found group work to be aversive and required a group desensitization program to increase her tolerance of completing group activities. Olivia only tolerated complying with a few instructions at a time and often engaged in self-injury or physical aggression when completing programming or asked to transition to a different setting. Her skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 14 points at the time of her initial assessment.

How Olivia Improved

By the time Olivia graduated from Cornerstone, she demonstrated the ability to spontaneously mand for a variety of reinforcers, actions, and missing items via her picture exchange system. She was able to transition from reinforcement to programming with the aid of a visual in the absence of maladaptive behaviors. She also gained many self-management skills and would ask for a break when desired. Olivia continued her love of books and expanded her play skills by engaging with playground equipment and cause-and-effect toys. She also gained many classroom skills, such as gluing papers together, and was able to attend and participate in a classroom group for the entire group time of 10 minutes. She worked on other programming for an average of four minutes before receiving reinforcement and consistently demonstrated skills across all operants of the VB-MAPP without prompting. In addition, she greatly Improved her discrimination skills through listener-responding programming with pictures and in the natural environment. Her overall score was 61 on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment when she transitioned from Cornerstone. Olivia’s clinical team is proud of Olivia for working so hard to gain the skills needed to communicate and self-manage her behaviors effectively. Kayla Helms, Olivia’s BCBA, said, “It has been an incredible joy to watch Olivia’s progress over the years. I will miss hearing her happily playing and having her reach her arm out as I walk by to request some tickles and share a smile. I am excited to hear about the new things Olivia learns in the school setting with her peers!”

Orin’s Story

Where Orin Started

When Orin started at Cornerstone, he was engaging in both elopement and non-compliant behaviors, lasting upwards of 45 minutes. When Orin heard loud noises from peers, he would instantly attempt to run towards them and away from his therapist. Orin started on level two of the VB-MAPP and only worked for one minute before needing a form of reinforcement.

How Orin Improved

By the time Orin graduated, he had completed 157 out of 170 goals on the Verbal Behavior Assessment (VB-MAPP) and mastered a number of life skills from the AFLS assessment, such as doing the laundry, washing dishes, as well as a number of grooming skills to help him be more independent at home. Orin learned how to use functional communication to gain attention from his peers and no longer ran away from his therapist. Orin rarely engaged in non-compliance and when he did the behaviors only lasted an average of 3 to 5 minutes. Orin was able to work for 10 minutes sessions without needing reinforcement and worked independently in social and group settings. “We wanted to share our thanks to everyone at Cornerstone for the wonderful experience Orin had there,” said one of Orin’s parents. “You guys are amazing!” “Orin was able to accomplish so much at Cornerstone in the time that he was here,” said Team Lead Jake Paquette. “I was able to watch Orin grow, learn, and truly form friendships with peers around him. I am so excited for him, and I am looking forward to hearing how he’s doing at his new school.”

Peyton’s Story

Where Peyton Started

When Peyton started at Cornerstone in August of 2018, he had a contagious laugh that everyone now misses. He was motivated to communicate and tried hard to echo others to build his communication abilities. He also attempted to convey his wants and needs through signs/gestures but had limited language skills. Peyton only tolerated working on programming for short periods and had an initial schedule of reinforcement of 30 seconds. At that time, he could not work on academic tasks and, instead, focused on building foundational skills that would set the stage for academic success. Peyton initially would not respond to his name or engage in parallel play with peers. In addition, Peyton was energetic and loved going around the center to see his favorite things, which often led to elopement from his therapists. Furthermore, Peyton had limited interest in playing with toys or using playground equipment. He enjoyed watching the microwaves count down, flipping light switches on and off, and watching timers count down. Peyton’s skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 11.5 points.

How Peyton Improved

By the time Peyton graduated from Cornerstone, his communication abilities had flourished with his AAC device. He could use complete sentences, including adjectives, to ask for things he wanted or to label things in the environment. He could also follow a daily academic schedule and comprehensive programming for 20 minutes before gaining access to reinforcement. Peyton would follow complex instructions with at least three steps and engage in pretend social play with peers for at least five minutes. He also engaged in a low frequency of elopement, averaging less than one time per day. Peyton appropriately walked with his therapists and asked before leaving the area. In addition, Peyton chose a variety of age-appropriate reinforcers, such as swinging and playing games, and he calmly selected a new activity if those options were not available. Peyton mastered 135.5 programs from the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment during his time at Cornerstone and achieved a score of 147 out of 170. Peyton made incredible progress across areas that will aid him academically at school and increase his autonomy at home and in the community. He learned to write his name and read several words. He also completed many daily living skills independently, such as finishing his toileting routine, unloading the dishwasher and putting the dishes away, and folding laundry. It was extraordinary watching Peyton learn to communicate and gain new skills. We know Peyton will blow everyone away at school, and we will miss him!

Rachel’s Story

Where Rachel Started

Rachel started attending therapy at Cornerstone in August of 2018. When Rachel first started at Cornerstone, she wasn’t interested in many social interactions with her peers, and her scheduled group time often led to behaviors. Rachel also often engaged in maladaptive behaviors to avoid brushing her hair and completing other self-help routines. Rachel had frequent maladaptive behaviors when she became upset and didn’t know how to cope with her emotions.

How Rachel Improved

After receiving ABA therapy at Cornerstone, Rachel began choosing to play with her peers and was in our transitional classroom for most of the day without engaging in any major disruptive behaviors. Rachel has even joined a dance class and loves showing her new moves to her friends! She can also now fully complete a morning routine that involves washing her face, brushing her hair, and brushing her teeth independently and without behaviors. She can also apply “Superflexible Thinking” to challenging situations to help manage her emotions and work through difficult situations that come up in daily life. “We are so proud of Rachel for all of the progress she has made in such a short time and are so excited for her to continue to grow and learn at school. We have never met a little girl with such a big imagination. We will miss her sweet smile and laughter so much,” said Victoria Good, MA, BCBA. Rachel will start kindergarten this year, and we know she will thrive in her this new chapter of her story!

Reece’s Story

Where Reece Started

When Reece started at Cornerstone, he began in the lower level 2 of the Verbal Behavior Assessment (VB-MAPP). Reece had difficulty with manding, group skills, imitation skills, social skills, and listener-responding based of feature, function, and class. Reece struggled with attending group settings. He had many food aversions when he first started therapy at Cornerstone. In addition, Reece had significant problems in daily life skills.

How Reece Improved

Reece spent the past year at Cornerstone working on many skills! We watched him flourish into such a funny, creative, and caring kiddo. He worked hard every day and mastered many skills from riding a bike, to attending groups for 30 minutes, to eating vegetables, to making a bed, to sharing his toys and starting conversations with peers! Reece finished in level 3 of the VB-MAPP! He made a full transition to 1st grade and we could not be more proud of Reece. We feel so lucky to have been graced with Reece’s smile each and every day!

Ren’s Story

Where Ren Started

When Ren started at Cornerstone on June 3, 2019, he was curious and creative but did not yet know how to communicate. During his initial assessment, he was able to point to request to go and emit vocal approximations for two activities with echoic prompts. however, he struggled with articulation and was limited in his motor abilities. He initially communicated with American Sign Language paired with vocal approximations. Ren was interested in playing near and following or imitating other children but struggled to share toys with them. Furthermore, joining group activities was very aversive for Ren. He was a messy eater and refused to use utensils during mealtimes. Ren engaged in maladaptive behaviors frequently throughout the day, and they were often long in duration. Ren frequently took his shoes off and engaged in maladaptive behaviors when prompted to put them back on. His skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, with an overall score on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment of 18.5 points at the time of his initial assessment.

How Ren Improved

By the time Ren graduated from Cornerstone, he was able to vocally mand using three-to-five-word sentences, and his articulation had greatly improved. Although Ren was sometimes frustrated when working on programming, he was able to self-monitor his behaviors and was motivated to complete his programming tasks. Through his participation in desensitization programs, Ren gained the ability to calmly wear his shoes all day and attend group with his peers for at least 10 minutes at a time. Ren’s motor skills were strong, and he quickly learned to use utensils during mealtimes and complete many mealtime skills independently, such as microwaving his food for an appropriate amount of time, placing his plate and utensils in the dishwasher, and cleaning the table. Ren gained many social skills, as well, and would often spontaneously offer toys and other reinforcers to his peers. As Ren’s functional skills increased, his maladaptive behaviors decreased. His overall score was 130.5 on the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment when he transitioned from Cornerstone. The staff at Cornerstone are blown away by all that Ren accomplished over the last four years. They are excited to hear about Ren’s success as he transitions to school. We know that he will continue to acquire new skills, while having fun along the way. Good luck, Ren!

Reuben’s Story

Where Reuben Started

When Reuben first began ABA therapy at Cornerstone in February 2018, he initially scored a 14 out of the 170 measurable milestones on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) Assessment. Reuben had a difficult time effectively communicating his wants and needs and had a limited ASL sign repertoire when he first started services. Prior to Cornerstone, Reuben would often engage in problem behaviors such as tantrum and physical aggression. During his time at Cornerstone, Reuben expanded on his ASL sign repertoire, used an AAC device, and began vocally communicating in full sentences.

How Reuben Has Improved

Reuben graduated from Cornerstone with 165 milestones on the VB-MAPP Assessment. In addition, he had social interactions with his peers to better prepare him for school. Reuben began working on the Assessment for Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to better prepare him for a classroom setting. Reuben is now able to effectively communicate his wants and needs, attend social settings for 30 minutes, follow multi-component directions, assist with a variety of household chores, heat up his lunch, and independently work on several self-care tasks such as brushing his teeth, flossing, and washing his face. “We are so proud of all of Reuben’s hard work,” said Megan Prickel, Board Certified Behavior Analyst. “We will miss his smile and sense of humor. We wish him the best at school!”

River’s Story

Where River Started

River started at Cornerstone Autism Center back in December of 2019. “I remember on River’s first day, his backpack was three times the size that he was,” said Team Lead, Kathleen Leahy. “He could have fit inside it!” River used an AAC Device (Augmentative Alternative Communication) to communicate. He started at Cornerstone with only 19 VB-MAPP milestone points. Previously, he was dependent on adult assistance to complete self-help tasks. River also engaged in the behaviors of physical aggression, elopement, tantrum, and task refusal to escape demands placed by adults. He could only tolerate responding to a handful of instructions at a time.

How River Has Improved

With dedication from River’s team and over a year of receiving ABA therapy, River learned to use his voice by speaking full sentences to communicate his wants and needs. River now uses his voice to talk to his peers and has become quite the popular guy. “River is a social butterfly. He is the life of the party,” said BCBA Victoria Oliver. “Everyone always wants to play with River. He has also made significant progress across both the VB-MAPP and AFLS assessments. River graduated with 151.5 out of 170 total milestone points! He can now independently tie his own shoes, rinse dishes after a meal, and complete the toileting routine on his own. Prior to his graduation, River could sit for 15-minute intervals at a desk, raise his hand to answer questions, and complete worksheets. River made so much progress over his time at Cornerstone! His silly personality and incredible imagination will be greatly missed. We wish him the best of luck on his new adventure!

Ryleigh’s Story

Where Ryleigh Began

Ryleigh began her journey at Cornerstone Autism Center in June of 2015. When Ryleigh first started at Cornerstone, she exhibited several target behaviors including mouthing, property destruction, non-compliance, elopement, and tantrum. Ryleigh had a total VBMAPP milestone assessment score of 13.5 points out of 170. She had limited functional communication and had a variety of triggers to target behaviors including denied access, and escape from aversive tasks and activities.

How Ryleigh Improved

When Ryleigh graduated from Cornerstone, she had an overall score of 160.5 out of 170 milestone points on the VB-MAPP assessment, with a total growth of 147 points. Ryleigh can mand for others to attend to her, communicate functionally, engage in social play activities with peers without adult prompts, and sit in a group for 20 minutes with her peers without engaging in disruptive behaviors. Furthermore, Ryleigh mastered several skills from the AFLS assessment to increase her independence across areas such as self-help and daily living skills, core academics, mealtime skills, routines and expectations, and classroom mechanics. Additionally, Ryleigh has a total listener repertoire of 1,200 words, can copy all 26 upper and lowercase letters, and can match a written number to a quantity and a quantity to a written number. We are all so proud of how far Ryleigh has come! “Every single day at Cornerstone, you would be able to find Ryleigh in the art room. If you have ever had the pleasure of working with and knowing Ryleigh, you would find her crafting and drawing SpongeBob characters or dressing up in costumes regularly. Ryleigh has never lost her creativity and that creativity, along with Ryleigh’s bubbly personality, is something that will be missed by all our staff here at Cornerstone. We are certain she will continue to thrive in all that she will do in the future.” – Kelli Russell, BCBA

Sammy’s Story

Where Sammy Started

When Sam started at Cornerstone, he had many great qualities already – the ability to build or repair different items, his sense of humor, and his huge heart. When arriving at Cornerstone, he did struggle with daily living skills, such as dressing, showering, and brushing his teeth. His speech was difficult to understand, and Sam frequently had lengthy tantrums at home.

How Sammy Improved

While at Cornerstone, Sam mastered a multitude of targets in the areas of dishwashing, clothing and laundry, dressing, grooming, and technology. Sam also completed level 1 and level 2 of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) and most of level 3. He worked hard to improve significantly in the areas of classroom skills and appropriate social skills as well. Sam gained the ability to talk through issues that were upsetting to him instead of engaging in maladaptive behavior. The quality that has remained with Sam the entire time he’s been at Cornerstone is his incredibly kind heart. We know Sam will do excellent at school and wish him all the best in the future.

Samyle’s Story

Where Samyle Started

Samyle started his time at Cornerstone working in level two of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP). He came in with elopement behaviors and other attention-seeking behaviors. He struggled to express his feelings and his wants and needs appropriately, interacting with his peers, and staying with his therapists.

How Samyle Improved

When Samyle graduated, he had mastered 170 out of 170 goals in the VB-MAPP. He was able to work for over four minutes without maladaptive behaviors. He began working on basic school skills such as writing sentences, writing his name and numbers, and identifying parts of speech. Samyle can now independently hold a conversation with his peers, express his feelings and his wants and needs independently, and stays with his therapists! “I am so proud of all that Samyle has accomplished here at Cornerstone. It was great to be a part of his growth. He is going to do so well at his new school!” Rachel Moon, MA, BCBA

Sophia’s Story

Where Sophia Started

When Sophia started at Cornerstone in August of 2017, she used gestures and a few signs to communicate her wants and needs. She had difficulty transitioning away from reinforcement and often engaged in physical aggression if it was removed or if she was required to wait to gain access to preferred activities. She was not yet toilet trained, required her food to be arranged for her on her plate during mealtimes, and found toothbrushing to be very aversive. Sophia also engaged in refusal when attending a group with her peers. Her skills were in Level 1 of the VB-MAPP, and she had 14.5 milestone points out of 170 on the Milestones Assessment. In addition, she only tolerated working on a few programming tasks before receiving reinforcement.

How Sophia Improved

When Sophia graduated from Cornerstone, she could speak in sentences using her AAC device to request items/activities, discuss her interests, and share her feelings. She would calmly hand reinforcers to her therapists when it was time to transition and appropriately waited for items/activities when they were in use by others. The frequency of Sophia’s physical aggression reduced dramatically, as well. Sophia was toilet trained and demonstrated the ability to brush her teeth calmly. She was even able to complete most of the steps of toothbrushing on her own. In addition, Sophia can now independently select food items and set up her meal on a plate without prompting. She can clean up all meal-related trash and put away all of her food items at the end of the meal. She can even take her dishes to the sink and wash them without assistance. Sophia mastered 105 programs from the VB-MAPP Milestones Assessment during her time at Cornerstone and scored 119.5 out of 170. Sophia followed a daily schedule that included academic work and daily living skills. She attended a 15-minute classroom group twice a day with peers and completed other programming tasks for an average of nine minutes before gaining access to reinforcement. Sophia is ready for her next adventure, but we will miss her at Cornerstone! When asking staff members what words came to mind when thinking about Sophia, they said: adventurous, independent, hard-working, fearless, determined, and extraordinary. Kayla Helms, Sophia’s BCBA, said, “Sophia is one-of-a-kind! She was a joy to work with and had the most infectious smile. It was amazing to watch her communication skills grow. I know that she will blow everyone away at school with her ability to learn new tasks. I hope she never loses her spunk or her amazing dance moves!

Sora’s Story

Where Sora Started

When Sora first started ABA therapy at Cornerstone Autism Center in July 2016. In the beginning, everyone immediately fell in love with his sassy personality! Sora is Deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. When he started at Cornerstone, Sora scored 14 out of 170 milestones from the (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VB-MAPP). He could not request his wants and needs and often pulled mom towards the things he wanted.

How Sora Improved

Sora is the second deaf client to graduate from Cornerstone and transition to school! Sora is graduating from Cornerstone with 157 milestones across the VB-MAPP assessment! Sora has developed the skills to ask for the items and activities he wants using complete sentences in ASL and has increased his interaction with his friends! While at Cornerstone, he mastered over 7,000 targets, including working on different programs to teach him more about Deaf culture and the community! We will all miss him but are so excited for Sora to start school and know he will do big things!

Taegan’s Story

Where Taegan Started

When Taegan started at Cornerstone in 2018, she had 39 of the measurable milestones across the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Additionally, she was unable to effectively communicate her wants and needs, and vocal stereotypy made conversations difficult. Before beginning therapy, she displayed problem behaviors such as physical aggression and tantrums. Taegan had few self-help skills and required assistance with dressing, personal hygiene and bathroom independence.

How Taegan Improved

After three years at Cornerstone, Taegan graduated with all 170 measurable milestones outlined in the VB-MAPP assessment, and she accomplished over 40% of the goals from the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). Taegan’s social skills flourished, and she made many different friends among her peers. One of her friends wrote her a card on her graduation day that said, “We will miss you!” Tasks that were once difficult for Taegan are now done independently! She is able to dress herself and use the restroom without assistance. In addition, she now independently creates her own daily schedule to keep track of her day. Taegan is able to focus on tasks for over four minutes without engaging in vocal stereotypy! “Taegan has the most infectious and beaming personality,” said Haley Sanders, MA, BCBA. “We will miss her sweet greetings and ability to put a smile on anyone’s face. We are so excited for what’s in store next for her, and we are beyond proud of the amazing young lady that she has become!”

Thomas’ Story

Where Thomas Started

When Thomas began therapy at Cornerstone, he struggled to communicate with others. He would often use three-word utterances, grunt, and gesture toward items of interest. Along with communication barriers, social skills were an area behind others. Thomas showed little interest in peers and would often engage in activities by himself. He did not independently initiate interactions with others. Another area that Thomas struggled with was his ability to eat. He would eat a minimal variety of foods and struggled to sit at the table for extended periods. Thomas came in with noncompliance, tantrum, elopement (especially in parking lots), throwing objects, and had difficulty transitioning from one activity to another. Over time, his therapists worked diligently on his ability to mand with complete sentences, emphasizing enunciation and intentional communication.

How Thomas Improved

Since beginning at Cornerstone in August 2020, Thomas has made incredible gains across all areas of the VB-MAPP assessment. Upon graduation, his most important skill areas were manding, play, echoics, and linguistics. These were all areas where Thomas struggled the most when he first came to us. Thomas now mands in complete sentences to convey his wants, needs, and desires. He spontaneously engages in reciprocal conversation and even initiates conversation with others. He also participates in peer play without adult prompts and can maintain relationships with friends. In addition to attending feeding therapy and food desensitization programs, Thomas can sit at the table with his family and enjoy a meal. He eats and often prefers a wide range of different foods like chicken, pizza, fruit, and yogurt. In addition, Thomas can feed himself using various utensils. At graduation, his maladaptive behaviors had improved immensely. We no longer tracked elopement, throwing, or tantrums, and his engagement in noncompliance was near zero throughout the day. Thomas and his family have made such an impact on our hearts here at Cornerstone. We are so excited and happy to know he has made such remarkable strides and is now attending pre-school. We know Thomas will be a rockstar at school, and we can’t wait to hear all of the updates about what he learns and the friends he makes. We are so proud of everything he has accomplished.

Tito’s Story

Where Tito Started

When Tito started therapy at Cornerstone in September 2014 at two years old, he had 8 out of the 170 milestones in the VB-MAPP Assessment. Tito was unable to communicate his wants and needs — instead he used maladaptive behaviors as his language and communication skills. He showed little interest in others and struggled with eye contact and engagement with typical toys.

How Tito Improved

Tito first started learning and communicating through American Sign Language. Slowly, he started increasing his vocal communication to express his wants and needs. Over the course of five years with Cornerstone, Tito learned new skills and developed many relationships with those around him. He has blown us away with his knowledge of cars, letters, and his love for cleaning. “It has been amazing to watch Tito grow from a small child with limited communication and very few interests in others, to a bright young man with such a comical personality and a variety of friends,” said Board Certified Behavior Analyst Angie Robbins. “The attention to detail he has for cars and blocks is amazing. He makes everyone smile and is such a joy to be around!” Tito graduated in November 2019 with 125.5 VB-MAPP Milestones and numerous points from the AFLS assessment. Prior to graduating, Tito was able to speak in full sentences, read, write, and would consistently seek out peers to play with him on his own. We are so excited to hear about the amazing things Tito does at his new school. He is going to have so much fun!

Tucker’s Story

Where Tucker Started

Some of those who worked closely with Tucker would describe him as happy, sweet, full of personality, and spontaneous! When Tucker first started at Cornerstone in July 2015, it was hard for him to communicate his wants and needs, he had a challenging time following directions from others, and often used problem behaviors to communicate.

How Tucker Improved

Since starting at Cornerstone, Tucker has made incredible progress! Now Tucker can communicate with others using multiple word phrases to express his wants and needs, attends a classroom group setting where he was able to follow directions from other adults and peers, and works on reading, writing, and technology skills. We are so excited for Tucker’s next adventure at school and can’t wait to hear about the amazing things he does in the future!

Valentino’s Story

Where Valentino Started

Using his imagination, Valentino tip toes around the center, trying to not be seen. He hides with his therapists and calls himself a “secret ninja.” When Valentino started a year ago, he was unable to communicate like this to his therapists and friends. He struggled to communicate his basic wants, needs or frustrations. Valentino would try to communicate his needs through aggressive behaviors. His therapists and leads were tracking physical aggression and property destruction the majority of the day. He started in primarily level 1 of the VB-MAPP.

How Valentino Improved

“Valentino has blossomed into a new kid,” said Hailey Guidi, BCBA. “He is happy, and he loves playing with his friends at the center. He thrives on joking with the grown-ups too!” Cornerstone developed a behavior plan that allows some control over the amount of reinforcement he receives – the better and faster he works, the more time he gets with desired items. This intervention has greatly impacted his progress and reduced his behaviors Now that he can communicate when he is frustrated, he is able to interact with others in a positive way. Valentino is very motivated to play with his friends. He can also go out in public more easily with his mom now. His therapists said he has a great sense of humor and big imagination. He is now in level 3 of the VB-MAPP. His growing vocabulary and language impresses and inspires me every day,” said therapist Kathryn Kintner. “His progress makes me feel honored we are able to be a part of that.”

Waylon’s Story

Where Waylon Started

Waylon began therapy at Cornerstone in June 2016 when he was only eight years old. He is now 13 years old and has grown so much! When Waylon began therapy at Cornerstone, he had only mastered 8 out of 170 Milestone skills on the VB-MAPP assessment. He struggled with manding, tacting, listener responding, motor imitation, and echoic skills. Waylon required prompting when completing self-help tasks such as using the bathroom, brushing teeth, washing hands, dressing, and mealtime skills. He engaged in frequent maladaptive behaviors that served as his main form of communication.

How Waylon Improved

Waylon graduated from Cornerstone Autism Center on February 17, 2022. He is now attending middle school. Since starting at Cornerstone, Waylon completed 99 out of 170 Milestones skills from the VB-MAPP. In addition to this, Waylon achieved many targets across the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) to prepare him to transition into a school setting. He is now manding with complete sentences and can express his wants and needs. We are so proud of the progress Waylon has made since attending Cornerstone!

Wes’ Story

Where Wes Started

When Wes first started therapy at Cornerstone, he had limited vocals and rarely engaged with other children or adults. His mom explained that she noticed how he always played alone. Wes struggled with transitions from preferred activities, and he did not have the ability to request the items that he wanted or needed. “From the first day, there was never a time Wes didn’t want to go to Cornerstone,” said Jill, Wes’ mom. “That alone said something to me. He just loved being there and loved every therapist he had as though they were family.”

How Wes Improved

Over his time at Cornerstone, Wes’ main reinforcer was having his peers or others around him. He loved to hold conversations with others about what they liked to do and would ask questions to carry on the conversation. “It was truly an honor and joy to have Wes on my team,” said Erica Bushnell, MA, BCBA. “He will always hold a special place in my heart and has taught me more than I can even explain. The room would light up the minute Wes walked in and he is loved by so many!” Wes showed great improvement with his social skills and his group skills. He could sit in a group for 20 minutes with five other children and would respond to questions from the teacher. “Cornerstone helped Wes get more than just prepared for Kindergarten,” said Jill. “They got him excited. They built his confidence. And he is succeeding and doing great!” Wes also showed progress with expressing his feelings. He would communicate with his therapists when he needed a break or needed help with a task. We also saw a huge decease in his target behaviors! Since graduation, Wes has transitioned into a school setting. Erica and everyone on his team believes in Wes and that he will excel at everything he does in life. “Wes & I drove past Cornerstone last week on our way home from an appointment. I said, ‘Wes, look there’s Cornerstone!’ I looked back at him because he didn’t say anything. Which was not like him. He was smiling this amazing grin and I could see his mind running through happy memories. It was the sweetest look of joy. He finally said, ‘Hi friends.’ Then, ‘I love you Mommy.’ It made me feel like everything was exactly as it should be.”

Wesley’s Story

Where Wesley Started

When Wesley first started at Cornerstone, he had difficulty expressing himself to his peers as well as to his therapists. He was not able to request preferred items or activities and would often engage in tantrums or noncompliance for very long periods of time instead of using appropriate communication. On occasion, episodes of these behaviors would last several hours. His family struggled to take him out to public places and into the community due to these lengthy and difficult behaviors. “Wesley’s therapists lovingly and patiently worked with him day after day,” said David Tilford. “Even at his worst, his therapists would work through the behaviors and joyfully do it all again the following day.” Wesley also had difficulty completing tasks without frequent access to reinforcement. He would often elope from his therapist in order to escape the programming session. Wesley had very limited interest in his peers. He would prefer to play alone and struggled to communicate with those around him in a functional way.

How Wesley Improved

Three years later not only can Wesley communicate how he feels or what he wants, he can even sing it! His favorite song to sing is Respect by Aretha Franklin. According to BCBAs Angie Robbins and Erica Bushnell, Wesley has gained great functional communication abilities, self-management skills and so many friendships, all while increasing his ability to transition from activity to activity more easily and reducing challenging behaviors. “God is truly at work in Cornerstone Autism Center,” said Deborah Tilford. “Wesley’s therapists went above and beyond our expectations. We are forever grateful to each and every one of them. They are our Cornerstone family!” Wesley accomplished all 170 Milestones from the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VB-MAPP) assessment and numerous Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) prior to graduating in December 2019. He can add and subtract, read and write, and even share his toys with other peers regularly. You can often find Wesley singing, dancing, and theatrically reenacting videos during any part of the day, all while putting a smile on everyone’s face. “His energetic and contagious personality makes everyone smile and we will miss him dearly as he goes to school,” said BCBA Erica Bushnell. Wesley has made leaps and bounds, especially throughout his time at Cornerstone. We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with him. We can’t wait to see all that he achieves in school. After his first day of school, Wesley’s mom shared with us that the day went very smoothly, and he did a great job with the transition! “We know he will change the lives of his teachers and classmates forever, just as he has ours,” said BCBA Angie Robbins “He will be missed!”

Will’s Story

Where Will Started

During Will’s time at Cornerstone, he has increased his functional communication skills, his ability to work independently, gained several developmental skills and decreased his maladaptive behaviors.

How Will Improved

Will is now able to communicate his feelings rather than tantrum or aggress when he needs a break or is denied access to a preferred activity. His personality has blossomed into a goofy and loving child. He loves greeting us in the morning with “hey ladies” and sometimes, if we are lucky, dance moves. Will is graduating from Cornerstone at the end of the summer and is transitioning to elementary school. He will be greatly missed, but we are all very proud of him and wish him the best.

Will’s Story

Where Will Started

When Will started in March 2015, he was primarily in level 1 of the VB-MAPP. His therapists were tracking non-compliance as a problem behavior. An example of his non-compliance behavior was during lunchtime when he would not eat and would throw his food. Will would primarily communicate through scripting from movies and TV shows. He also preferred independent play to socializing with peers.

How Will Improved

Will no longer throws his food during lunchtime. He has learned to eat a variety of foods, including carrots and sweet peppers. Will is able to successfully take several dietary supplements each day without problem behaviors! He also has made friends at Cornerstone and enjoys socializing. Once his therapists introduced more social goals in the VB-MAPP, Will started showing interest in peers. He enjoys playing chase and jumping on the trampoline with his friends. Not only has he grown socially, his communication has also Improved. This has helped him be able to have conversations with his peers. His scripting behaviors have decreased and his language is growing. He is known around the center to be very hilarious and a social butterfly. “Will is full of energy and his smile is contagious,” said Kelsey Endres, Will’s team lead. “He is such a bright young boy who touches the lives of everyone who gets to know him.”

Zane’s Story

Where Zane Started

Zane began therapy at Cornerstone in March of 2018. When he started, Zane struggled with transitions between activities, had limited attending skills, and was unable to follow multi-step instructions. Although Zane was very social with adults, he needed assistance to initiate and participate in peer interactions. Zane also hesitated to ask for help with tougher tasks, which led to challenging behavior. Due to hyperactivity, staying seated during mealtime was also difficult for Zane.

How Zane Improved

After beginning Cornerstone, Zane quickly completed all VB-MAPP goals and began working on functional living skills He focused on his conversational skills and began answering and asking WH questions. Throughout his time here, Zane learned to manage his hyperactivity and became aware of his personal space. Additionally, he gained the skills to initiate conversations with peers and engage in age-appropriate activities. Zane made significant progress with the ability to transition between activities and handle changes in routine. An increased ability to engage appropriately with his peers allowed Zane to explore his interests and share those with his friends. Zane’s progress with language development and behavior management allowed him to successfully engage in extracurricular activities outside of Cornerstone with peers as well. In order to prepare for school, Zane followed a time-based schedule to help him prepare for the transitions that occur during a typical school day. Zane graduated from Cornerstone Autism Center in August of 2020. He then transitioned into 3rd grade. “It was amazing to watch Zane’s progress over the last few years at Cornerstone,” said Jazmin Castillo, MA, BCBA. “I am very proud of all of his hard work!”

Zane’s Story

Where Zane Started

Zane was nine years old when he started at Cornerstone in April of 2015. When Zane first arrived, he only had two points on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VB-MAPP) and did not have the ability to functionally express his wants and needs. At the time, he had no mode of communication. He would only make sounds or display maladaptive behaviors when trying to communicate. Upon starting ABA therapy, Zane needed assistance with most daily living skills, such as dressing himself and using the restroom. At lunch, his therapists had to feed him and he often engaged in maladaptive behaviors during lunch time. Behaviorally, he emitted tantrums, physical aggression, property destruction, and elopement behaviors on a daily basis.

How Zane Improved

Zane is now 14 years old and has become a true Cornerstone success! He began learning sign language initially to increase his language and communication skills, but then began using an AAC device to further his communication and develop more independence. Zane is now able to form two-word phrases using the device to help him communicate his wants and needs. Along with the AAC device he began emitting one-word vocals for a variety of items! With his growth in communication, his behaviors have all decreased drastically from when he started. He has expanded his social skills by participating in group activities with peers and seeks out individuals for play. At lunch he became fully independent, can feed himself and even started to help his therapists get his food ready and clean up afterwards. He has mastered 92.5 milestones on the VB-MAPP assessment and has also started working within the Assessment of Functional Livings Skills (AFLS) assessment to gain more daily living skills and autonomy for self-help, such as toileting, dressing, and grooming. Not only have his skills increased, but his personality has truly bloomed. Zane’s laughter, smile, and playfulness will truly be missed at Cornerstone. His legacy and impact will last forever. We are so excited to see where life takes him next and hear about all the things he accomplishes!

Zaylie’s Story

Where Zaylie Started

When Zaylie started at Cornerstone five years ago, everyone was obsessed with her sweet giggles, imagination, and soft little voice. She carried around comfort items like her baby blanket and small toys. Although Zaylie loved to play and sing, she had difficulty communicating what she wanted to play with or if she needed time away from things she didn’t want to do. Zaylie made attempts at communication when adults prompted her using vocal approximations and modified American Sign Language. Zaylie also had difficulty putting her comfort items down to complete tasks and often engaged in long tantrums when asked to do so. Zaylie could not attend to tasks for long periods and could only meet a handful of demands without engaging in tantrums, physical aggression, property destruction, or task refusal.

How Zaylie Improved

When Zaylie graduated from Cornerstone, she could use complete sentences to vocally communicate her wants and needs and often did so with pizzaz! She was a social butterfly and well-loved by her peers and staff alike. Zaylie no longer brought her baby blanket to Cornerstone and was able to put her small toys away in a pencil box without engaging in behaviors when it was time to focus on programming or other tasks. Before graduation, Zaylie was in the full-day transitional classroom and could attend to a teacher at the front of the class, raise her hand, and independently complete classroom activities. Zaylie is so ready to begin her new adventure at school! We will miss her sweet and spunky personality but are so excited for her to move on to the next phase of her life! We are so proud of you, Zaylie!

Zoey’s Story

Where Zoey Started

When Zoey started at Cornerstone, we were struck by her sweet personality and her motivation to learn. She did a wonderful job following instructions and communicating with her therapists but struggled with social interactions with others. Zoey often shook her head “no” when prompted to communicate with peers or other adults. She scored a three out of 15 in social behavior and social play on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). In addition, Zoey did a great job transitioning to the bathroom but still needed to demonstrate independent toileting skills.

How Zoey Improved

Zoey acquired many skills during her time at Cornerstone and gained five additional milestone points in social behavior and social play! She developed the ability to request items from peers, engage in play with peers without adult prompting, and respond to mands from peers. Zoey interacted with peers through various activities, including playing with the parachute, using the play structure, and taking turns with the rocket stomper. Seeing her transformation and the close friendships she made at Cornerstone was incredible. Zoey was also on a school schedule and attended a classroom group twice a day to prepare her to transition to a school setting, and she was toilet trained! We are proud of Zoey’s accomplishments but will miss her caring personality at Cornerstone. We know she will make new friends and do great things on her latest adventure in a school setting!

Desi’s Story

Where Desi Started

When Desi began therapy at Cornerstone in January 2018, he was just two years old. His therapists loved his smile and joy for anything and everything that had lights. He had just 12.5 out of 170 milestones on the Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). He communicated using sign language and showed little interest in interacting with others. Desi engaged in high rates of noncompliance behaviors and often self-injury as he struggled with his feelings with others.

How Desi Improved

Now, over four years later, Desi is a highly energetic six-year-old! Desi is a prime example of a Cornerstone success in all the ways he has grown, as he has now mastered 164 out of 170 milestones on the VB-MAPP! Desi is now independent in self-help skills such as toileting, following a classroom schedule all day in preparation for school, and expressing himself using complete sentences, pronouns, and feelings. Desi has found a new love for numbers and loves learning about time and dates. He enjoys asking “how” and “what” questions to ask others about how much gas is in their cars or how high he is swinging using percentages. His language skills have increased phenomenally during his time at Cornerstone! We are proud of his growth in communication, reading, writing, and math skills. We know Desi’s success will continue to grow as he starts first grade this fall. We will miss Desi so much!

Mason’s Story

Where Mason Started

Months ago, Mason had dark circles under his eyes and he had lost weight in his face. He had little energy, and would find comfort sitting in his cube for long periods of time. Mason has had difficulty with eating since before he came to Cornerstone. For the past few years, he would only eat Dum-Dum suckers, sweet tarts and bacon. In the summer of 2014, he stopped eating most of his food completely and lost a substantial amount of weight.

How Mason Has Improved

Mason’s Clinical leader, Hannah Burkholder, implemented a food program to teach Mason how to make his own smoothies. After meeting with nutritionist Staci Small, Burkholder was given a recipe that would help Mason receive the nutrition he needs. The way his therapists started this program was by adding a pinch of Carnation Breakfast Shake to his milk. Once Mason would drink the shake, they added the recipe in small steps to give Mason the nutrients he needed. His therapists began to change his milk to almond milk. Then, they added coconut milk yogurt to his drink. From there, they started putting in more solids such as a banana, hemp protein powder and an avocado. Before the end of the day, the goal has been for Mason to eat at least one full banana and one full avocado on top of all of the other ingredients that go into his smoothies (such as hemp, yogurt, almond milk or V8 juice). Mason is now drinking full smoothies and even uses it as reinforcement for working on programs during the day! The next step is for Mason to make his own smoothies independently during therapy and at home. He currently helps take out the items from the refrigerator for the recipe by looking at a visual chart. He also helps press the “on” button on the blender. “I started working with Mason about a year ago, so I was a part of his eating habits before the smoothies began,” said therapist Brittany Leffew. “Now seeing him ask for his smoothie, watching him get his ingredients and the smile on his face warms my heart!”