| By Sara Erling
In the past nine months, this shy, low self-esteem young teen is starting to really come out of her shell! In such a short amount of time her math score has jumped more then two years. Her reading comprehension has jumped three years! Stephany’s processing has come up 1.5 to 2 levels, and she is starting to type and spell. What is so cool about her changes is that she is less fearful and not afraid to try new things. This year she went to camp because she was no longer afraid to go by herself. She read out loud for the first time in church, and the other children are asking her for help. She is more confident in her abilities and is no longer shutting down. She continues to excel in her Irish dancing lessons and is overall a much happier child! More importantly, she is noticing a change in her function. Program must be working! I am very proud to work with this young lady. Stephany, you will go far in whatever you set your mind to! Keep up the great work! Sara Erling NACD Newsletter, Volume 3 Issue 2, 2010 ©NACD |
Stephany is a beautiful and talented dancer who is 13 and from a rural area in Montana. She started with NACD in April of 2009. She had a rough start to her life, being diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis, and it was only after heavy supplementation that she recovered. Due to this slow start, she was behind developmentally and academically. Her family has always homeschooled her and knew that she needed some extra help.