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.

Strengths: Independent Play, Social Behavior and Social Play, Manding, Group Skills, and Motor Imitation

Program Achievements:

  • Joe can independently play with an item (blocks) for five minutes.
  • He spontaneously will offer a reinforcer to a peer on two occasions.
  • Listener Responding: Joe can identify five different items in a book when asked to touch an item.
  • Joe accepts the answer “no” ten out of ten times without disruptive behavior.
  • He will appropriately wait for two minutes displaying no disruptive behaviors.Watch Joe’s success story video at this link.