Lucy’s New Beginning

LUCY’S NEW BEGINNING THANKS TO ST. MARY’S CENTER

“Lucy like other children and adults with intellectual disabilities learn new skills with time and individualized support…Today Lucy continues to reside with her family and has returned to her new school this fall.”

Recently, Lucy an 11-year-old girl, who was removed from her home by the Department of Children and Families due to neglect, was referred to St. Mary’s Center for clinical assessment, stabilization services, and 24/7/365 professional care.

When Lucy first arrived, she only spoke “Spanglish,” and she was unable to perform basic daily functions such as showering on her own, washing her hair, dressing herself, or eating with a fork and knife. Lucy struggled to comprehend and follow directions for basic tasks, and as a result she became increasingly aggressive at school.

Working collaboratively with family members, medical professionals, and with Lucy herself, St. Mary’s Center’s clinicians assessed her development, cognition, and physical and emotional well-being.

During the assessment it was discovered that Lucy had received a previous misdiagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) prior to her arrival at St. Mary’s Center. Because of a thorough assessment, Lucy finally received a proper diagnosis of Intellectual Disability (ID) disorder, characterized by below-average IQ or mental ability.

Lucy like other children and adults with intellectual disabilities learn new skills with time and individualized support. In Lucy’s case she was acting out of frustration, because she was not receiving the specialized care she deserves.

St. Mary’s Center staff worked patiently with Lucy, and she achieved new heights in building daily life skills and communicating with her teachers and caregivers. They also recommended and enrolled Lucy in a new school to better meet her needs.

Lucy and her family worked extremely hard on meeting Lucy’s treatment plan and goals. Incredibly grateful, Lucy’s family lovingly prepared a meal for the program staff.

After several weeks, Lucy returned home and was reunified with her family! Today Lucy continues to reside with her family and has returned to her school this fall.