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!”
Watch Kari’s graduation video at this link.
