“I love you, Momma.” Those are the words Claudia longed to hear from her son Mattieu. Her son was diagnosed with autism early in life and struggled to express himself in any way, whether verbally or nonverbally. He threw intense fits, screamed for hours at a time, rejected clothing as if it hurt his skin, and refused food, appearing terrified of anything his mom tried to feed him. “It was so difficult to get him dressed and fed, and then when we’d finally get out the door and in public, people would look at us with such judgment because of some of his behaviors,” recalls Claudia. Things changed, though, when he came to Connections.
In Mattieu's early years, his mom says he seemed to be in his own world and out of her reach. Life was hard, and his working parents were barely holding on when a therapist recommended Connections. After touring, they knew it was the right school for him, but there was a waitlist. When a space opened for Mattieu, his family was overjoyed.
Finding the Right School
The first few months were rocky, though. “He would be healthy at home, we’d take him to school, and he would get sick within hours. He got so worked up that he would throw up and even develop a fever,” his mom explains. “We’d bring him home, and the symptoms would disappear immediately.”
Working with Mattieu’s family, his teachers and therapists at Connections identified that anxiety was causing the symptoms, and together, they created a plan to help Mattieu work through it. “They had us start by letting him stay at school for just three hours. We added more time gradually until he was able to stay the entire day without feeling anxious or getting sick. It was a hard transition for him and us but worth it,” says Claudia.
Unlocking Communication Skills
Communication was also a challenge at school. “When Mattieu began school, he wouldn’t communicate at all — verbally or with gestures,” Claudia shares. “They taught him to use pictograms to express his wants and needs and taught us to use them at home, too. This worked well for him and sparked his interest in communicating.”
One of his teachers, Mr. Tyler, says, “Mattieu used to struggle to verbalize his needs, which led to frustration and frequent outbursts. These behaviors made it difficult for him to participate in the classroom or engage in public settings.”
Mr. Tyler recalls that as Mattieu’s verbal skills began to develop, his speech often sounded scripted. However, one day during a golf lesson offered through the school’s recreation program, Mattieu had a breakthrough. After successfully hitting the ball, he exclaimed — “I’m the champion of the world! — capturing the moment perfectly.
Since then, Mattieu has gained confidence in using words effectively and interacting socially with his peers. “Something really clicked, and he understands more and is making huge progress,” Mr. Tyler adds.
“I don’t know what we would have done without Connections. They’ve been a miracle in Mattieu’s life.” — Claudia, Mattieu's Mom
Motivating a Gifted Learner
From an early age, Mattieu demonstrated great intelligence. “I could tell he was super smart even though he wasn’t talking to us,” says his mom. “One day when he was six years old, I was working with his older brother who was practicing reading. I noticed Mattieu looking at the book while his brother struggled to read it. Then in a very quiet voice, Mattieu started saying the words. I couldn’t believe he had learned to read!”
When it was time to learn math, Mattieu had no interest. Claudia explains, “He didn’t see the purpose of math so wasn’t interested.”
His teachers and therapists had discovered his fondness for Skittles — one of the few foods he would eat. His mom recalls, “His teacher took a bag of Skittles and asked him — ‘If I give you 10 Skittles and then take four away, how many do you have?’ He could see that the answer was six. He started exploring more combinations of Skittles and quickly learned addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using the candy. Now he loves math and knows why he needs it.”
Mattieu Today
Today, Mattieu is a happy, expressive 8th grader who communicates clearly, eats well, dresses himself and navigates life with more appropriate behaviors. He’s an A student who loves everyone at Connections — a remarkable transformation from where he started.
As Mattieu has blossomed, his true disposition has emerged. Tyler says, “He has a great personality. He’s humorous and dramatic, and the whole school loves Mattieu.”
Claudia shares, “I don’t know what we would have done without Connections. They’ve been a miracle in Mattieu’s life. For years, I would tuck him into bed at night, tell him I loved him and wish to hear it back. One day, I finally did, and it made one of my biggest wishes come true.”
Comments