Student Success: Lucas Thrives with the Right Support and Environment

Lucas, a 10th grader at Connections who just turned 16, has already accomplished more than many thought possible when he was younger. Diagnosed as a baby with autism along with expressive language delays and sensory processing disorder, Lucas faced significant challenges from the start. For years, sensory sensitivities prevented him from eating solid foods, and his limited ability to communicate and handle change made life difficult.

Lucas recently celebrated his 16th birthday at Connections

Through intensive therapies starting at just 8 months old — including speech, occupational and behavioral therapy — Lucas began to make progress. His growth was supported every step of the way by a devoted family and his mother, Jana, who became an extension of his care team, leveraging her background as a child therapist to help him thrive between expensive therapy appointments. But despite his early progress, new challenges emerged when his family relocated from Washington state to Florida during his middle school years.

Challenges at Public School

In Palm Beach County, Lucas was enrolled in a class for children with autism at a public school. He had attended public schools in Seattle with good results, but this was different. Right away, Lucas began showing signs of distress — running from the classroom, acting anxious and appearing unhappy. “He was displaying behaviors we’d never seen before,” Jana says. “When I met with his teachers and school therapists, it seemed like they didn’t understand what he needed and weren’t using approaches grounded in ABA [Applied Behavior Analysis]. He didn’t understand what they expected from him and was growing increasingly frustrated.”

Lucas’ pediatrician at Pediatric Partners had provided a list of specialized charter schools for students with autism. Connections was on the list, and after hearing glowing reviews from therapists and families, Jana applied for Lucas.

When a spot opened, Jana believed it was the right move, even though it meant yet another change for her son. “He started in Mr. Tyler’s class, and it was amazing. The teachers and behavioral therapists understood him. Very soon, he became much more relaxed and happy, and I knew he was in the right place,” she says.

Lucas has developed a strong bond with his current teacher, Ms. Tammy

The Right Fit at Connections

Now in his fourth year at Connections, Lucas is thriving academically, socially and emotionally. His current teacher, Ms. Tammy, says, “Lucas is a joy. He’s very loving and smart. He is communicating more in complete sentences, as opposed to one-word responses, which has been more common for him. Lucas is also beginning to use sarcasm, which makes me laugh. In class, we recently discussed a news story about people going on strike. Later, I asked Lucas to work on an activity that he didn’t enjoy, and he told me sarcastically, ‘I can’t — I’m on strike!’”

Academically, Lucas continues to make steady strides. Although he learned to read at an early age, his comprehension lagged. At Connections, he’s learning to understand what he reads. “He’ll come home with four pages of text for homework and be able to comprehend all of it,” says Jana. “He has also made huge progress in math — his favorite subject. Now he’s working on real-life math skills like budgeting and shopping. Even his handwriting has improved dramatically. It used to look like scribbles, but now it’s beautiful.”

At Connections, Jana values how behavioral therapy is woven into the school day. “The behavioral therapists like Mr. Jeffrey help develop strategies that teachers can use throughout the school day to help students learn how to regulate their behavior or handle change. And the therapists are good at distinguishing between typical teen behavior — like sarcasm or eye rolls — and the kinds of things students with autism may need extra help with, like understanding privacy or communicating in groups,” she explains. 

Another strategy that has proven effective for Lucas is task analysis, where a skill is broken down into smaller steps that are instructed through written and verbal prompts. Ms. Tammy explains, “We give students step-by-step instructions, and as a student learns, we gradually remove prompts for more independence. For example, we used task analysis to teach Lucas how to make a sandwich, and he can do it without verbal prompts from us now.”

Socially, Lucas has grown more outgoing and confident. With encouragement from Ms. Tammy and Mr. Jeffrey, Lucas now interacts with peers more comfortably, choosing friends to sit with and even developing some classroom crushes. “Lucas used to prefer connecting with just one person,” Ms. Tammy explains. “Now, he plays Uno and board games with classmates and participates in the after-school community outing club that goes bowling, golfs and takes trips to the library. Soon, we’re doing a park cleanup together. These are all great opportunities for our students to experience new things and practice the social skills we teach during class.”

Lucas has also benefited from Connections’ adaptive swim lessons and nutrition classes. He’s part of the Recipes for Success culinary program where he’s learning kitchen safety and cooking skills, and he participates in the after-school cooking club with Mr. Edward and Ms. Adriana. “Lucas is still a picky eater,” Jana says, “but his teachers are amazing at helping students overcome food-related sensory issues. They introduce new foods gradually — first asking students to look at it, then touch, smell, prepare and finally taste the food over time. That’s been really helpful for Lucas.”

Lucas's mom Jana is proud of his incredible progress

Life Skills Lead to Greater Independence

At home, his independence continues to grow. He now helps mop the kitchen, makes his bed, unloads the dishwasher and even does his own laundry. “The life skills he’s learning at Connections are critical,” says Jana. “I want Lucas to be able to live with dignity. To do that, he has to be self-sufficient enough to maintain his privacy and get to make choices about what he does. I want him to be able to get water when he’s thirsty, make a sandwich when he’s hungry, take a shower and go to the bathroom without help.”

Seeing Lucas gain these skills gives Jana peace of mind. “I feel secure knowing that when I’m older and can’t help him, he’ll be able to do so much for himself. He feels proud when he takes care of his own needs,” she says.

Jana is also deeply grateful for the support she receives as a parent. “At Connections, I feel heard. The teachers and therapists never dismiss me just because I’m a parent. They include me in planning, communicate with me regularly, and respond quickly to questions. They also show compassion to the students, which is so important. Kids know when they’re loved. Lucas knows he’s loved here, and that makes all the difference.”

Lucas is learning useful life skills in addition to academics at Connections

Reflecting on her son’s progress, she says: “Lucas has worked so hard. Our family has worked hard. And the teachers and therapists at Connections have worked hard. That’s why he is who he is today. We have to believe that our children can grow if they’re given the right environment. Lucas was given that chance, and now he’s flourishing. We are so proud of him and so thankful for Connections.”