According to her mother, before Hope came to Agora at age 12, she was just “along for the ride” when it came to education. Until that time, Hope attended a large public brick-and-mortar school and was placed in a specialized classroom for students with Autism.
“She did okay, and her behavior was fine,” said Hope’s mom, Maggie. “But she was not following or comprehending the classes. The situation was a free-for-all and there was no accountability.”
Maggie describes a learning environment that wasn’t even remotely okay for a child diagnosed with Level 2 Autism. Let alone for a child who did not talk. While it’s difficult to rank all the things Hope has achieved in her six years with Agora, gaining the ability to speak certainly stands out. A door was finally unlocked and opened into a world of opportunities mom and daughter never thought possible.
Soon into COVID, several dynamics converged that led Hope, now age 19, to benefit from Agora providing the right educational model and life-skills support. Around that time, a healthcare provider treating Hope for epilepsy put wheels in motion leading to the Level 2 Autism diagnosis. This was a defining moment because it gave the family direction for necessary therapies. Hope’s school pivoting to online learning during COVID was also an eye-opener.
“Hope excelled in the virtual environment. Her grades shot up. Her attention was better. She still didn’t speak, but I found myself asking, ‘Is this my same kid?!’”
When students returned to the classroom, Maggie explained the experience and requested the virtual option remain available to Hope. However, the brick-and-mortar school would not offer a fully remote special education program. Maggie was determined to find a place that would give Hope the support and format she needed. Agora offered the solution she was looking for—and then some!
One of the first things Agora facilitated for Hope was work with a speech therapist. Hope’s education levels for speech and language were defined as selective mutism with verbalizations via typing or whisper, and expressive and receptive language needs. Hope’s speech began to emerge, and she is now fully conversational.
“When I thanked the therapist, she said, ‘it’s not my work, it’s Hope’s.’ Whatever it is, to me it’s magic. For years I never even heard her laugh. Even now, I’ll sit here and cry when I hear her laugh. She’s also become very quick witted!”
Along with speech therapy, Hope started her special education program with Agora. Agora’s virtual learning model brought back—and enhanced—the positive online learning experiences Hope had during COVID. The difference was Agora’s specialization in integrating the unique opportunities and tools of a virtual classroom with personalized education programming that considered Hope’s Level 2 Autism. For example, the use of chat boxes to type or draw answers to engage with teachers was a tool Hope quickly embraced.
“Hope never had this option before—but seeing as texting was her communications device since age eight, it made sense. Agora supported Hope in being as verbal as possible and chat tools made a huge difference in her testing too. She had greater ability than what she previously tested at. She could do it; she just wasn’t given the right toolsbefore.”
For the family, the fact that Hope is accountable for her work and graded on ability is another game changer.
“Agora is not the free-for-all, follow-the-leader experience we had at her other school. She’s being graded and assessed on what she can do and is held accountable for the things she needs to learn. Without Agora, Hope would have gone along smiling, happy, and not causing any problems. But she wouldn’t have had any advancement.”
Hope has discovered she still struggles with math but loves history. In fact, becoming a history teacher is a potential long-term goal—and something many parents may never have dreamed of for a child who didn’t speak at age 12. That this vision exists speaks not only to Agora’s educational curriculum, but to the school’s commitment to supporting well-rounded students who graduate prepared for life. Teachers focused on social skills and transitioning to life after school play a huge role in Hope’s progress.
“Agora teaches real life skills, not folding towels or sorting nuts and bolts like she was doing previously. She’s learning skills that are useful to her, like math and grammar, as well as transition and executive functioning skills.
Agora sees what Hope is capable of, and nurtures it. We have come so far. Agora is an absolute life-changer.”
Currently, Hope is taking advantage of the opportunity to stay enrolled at Agora for education and transition classes until she’s 21. She continues to work on, and show improvement in, her expressive and receptive language skills and is expanding the settings in which she is verbal. She shows the confidence to be more engaged with the world around her. And her Agora family of teachers and coaches cannot wait to see what goals she pursues next. No longer just “along for the ride,” Hope is empowered to face new challenges and forge ahead on a wonderful journey of learning and growth.
See Hope featured in a video by PA Autism.
