Transformations
The term “ life-changing ” is often heard but rarely seen . Every day at TERI , we have the privilege of seeing lives more than change , they transform , as do the lives of their loved families . With more than 600 people served by TERI in an average day , there are countless stories . Here are two of them .
35 hours of
performing arts & music classes per week at TERI
Chris
Music Man
TERI is about making no assumptions , accepting no limits , and pushing boundaries .
When Chris first came to TERI , his verbal responses were limited to yesand-no answers . We were about to discover that Chris had incredible fluency in another language — music .
Chris ’ parents knew he liked music , but none of us knew he would soon be making music . As Chris explored the possibilities in our music department , he proved to have immense natural ability . He learned to play the piano and sing in a matter of months .
He continues to grow , adding writer and performer to his list of talents and new friends and experiences that enrich his life .
Chris — music man .
Avery
Hopeless to Happy
When we met Avery in 2013 at age 11 she was self-injurious , rarely going more than a few moments without attempting to harm herself . Her school district had been at a loss for how to help ; her family was full of worry and exhaustion . They needed a solution , and TERI was their best hope .
“ TERI was the perfect — and only — choice for our daughter ,” says Avery ’ s mother Sharie .
It took a team of staff with remarkable dedication and constant vigilance to find that solution . Through trial-and-error , we discovered more of what calms Avery , what motivates her , embracing Avery tightly and rocking her in a chair every five seconds . We even constructed a custom “ calm room ” just for Avery to have the safe and engaging environment she needed to learn and grow .
Today , Avery is another happy kid at TERI . She communicates using an iPad and is always smiling , waving , spinning and dancing .
“ Avery has made a remarkable transformation in the last four years under TERI ’ s professional and compassionate care ,” Sharie says , “ when Avery ’ s happy , we ’ re happy .”
“ We desperately needed an educational environment that was
72 safe and supportive ...” -Sharie students at TERI ’ s Avery ’ s Mom Learning Academy
receiving education unique to their needs