Annie: A SEALKIDS Success Story
Annie's Story
Annie is in 4th grade and her Dad is an active duty Navy SEAL. She was first diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) when she was only 18 months old. After a rough start to the school year, her parents reached out to SEALKIDS for help. Annie’s teacher was concerned when she wasn’t concentrating in class or completing her work on time. Her grades were dropping, and she was being argumentative in the classroom. SEALKIDS paired Annie with a tutor who specializes in tutoring students with autism.
After her first semester of tutoring, her service provider had this to say about her progress:
“Annie has gone from struggling to understand how to complete simple assignments to being one of the highest achievers in her class. This student is eager to succeed, and we have enjoyed being able to help her meet her goals. She worked diligently over this past semester and made a lot of progress.”
After her second semester of tutoring, Annie has improved her grades, has less anxiety, and completes her work more independently. Like many students with ASD or other learning challenges, Annie will need continued individualized support to keep succeeding in school and maintain her confidence in her academic abilities.
“SEALKIDS has enabled Annie to receive the extra time and support she needs to grow as a student and to develop new ways of learning. It is wonderful to see that she is receiving the support and assistance that she needs to succeed in school. This grant affords her the opportunity to excel. SEALKIDS has been instrumental in my child’s academic success. Thank you.” —Annie’s Parents
What is Autism?
Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate and interact with others and the world around them. It’s lifelong — you don’t grow out of it.
Autism often occurs in combination with other learning challenges, like ADHD. They share common challenges with social skills and communication, including:
Trouble reading nonverbal cues or picking up “unwritten” social rules
Difficulty participating in conversations
Not always being able to modulate (control how loud you speak, or in what tone)
Taking language literally and not always understanding puns, riddles, or figures of speech
Another common sign is what’s known as stereotyped behavior. This may look like having a “special interest” around a certain topic or object. Or it can refer to repetitive behaviors and movements like:
Arm flapping or rocking (sometimes called stimming)
Repeating certain sounds or phrases (sometimes called echolalia)
Join our email list below to receive more success stories like this, plus resources for parents, and all of the latest SEALKIDS news!