When Caroline came into our Morristown Huntington for her academic evaluation, she was hiding behind her mother clutching to a toy she had brought with her. When we first asked Caroline questions, she would not speak to us and would only write her answers. The testing was difficult because she did not want to read out loud or answer any questions verbally.

In the initial conference, Caroline's mom told us that she was easily frustrated and was completely shut down when it came to doing school work. She refused to read at home and her mom did not know how to help her. Caroline had been in basic skills classes at school for two years, but the classes didn't seem to motivate her.

In the beginning, we noticed that Caroline lacked motivation and was easily and quickly frustrated. She would try to convince her teachers to read to her and often asked to take breaks. Eventually, Caroline became more willing to complete tasks that challenged her. Her Huntington teachers started to gradually see a positive change in attitude and she was becoming a more fluent reader. As Caroline passed more tests in math, we started to see a more confident and motivated child emerge.

Caroline's mom also noticed this positive change in Caroline. Today, Caroline reads at home for fun. She comes in with her book so that she can read in the waiting room while she waits for her mom to pick her up. She is excited to tell us what she is reading about and share her grades with us. During a school visit, Caroline's teacher said that Caroline participates in class and volunteers to read daily.

Caroline has become a much more positive, confident and motivated student. She no longer shuts down at homework time and she knows that she has the skills to achieve in the classroom. Her classroom teachers have also noticed a positive change. We are excited to see how much Caroline can accomplish as she continues here at Huntington.

FROM: Caroline