Sam
Sam is a social child. A child who is motivated. A child who loves to learn. A child who also has autism. We have lived ten years with this diagnosis of autism. We struggle to keep him social. We struggle to keep him motivated. We struggle to keep him learning. These struggles intensified as he progressed through the public schools.
As Sam got older, more social responsibility was placed upon him. His difficulties of understanding basic social interaction and building interpersonal relationships became glaringly apparent. Without social skills training at school, he became more distant from his peers. Recess was a time of being alone walking around in circles, kicking the dirt. Sam became increasingly anxious at school. His level of motivation plummeted and his self esteem suffered. Without programming targeting Sam's organizational problems, he depended on the over assistance from paraprofessional staff to complete any school task. Finally, Sam's love of learning became tears of frustration as his schoolwork became more complex and abstract. Without proper modifications and programming focused on critical thinking skills, he stopped trying to learn. "I can't. I have autism," was a statement he repeated on a daily basis.
This struggle wasn't for lack of caring by the public school staff, but rather from lack of resources. To give Sam all the opportunity he deserved, we needed to give him these missing resources. He needed social skills training, programming which focused on higher order thinking skills to foster independence, and most importantly, he needed a place to learn and grow with other children who share his challenges and understand his needs. A place to have true friendships. Learning Circle Academy.
Although it has been a struggle for my partner Bonnie and me to start and continue to maintain the school, Sam's struggles have eased. The other day while we were driving to school Sam commented, "My autism goes away when I am at Learning Circle". Surprised, I asked why. He smiled and replied, "Because I learn there."
LCA Co-Founder, Carolyn Morris