Deen, one of three siblings, including his twin sister and a younger sister, started school with significant challenges. His parents wanted their children to attend the same school near their home in Wellington. While Deen’s twin sister was placed in a typical classroom, Deen was enrolled in a class for children with autism.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go well. “He was struggling every single day and not learning at all,” recalls his mom, Isra. “I would get multiple phone calls a week saying I needed to pick him up because he had hurt himself during a fit or run into the chalkboard while trying to escape the classroom. He was coming home miserable.”
School drop-off and pick-up became a dreaded time for Isra, who knew Deen was frustrated, and reports from the school were always negative. The family tried everything, including hiring Deen’s outside behavioral therapist to accompany him to school. But even the therapist recommended a change, noting that the environment wasn’t suitable for him.
At home, life was no easier. Deen’s inability to communicate often led to frustration-fueled outbursts. “Deen couldn’t communicate with us and got upset easily, which sometimes resulted in big tantrums during which he would hurt himself,” Isra explains. “We couldn’t even do simple things like going to the grocery store. At Publix, he would throw himself on the floor, bang his head on the floor, and run up and down the aisles opening food packages. It was exhausting and overwhelming.”
Finding Connections
While discussing her struggles with another mom at Deen’s private speech therapist's office, Isra learned about Connections. After touring the school, she immediately knew it was the right place for Deen. “I felt instant relief,” Isra says. “The school was so well-equipped to help children with autism and the teachers clearly understood what the kids needed. The teachers and staff made me feel like family.”
Although the school’s location would require more than an hour of driving each morning and afternoon, Isra didn’t hesitate. “When you find a school that meets your child’s needs, you do whatever you need to do to make it work,” she says. Connections’ extended drop-off and pick-up times also helped the family manage the logistics of having two children at different schools across town.
A Fresh Start in First Grade
Before Deen began first grade at Connections, Isra met with his teachers to share the challenges he had faced such as self-injury, disruptive outbursts, lack of communication and struggles with potty training. “Anything I explained to them, they said, ‘No problem. We know how to work through that,’” Isra recalls. “They always had a solution to his struggles and even had a list of potential solutions they planned to work through until they found what worked for Deen. It was clear that they were determined to help him succeed.”
From the start, Deen’s teachers created a structured classroom environment with a consistent routine. They divided his goals into manageable steps, celebrated his progress and maintained thorough communication with Deen’s parents. Soon, Deen was achieving one goal after another, transforming from a child who approached school with dread to one who clapped and smiled upon arriving.
Behavioral Therapy Drives Remarkable Progress
Deen’s success at Connections has been supported by behavioral therapy provided by board-certified behavioral analyst Mima Berlovan. Mima works with Deen in a one-on-one setting, using techniques such as Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), which breaks skills into small, teachable components with increasingly less support as the student achieves each goal.
Mima also conducted a VB-MAPP, which stands for Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program for Deen. This research-based tool is designed to evaluate language and learning skills across all academic areas, and it helped Mima prioritize Deen’s learning goals and create a sequential learning plan. “When we first started with Deen, he had self-injurious behaviors and showed aggression when frustrated,” says Mima. “His communication abilities were severely impaired, and we knew that we had to prioritize his ability to express his wants and needs to lower his frustration. Using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), we helped him learn to identify and request items he wanted.”
She also relies on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), which focuses on increasing desired behaviors and decreasing adverse behaviors through a positive reward system. “For example, when he’s hungry, we want him to use his device to tell us rather than hitting his head on the wall,” says Mima. “When he uses his device to tell us what he needs or answer a question, he earns something he likes.”
Another important tool for Deen, Mima says, has been a choice board with a first-then chart where he can choose from a set of activities. “This strategy gives him some control of the program sequence he would like to work on first and then receive a reward. It has helped prevent some of the behaviors we used to see when Deen was presented with too many requests,” she explains.
Mima says that Deen’s progress has been amazing. Now in 4th grade, he can stay seated during class, pay attention to the teacher and respond to requests. Programs like Handwriting Without Tears have helped him begin writing letters and words. “He is working on sorting and categorizing objects and pictures, which will help Deen with expanding knowledge in new settings. For example at home, he will be able to empty the dishwasher and sort items by plates, utensils, cups, etc. He will be able to sort laundry by shirts, pants, socks and so on,” she adds. “He’s gone from not being able to focus on a single picture card we’re asking him to respond to all the way to being able to accurately select a specific item from four options,” Mima explains. “Also he’s beginning to work on turn-taking and simple game skills with a peer.”
“God answered my prayers by leading us here,” she says. “The teachers and staff are amazing. It’s worth the long drive twice a day to know my son is safe and to see him succeed.” -- Isra, Deen's Mom
Transferring Skills to Home
Deen’s progress at Connections has had a significant impact on his home life. Isra appreciates the strategies that Mima and Deen’s teachers have shared with her to manage Deen’s sensory needs and behaviors. “They gave me ideas like using a weighted blanket, rubbing lotion on his skin or brushing his skin to help him feel calm,” Isra says. “When he starts to get overwhelmed, we use one or more of those strategies, and it makes a big difference.”
Gaining Independence and Communication
At his previous school, Deen made no academic progress and struggled to use an assistive communication device. At Connections, teachers realized that he needed a larger iPad with fewer icons to avoid overwhelming him with too many options. Changes like these made it easier for him to express his needs. “Now that he can tell me what he wants, he’s much less frustrated at home, and we’re seeing fewer tantrums,” Isra says.
Mealtimes, once a source of stress, have also improved dramatically. Deen can now sit at the table, hold utensils, and feed himself without spilling excessively. He even helps his mom with meal preparation, such as mixing ingredients.
Real-World Skills
Connections’ community-based instruction has helped Deen transfer skills learned at school to real-world settings. Field trips to Publix taught him how to navigate the store, behave appropriately, push a cart and follow instructions. Isra says he now happily accompanies her to the grocery store and helps load bags into the car and unload them at home.
Socially, Deen has blossomed. Before Connections, he did not acknowledge other people or want to play with siblings or classmates. He lacked “functional play,” which means using a play item as intended. For example, using cards to play a game rather than throwing and ripping them or tossing a ball back and forth rather than kicking it away. “His interactions with others have gotten a million times better, and he’s a social butterfly now. He’s happy to play with his sisters or friends at school,” says Isra.
Water Safety and Beyond
Connections’ swim lessons have also been transformative. Deen has learned water safety rules, how to float and how to keep his head above water. Isra no longer worries as much about taking him to the pool. “He follows the rules and can even stay calm when it’s time to leave the pool, thanks to the strategies they taught us such as giving him a 5-minute warning before we get out. It’s such a relief,” she says.
Looking Ahead
Deen’s progress continues to inspire his family. “When he started at Connections, he couldn’t sit in a chair for 1 minute. Now he can sit through an entire class,” says Isra. “Before, he couldn’t hold a pencil. Now, he’s writing his name and starting to write other words. If he can do that, I know he’s capable of so much more.”
For Deen’s family, the journey to finding Connections has been life-changing. “God answered my prayers by leading us here,” she says. “The teachers and staff are amazing. It’s worth the long drive twice a day to know my son is safe and to see him succeed.”
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