Stories of children Hope have helped
James' story
From his birth and until the age of four, James was described by most doctors as “an extremely passive child with complex needs”. The principles of Professor Feuerstein’s methods, applied by way of mediated learning, have literally opened up James’s world.
The mediators at The Hope Centre are constantly working hard together in a systematic way to repair James’s deficient cognitive functions and as a direct result James is becoming a more confident, proficient and thoughtful learner.
I see James changing and developing in ways that I did not think would ever be possible. At Hope, no limits are ever set, and the belief that change is always possible is inspiring for the children and for the parents.
My sincerest thanks to everyone at Hope for helping my son to discover and enjoy life to the maximum. MLE (MEDIATED LEARNING EXPERIENCE) has now become a way of life to James as well as for the rest of his family.
Sarah
Hannah's story
Before going to The Hope Centre, Hannah was not very confident with other young people. Although she was formally integrated in mainstream school, she lacked the ability to interact with others. She was resistant to attempting things that she was unsure of. She would also use a lot of verbal discussions and distracting conversation to cover up her lack of confidence.
Whilst at The Hope Centre, Hannah learnt to use appropriate verbal tools. She began to ask strategic and relevant questions. She also learnt to have respect for others opinions and think before giving random answers. She was able, not only to give compliments but also to receive them. She became much more confident in everyday tasks, was much more willing to help others and also became more responsible.
The tools, patience and skill of the mediators at The Hope Centre did a remarkable job on Hannah’s whole attitude towards everyday life. After two wonderful years at The Hope Centre she left with many skills and gifts of life that only somewhere as unique as The Hope Centre can offer to a child like Hannah.
Thank you for caring and for your concern for ‘our children’.
Susan
Darrens's story
At four years old Darren was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism and Dyspraxia. Although we came to terms with his diagnosis quickly, we felt quite alienated and isolated. All the hopes we had for his future changed dramatically. Darren’s learning difficulties lay predominantly with his social skills and sensory integration. He struggled at his mainstream school, had few friends and we were at a loss as to what to do. As a family, it was an extremely difficult time for us all.
Darren started at The Hope Centre in June 2003. For me, as his mother, it was the only place during the week that we would go to and I could give a sigh of relief as, for the few hours he was there, I knew he would not be judged nor excluded. I knew he was receiving the best forms of therapy through mediation that were available and I genuinely believed that Hope was our only hope! I felt so grateful that we had heard about The Hope Centre.
Two years later and Darren is a different child. He still has many issues that need to be resolved but he is now calmer, more able to tolerate sensory stimuli, there is much reduced negative behaviour and he is able to express himself more appropriately. His cognitive skills generally and, in particular, his sequencing skills have seen great progress, as has his ability to develop strategies for coping with everyday life.
We cannot say in a few simple words how we feel about all those involved at The Hope Centre for we would not be able to do any of them justice, be it the mediators or the administrative staff. Suffice to say, we sincerely believe The Hope Centre has had the most profound effect on Darren’s ability to cope in our world rather than in just his and their professionalism and dedication has been second to none. They have changed what his, and our, life could have been like and we feel hopeful now for his future. We pinned so much hope on the methodology of The Hope Centre and they have not let us down.
Marilyn
Ruth's story
Ruth’s first visit to The Hope Centrewas in 2000. At this point, she had been refusing to take part in assessments for eight years because she was painfully aware of her inability to perform at the level required of her. However, Ruth enjoyed being assessed by the Hope team and they proved able to elicit a genuine response from her where other professionals had failed. We felt that at last, we had found an approach that would truly engage Ruth in the learning process.
We were very impressed with the report as it provided a real insight into the way in which Ruth learns. It recognised that Ruth wants to achieve success to please people, rather than for any intrinsic motive. It also identified that if Ruth can see the usefulness and real life application of a skill, she is far more able to show conceptual understanding.
The progress made by Ruth during her time at Hope has reinforced our early faith in the mediating process. Her confidence has increased dramatically and she approaches learning and social situations optimistically and wholeheartedly. We have also observed significant improvements in her speech, concentration and physical co-ordination. This has had a hugely beneficial effect on the whole family, as Ruth is now a happy and adventurous young woman who can be involved in all activities and experiences.
One of Professor Feuerstein’s books is called “Do Not Accept Me As I Am”. This philosophy lies at the heard of Hope’s approach. Unlike other professionals, they try to see beyond the problem and find ways of empowering the child to realise their strengths. This has proved to be uniquely successful for Ruth.
Mary
