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Eddie used to struggle in the classroom and his family felt excluded from his education at his previous school. He has a type of autism that brings with it unique social and academic challenges. He needed personalized attention that his school could not provide.
"Before we found Hope, we had infrequent, short and meaningless meetings with Eddie's teachers," says Laura, Eddie's mom. "He was falling through the cracks and no one noticed."
But at The Hope Institute Learning Academy (HILA) in Chicago, teachers and staff are paying attention. They meet regularly with Laura, monitoring Eddie's progress together and developing ways to enhance his learning.
Occupational therapy is a critical means of supporting his academic work and general independence. Therapists are helping Eddie strengthen his fine and visual motor skills. He's learning to write legibly using a pencil gripper and specially designed paper. And he's learned to tie his shoes using a visual tool - step-by-step pictures. These efforts not only support his academic work, but also foster his sense of independence.
What used to be rare for Eddie now occurs daily - success.
Read more about Eddie's hopeful future...
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The Hope Institute is proud to announce we've been selected as a finalist in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program.
