| Aimee came
to NECC after a hospitalization
in the psychiatric wing
of her local hospital. She
had a history of self-injury.
While her parents were always
on guard, trying to prevent
Aimee from hurting herself,
the frequency and intensity
of her behaviors continued
to escalate to the point
that she was hospitalized
after repeatedly hitting
her head against the floor.
After her stay in the
hospital, 9-year-old Aimee
was placed in NECC’s
Staff Intensive Residential
Program. Through the program
Aimee receives intensive
one-on-one instruction
aimed at reducing her
self-injurious behaviors.
Aimee’s team has
been conducting ongoing
assessments to try and
determine the function
of her self-injurious
behavior. They have learned
that her inability to
effectively tell anyone
what she wants often leads
to her hitting her head.
Communication has become
the first goal on Aimee’s
IEP. She is doing well
in her picture-matching
program, a prerequisite
to establishing a PEC’s
book.
Aimee’s teachers
are consistently requiring
her to communicate both
in the school and in her
residence, and it is paying
off. Her teachers have
noticed the frequency
of her self-injurious
behaviors has started
to decrease as they have
worked on expanding her
communication skills.
Now there are more opportunities
to work on the other skills
Aimee needs to become
more independent, such
as daily living skills,
leisure activities, and
preacademics.
As for the change that
her parents see in her:
“We were good parents
and were able to protect
our children, but this
was beyond our control…
we needed help”.
As Aimee continues to
make progress she will
be given more varied learning
opportunities and will
work towards a transition
into NECC’s Residential
School.
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