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.
