Client Success Stories

We live these amazing stories of children overcoming difficult social, learning and behavioral issues and becoming positive role models, proud graduates and more every day.

Everybody has a story.

Every day, we see stories being written of vulnerable children overcoming difficult social, learning and behavioral issues and becoming positive role models, proud graduates and more.

At Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, we live these stories every day. They take a long time to develop, and a long time to resolve. But through our highly individualized campus and community-based work – including early childhood and school-age programs, education services, and behavioral health treatment – we’re making a difference in 18,000 children’s and families lives each year.

At Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, we live these stories every day.

Anxiety resulting from a sequence of traumatic life events shut down this 5-year old.

Jackson’s dad was sent to prison. His uncle, who served as a father figure, died unexpectedly. Then, Jackson’s cat died. All this time, his sister was wrestling with severe medical issues and had to be hospitalized.

At the pediatrician for his check-up, Jackson had an alarming meltdown. Two good things came from this incident, though. One, the doctor immediately referred Jackson to a counselor from Best Point Education & Behavioral Health. And two, once the counselor met Jackson and his mom, she recognized that Jackson’s mom also needed help in working with her son.

After entering our campus-based Early Childhood Day Treatment (ECDT) program, Jackson progressed to only needing weekly counseling sessions. And recently, Jackson successfully transitioned back to his public school where he’s now impressing teachers and coming to the aid of classmates when they’re struggling.

From despondent and anxious to happy and compassionate. Amazing.

He’s one lucky kid. Instead of spending his summer home alone, with nothing to do, his Mom enrolled him in Camp-I-Can at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health.

Camp-I-Can is likely akin to the camps you remember – kickball, swimming, skits and a lot of running around just being a kid. But Camp-I-Can staff also works with the children – teaching trust, self-esteem and the importance of good behaviors. It’s this combination of safe, wholesome fun and daily mentoring that provides hope and optimism that can completely transform attitudes and chances for future success.

For Tyler, learning to swim at Camp-I-Can motivated him to take swim lessons during the school year so he could pass the “deep end” test the next year at camp.

From stuck at home all summer to setting and reaching goals. Amazing.

He faced bullying from classmates, even scorn from teachers every school day due to his autism.

With no friends and a district school system that couldn’t accommodate his needs, Dakotah’s family enrolled him at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health High School for Students with Autism and Related Disorders. Here, Dakotah found a supportive environment that’s specifically designed for his sensory needs. He also discovered that, thankfully, there are teachers and therapists who not only take the time to understand his individual needs, but who are also trained to help him process, learn and socialize.

Today, thanks to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, Dakotah enjoys the company of many friends and plans to become a welder after he graduates.

From feeling like an outcast to feeling empowered. Amazing.

Experiencing abuse at a young age left her withdrawn, untrusting and feeling unworthy.

As Reginae grew up, these traits fueled behavioral issues that her district school simply couldn’t manage. Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health partial hospitalization program, she began to trust her counselors and teachers. Surrounded by these caring professionals, Reginae finally started to open up. The resulting dialogue taught her that she wasn’t to blame. Only then was Reginae able to start the healing process.

It was during this pivotal time in her life that Reginae decided her calling was to help other children who may have experienced some of the same pain that she endured. Today, this high school graduate is attending college where she’s studying early childhood education and anticipating paying it forward.

From feeling worthless to mentoring other children. Amazing.

Abuse at home and bullying at school led Trenton to “snap” while at school and be expelled.

When simmering rage from a life of relentless abuse and bullying caused Trenton to become physically and verbally abusive at school, he was expelled. Fortunately, Trenton’s mother was determined that he would complete his education and avoid the pitfalls of life on the streets. Her determination led her to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health where Trenton entered our Partial Hospitalization program. Here, therapists were able to treat Trenton so that he could attend our Virtual Academy, a high school program where he not only earned the respect of classmates and his teachers … but also his diploma. Today, this proud graduate holds a promising job with a Fortune 500 company.

From humiliated and angry to grateful for the opportunities he’s earned. Amazing.

A rough family life and lack of self-control took its toll on Jaylen and those around him.

When physical and verbal aggression toward classmates and teachers became too much for his district school to manage, Jaylen was referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health.

Here, Jaylen found the highly individualized therapy – including gardening – that he desperately needed. He also found, in his words, “… teachers and staff who listen and never give up on me. They are there for me, moving me in the right direction when I need it.” Thanks to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, Jaylen now knows what’s expected of him. He knows his future is in his own hands, and he’s thankful for the opportunity to return to his district school as an honor student who already exhibits glimmers of the pastor he plans to become.

From disruptive to helping cultivate the best in others. Amazing.

Sensory overload from a large high school almost sunk his college hopes.

Although teachers in his district high school tried to help Austin, they lacked proper training in responding to a child with autism spectrum disorder complicated by ADHD. So, Austin responded by simply walking out of class.

Thankfully, Austin was referred to the High School for Students with Autism and Related Disorders at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health. Here, specially trained teachers and speech and language therapists work with students daily in an environment that’s designed to reduce distractions. For Austin, this includes teaching coping mechanisms and developing assignments matched to his skill sets. Today, Austin is becoming a standout in our Engineering Program. Not only has this improved his own outlook, but also his family’s – including college hopes for the first time.

From panicked to proud. Amazing.

Daily frustrations and anger almost sunk her. Now, this proud student is becoming a class leader.

The 2nd grade should be anything but a volatile environment for kids. But with Juliet as a classmate, every school day was tense for those around her, teachers included. Juliet’s frequent outbursts in class and physical and verbal aggression towards classmates were too much for her district school to handle. At the young age of 8, Juliet was suspended from school for the 5th and final time.

Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, Juliet’s actions were addressed one-on-one by teachers and counselors. In working with her, they quickly discovered that Juliet is visual and responds best when teachers, literally, paint a picture of what is an appropriate response. As such, part of Juliet’s therapy included illustrative, positive reminders taped to her school desk. The result – Juliet began taking pride in her schoolwork. Today, teachers describe this future zoologist as an empathetic class leader. From disruptive to responsible student. Amazing.

Depression nearly overcame him. Now he’s in college on an athletic scholarship.

Growing up without parents took a toll on Calvin. His grandmother did the best she could in raising him, but with Calvin and his five younger brothers, she had her hands full. By age 11, Calvin was an angry child. Unable to control his emotions, he frequently lashed out at others, both verbally and physically. Attempts to restrain and correct his behaviors only led to further rage and, eventually, depression.

Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, Calvin arrived like many — guarded and unwilling to participate and trust. But over time, therapists began to help him express his feelings, a critical breakthrough. As his communication skills improved, Calvin also learned coping skills for times when he felt frustrated. With increased self-control, he began to make friends and even joined the football team.

Now, Calvin is a role model for his brothers. Graduating with a 3.5 GPA, he was awarded a scholarship to play football at Urbana University.

He was suspended from preschool. Now his future is promising.

His mother, a single, overwhelmed parent, was at a loss for what to do with Ethan. His history of stealing, aggression and unpredictability was simply too much to manage. So his mom kept tight reins on him, seldom allowing Ethan to venture outside their home — absolutely the worst thing you can do with a hyperactive child.

But Ethan was lucky. Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, his mother found the fortitude to get Ethan to daily treatment. He arrived just in time. Surrounded by therapists and physicians who regularly and successfully treat children with complex combinations of development, learning and behavioral issues, Ethan’s transformation began when he was diagnosed with disruptive behavior and ADHD — a condition requiring intensive treatment.

Entering our Early Childhood Day Treatment program under proper medication, Ethan slowly but surely began responding to therapy, including playtime, artwork and even yoga. At the same time, his mother started our parent education program, helping to ensure reinforcement of Ethan’s on-campus teachings.

While Ethan will continue to see his Best Point Education & Behavioral Health therapist, his future is now as open and promising as virtually any classmate.

She was an aggressive bully. Now she's a classroom ace.

Looking at Alexa now, it’s hard to believe that such a cute little girl could put anyone on the defensive, including her mother and her pediatrician. But when her tantrums progressed from typical meltdowns to much more frequent and aggressive episodes that included spitting and hitting, professionals became concerned for Alexa’s mental and physical health.

Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health and admitted to our Early Childhood Day Treatment program, physicians and teachers were able to quickly diagnose and treat Alexa one-on-one. First steps were getting her to maintain control of her hands and feet. Next, she learned to use words to describe her frustrations and accept the answers. Then Alexa was included in groups of her peers as part of her re-entry into a classroom setting.

Not only did Alexa graduate from our program, she also graduated from kindergarten. Now, she’s back in her district school. And although she still has her “moments” like any child her age, Alexa not only recognizes her emotions, but also knows how adults expect her to respond.

He had run out of local options for high school. Now he’s in college.

The number of children with autism spectrum disorders is somewhere in the range of one in 10 in the United States. There aren’t many high schools available for kids with these challenges, so Bo had been attending an out-of-town boarding school. But with the opening of our new high school for children with autism, Bo could live at home in Cincinnati and attend a school specifically designed for kids like him.

The school meets both the physical and academic needs of children with autism spectrum disorder. For example, the building itself is designed to reduce echoes and other sensory distractions that students with autism can find distracting. The classes are small and offer individualized instruction. Speech and language therapists work with the children daily, and the teaching staff has 60+ years of combined experience working with children with developmental disabilities.

Bo, a technology and music enthusiast, thrived at the school, and we are happy to report that he was our first graduate. Armed with his high school diploma and an excellent academic record, Bo earned one of only 10 spots in the University of Cincinnati’s highly selective Transition and Access Program (TAP) for students with intellectual disabilities.

Their son’s behavior was unacceptable. Now, no more meltdowns.

Mandy and her husband were looking for answers.

Their son Jax had a lot of energy, a lot of creativity … and a lot of meltdowns. His loving nature would dissolve into a tantrum with little provocation. “Time outs” and other techniques worked for a while, but eventually, Jax’s parents were out of ideas. Jax was becoming increasingly unhappy and they needed to do something to help him.

The couple worked with the professionals at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health to incorporate its Proven Parenting™ program into their everyday interaction with Jax. This behavior modification practice teaches children to improve their behavior and social skills and gives parents evidence-based techniques to help prevent and correct misbehavior.

One of the first issues the family tackled was Jax’s difficulty accepting “no” for an answer. Using their new parenting techniques, Mandy and her husband explained their behavioral expectations to Jax, rehearsed the appropriate response with him and helped him learn positive new ways to behave. Jax now knows exactly what to do when things don’t go his way. He acknowledges his parents’ answer and stays calm.

Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but these parents are now on the same page when it comes to interaction with Jax. They are less stressed, their marriage is stronger, and they’ve noticed a dramatic change in Jax’s behavior.

Her life was marked by trauma and loss. Now her natural exuberance shines through.

Keasia’s life took a hard turn when she was very young. A mix of poverty, significant trauma and profound loss colored her earliest years.

Constantly changing schools and dealing with a dysfunctional family situation was — and is — her norm.

But Keasia has help. Identified by her teachers as coming from a “high-need” family, Keasia has been assigned to a behavioral health therapist from Best Point Education & Behavioral Health who works onsite at her school.

When they first met, given what Keasia had experienced in her life, the therapist was prepared to encounter an angry, defiant little girl. But Keasia was full of energy and zest for life. What she really needed was some reinforcement — some honing of her social skills, work on connecting her feelings, thoughts and actions, and reminders of the importance of telling the truth.

Now Keasia continues to surprise her therapist with her positive outlook and sunny disposition. The therapist is amazed at how a child who has seen so much negativity and sadness can be such a bright presence in the world.

Like many children, Keasia is resilient. Her therapy with Best Point Education & Behavioral Health has helped to point her in a positive direction and bring out her natural exuberance. Her therapist is encouraged, knowing that if Keasia continues her hopeful outlook, she’ll be successful in school and in life.

He was abused as a toddler. Now he’s ready to serve his country.

At the age of two, Robert was found in a closet suffering with a broken leg from physical abuse.

While this led to finding a more loving home, lingering mental anguish affected Robert’s behaviors as he grew older. In high school, these actions became unmanageable. In his own words, “If I didn’t want to do something, nobody was going to make me.”

When Robert arrived at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, his graduation odds were dismal. He trusted no one. When teachers and counselors approached his stubbornness, they found an articulate young man who responded best when guided to — not given — the answers.

Today, Robert’s peers look up to him. And after he graduates, he has his eye on becoming a U.S. Marine.

She was constantly fighting at school. Now she wants to be a teacher.

High school, by its nature, is an emotionally charged time for students.

Add in a situation like Kyra’s, who was being bullied to the point that her only answer was to fight, and you’ve got all the ingredients for trouble. At the age of 16, Kyra found herself struggling to manage her behavior and cope with the pressure of school. But mostly she was angry.

Referred to Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, Kyra was assessed by teachers and counselors who quickly saw that beneath her volatility was a caring young woman. They taught Kyra that anger is but a word — that it’s what’s beneath the emotion where the work lies. During this look within, Kyra discovered something else — an urge to write and to rhyme. Now, the poet wants to teach others one day.

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