Kristen Abbondate is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology who has worked within our autism program (based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA) for 2 years. At the end of the summer, she will conclude her assignment here at BRSHF, but not before she relates some of her favorite stories and memories with us!
"As the ABA supervisor, I have the opportunity to watch the children grow and overcome new obstacles each week. I live the struggle trying to come up with new and imaginative ways to help the students grow in our program. Although miracles happen everyday, some stories leave a little more of an imprint than others…
I was making my usual rounds viewing the children’s programs, giving advice to the therapist, and offering my help where needed. That day, I happened to walk into an ABA session with a particular student. This student had struggled in our program. He would tantrum for most of the session, did not speak any words, nor touch known items. When I walked in that day, I saw a very different scene. He was making eye contact with the therapist, laughing as they sang songs together, identifying objects in his environment, and requesting for wanted items. I had to hold back the tears in my eyes as I almost could not believe what I was seeing. I believe I almost did a back flip when I praised him for his hard work. I will never forget that day.
That child is still doing well and I continue to see miracles like this everyday. I get asked a lot why I do what I do. When I tell stories like the one above, and I have many, it is very easy to understand why I do what I do."
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