TYO Stories of Transformation

By the end of the Fall 2011 session, the Core Child Program (CCP) teachers had made a profound difference in the lives of many children. These stories are just a few of many successes.

According to his mother, Ali loves coming to TYO. He is one of TYO’s first students with significant developmental disabilities, and the CCP teachers have worked with experts to develop a program that addresses Ali’s unique challenges while including him in activities with his classmates. Ali’s mother is overjoyed by the progress that he has made throughout this past session. Despite his struggles with speaking and language, he has learned an impressive amount of vocabulary, remembers many of his classmates’ names, and greets adults and children alike.  Moreover, as his ability to communicate verbally has improved, so has his behavior. He used to shun food, but now eats alongside his classmates during snack time. In particular, Ali’s mother and teachers attribute his remarkable growth over the past three months to his special relationship with Jawad, a CCP teacher. The one-on-one attention that Ali has received from such a positive male role model has allowed his social and intellectual development to soar.

One of Ali’s classmates, Muhammad, is going to be an impressive leader. At the start of the session, however, CCP teacher Haitham recalls that his energy and drive were not being channeled in positive ways. Muhammad’s behavior created many problems in the classroom. Throughout the session, Haitham worked with Muhammad to develop his leadership skills by giving him helpful tasks. Muhammad is now an expert at passing out papers and getting his classmates to line up in an orderly fashion. His mother has noticed significant improvements in his behavior, and she, too, is committed to helping her son fulfill his leadership potential.

During her first three weeks at TYO, Hala was hyperactive, very possessive, stubborn, and refused to listen to instructions. Getting her to engage with her teachers and classmates was a real challenge. After the third week, the CCP teachers tried new techniques to reach her. They helped her realize that she was an important member of her group, and that she, too, could share in the group spirit. Throughout the rest of the session, she began to change little by little, listening to rules more, participating in class activities, and ultimately becoming much happier and more engaged with her classmates and family members. Her mother cannot wait to sign her up for the spring session.

These children’s lives have been transformed by this brief experience at TYO. Moreover, by building strong connections with their parents, the CCP teachers have ensured that these changes will be sustained as the children continue to grow and develop.