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Before I start, I want to thank and for their unimaginably hard work during the last couple of years and being the best wife and daughter imaginable.

And I knew graduation day would finally come. But when started at this school, we just didn’t know this day would come so early. And that’s because of what happened on August 18th 2010 which was a day that  and I will not soon forget. After becoming concerned about ‘s speech, inability to focus, and her overall development,  was taken on that day to Children’s Hospital at the Child Development Unit for an evaluation.

When we received the diagnosis from the evaluation,  and I did not know what to do next. Speaking for myself, it was obviously one of the worst moments of my life. We did not know what was going to happen to our daughter. I remember feeling somewhat reassured at that point that at least our residence was located near grocery markets and public transportation because I didn’t know if she would ever be capable of caring for herself, even as an adult. About the only thing that was clear to me was that ‘s life could have gone in 1 of 2 directions: a life of dependence on others or a life of independence.   

After we found The Joshua School, our stress levels eased immediately. I remember at our initial meeting with Jason how confident he was that  was a good match for this program. I was unsure how he could be so sure considering that during the meeting,  was constantly moving around the room and living up to her reputation in the words of the Children’s evaluation as “extremely self directed” and “quite busy.” At that point, I didn’t know how  could possibly sit still let alone learn in a school environment.

It did not take long to find out.  started this program in October 2010. It was still in October 2010 when  and I scheduled a classroom observation appointment. I could not believe what I saw. First, I will tell you what we did not see. We did not see a “very self-directed” child. We saw a child sitting quietly in her chair looking up at her teacher for the next directions to follow. Mind you, this was the same month that she started this program. It was like magic. Our little girl was learning. And she has been learning ever since.

It’s clear to me now how all this progress happened. It’s because of that old saying: People learn from those that they love. Jason indicated to me during that initial meaning that just about any professional in this area can learn ABA but not everybody who learns ABA can help these children. And that’s how  has come to learn in a school environment. It’s not because you know ABA. It’s because you love . And in turn,  returns her love to you by demonstrating progress.

I have seen  virtually every morning before she goes to school here. And I can tell you that I do not recall a single time when she did not want to be here. And I will tell you emphatically that  is not bashful about telling me what she is really thinking. For instance (and I have already told some people about this), it was just earlier this month when after telling  repeatedly to get ready for dinner, she responded by hurling a very effective 3 syllable insult back to me: You are annoying! It was a very impressive moment. So  tells me how she feels. If  did not want to be here, take my word for it. I would have known about it.

In fact it has been quite the contrary. At the end of the day, this girl is all smiles. She walks hand in hand with her teacher out those doors with enhanced skills, enhanced self confidence, and enhanced happiness. From a parent’s point of view, there is no greater gift than that.

And from a parent’s point of view, the staff here consistently lives up to the high standards that they set for themselves. Parents notice when you do the things that you do. Parents notice when teachers are so quick about returning phone calls. They notice the listening skills and respect from staff during meetings. They notice when staff comes to home meetings with the same level of enthusiasm that they demonstrate here at the school. They notice the extra details that are communicated in the “Back and Forth Book.”They notice the instruction skills demonstrated during the “Parent Nights”. And they notice the respect and dignity that you give to these children. They notice all of these things and from a parent’s point of view, these are not little things. They are gigantic and they are appreciated more than words can convey.

So,  and I thank you all for your spirits; your unbounded abilities to generate optimism and positive action on behalf of . To us, this is the essential recipe for your success and it is that extra quality which Jason spoke about during our initial meeting at this school.

Where does  go from here? Well, she continues on at  Preschool with the skills taught here that can last a lifetime: enthusiasm toward learning, solid oral-language ability, the ability to listen, the ability to play well with others, friendships and social connections, autonomy, and overall well-being. 

And one more thing. She goes on to becoming a mentor at this treasured school. Now that you have helped change her life,  she can now help you make other lives move forward. Who knows, maybe  will one day be so lucky as to have a job like you all do. 

So this day hardly means goodbye.

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TJS Executive Director Jason Gruhl was recognized at a screening for the new CBS film Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser.

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