1 MIN READ

To Infinity and Beyond: A Heartspring Success Story

We all have days when it’s difficult to get out of bed, and transitions are hard for everyone. But for children with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, trying to transition from sleep to tackling the day is immensely difficult when they’re struggling to regulate their emotions and senses.

It’s uncomfortable to step outside of our comfort zone, and — if we’re brave enough to get out of bed — there’s no way to know what the day has in store.

Wouldn’t it be easier if we had a friendly, familiar face to show us that everything would be okay if we stepped into the unknown?

New Heartspring residential students come to an unfamiliar place, often in a different time zone than they’re used to, and it takes time to feel comfortable with their staff and get the hang of new routines. 

For one of our new students struggling with his transition to our school, we’d tried everything else to get him out of bed before inviting one of our teachers to save the day.

You see, Gabriel didn’t want to leave his group home. Anxious about what lay beyond his comfort zone, he refused to get dressed or ready for school for several days after he arrived on campus.

Enter special education teacher and fellow “Toy Story” fan, Alex Kimmel, dressed as Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s “Toy Story” movies. He dropped by the group home and asked Gabriel to go to school with him. It worked! 

Gabriel grabbed his backpack, and they walked together to his classroom, smiling the whole way there.

Hanah Bonham, the lead paraprofessional in Gabriel's classroom, said, “We didn’t know if this idea would work, but we’re so glad we didn’t let that stop us from trying.” 

Sometimes we just need a friendly face to encourage us to try new things.

“We stick together, we can see it through.” - Randy Newman, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”