Riley
Advocate – Achieve Kids
Achieve Kids
Riley has been at AchieveKids for a year and a half. When she first started she struggled with using her words to ask for things, express herself, and interact with her peers. She would resort to yelling, screaming, or physical aggression. This led to an inability to build relationships, demonstrate academic success, or follow a classroom routine.
Riley worked very hard on taking breaks when she got upset, using breathing and grounding exercises to calm down, and to increase her frustration tolerance with others. Due to her determination and perseverance we now see the intelligent, friendly, kind, and spunky young lady that we knew was there all along. Aside from these observable social and life skills that Riley acquired, many people at AchieveKids say they see her radiating happiness and joy. At recess, Riley is often seen skipping around the yard, dancing, or chatting with staff or students; all of this being done with a huge smile on her face. Everyone at AchieveKids is so incredibly proud of Riley for all that she has accomplished.
Going forward, we will continue to work with Riley on expressing herself and handling frustration. As the year progresses, we will also be increasing her task demands and giving her more responsibilities in the classroom. We are all very excited to see Riley continue to progress as she begins her transition back to her public school in the upcoming months. She is a great example of Together We Can Achieve.