Overcoming Asperger’s
With three decades of educational guidance, Score Academy has had thousands of success stories. Each month we choose one story to share in hopes that it will inspire others.
Although Score Academy is often associated with attaining higher level education goals, it’s important to note that some of the people we help are simply students who have unique challenges in their lives that require adaptive education models to allow them to achieve their goals.
We were recently contacted by the parent of one such student who shared an update of his son’s progress over the last decade. For privacy, we are sharing the story with an alternate name.
Tom had a rocky start in education. He first came to Score Academy in 2006, having been expelled from his local private school. Our counselors suggested alternative path at Second Nature Wilderness Therapy in Georgia, where Tom was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. With the help of Second Nature and then the Grove School in Connecticut, Tom was eventually able to finish high school back home at Olympic Heights. Who would have known that he would go on to greater heights?
Fast-forward to 2017 and Tom just graduated from Villanova with his Masters degree in Government Administration and has taken a position with a prestigious financial firm in Pennsylvania.
During grad school, Tom worked successfully on several political campaigns before setting his sights on finance. He is now working to get licensed in bonds trading and plans to continue his career with his current firm.
Although Tom trumped his condition and beat the odds when it came to education achievement, he was still struggling socially. Recently, his Tom asked to be reevaluated and he learned that he has "Associative Communication Disorder." Working with Ruttenberg Center in PA, Tom continues his self improvement with his “Never give up and life gets better!” attitude.
“Score Academy’s help and initial direction made a huge difference in our lives,” said Tom’s father. “Life for everyone is about continuous improvement and self-growth. When an individual has a challenge but is persistent in learning about themselves and being open to solutions, success will happen both personally and professionally.”
He continued, “As the parent, I could not be happier. Yes, we had ups and downs over the past 12-13 years. Parents must understand the importance of staying involved and accepting great advice and sticking to the process. Never stop learning. Thanks to your initial direction and recommendations, we have been very fortunate. My son, now 27, has had amazing accomplishments. I'd say he is further along than those his age who did not have the challenges Tom experienced.”
“The most important thing I learned is to never give up and never think, ‘This is the best my child will ever be.’ My son, even with his challenges, has never been happier. That makes me both happy and grateful.”
“To any parent who might be experiencing the pain I felt sitting in your office eleven years ago; know and believe your child can succeed.”
We couldn’t have said it better. Thank you, Tom, for the update and best wishes for the future.
