The Power of Believing in Yourself: James’ Success Story

James struggled to adjust to his traditional public high school in the western suburbs of Chicago. As the challenges escalated, he and his parents knew he needed more support. That’s when they turned to UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks School.

Nearly 10 years have passed since then — six since James graduated. GlenOaks School special education teacher Eric Balius was surprised when he heard from James’ mom out of the blue. “She had the most unbelievable things to say,” Balius said.

Keep reading to learn more about James’ story at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks School, and how a supportive family and teacher propelled his success.

A School Built for Support and Collaboration

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks School opened in 1995 to support students with social-emotional disabilities, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders achieve their educational goals. Today, it serves more than 220 students, grades three through 12 and young adults (ages 17 to 21) in the transition program.

The therapeutic school offers small class sizes, hands-on learning opportunities and a dedicated multidisciplinary team, including teachers, nurses, social workers, therapists, clinical psychologists and a psychiatrist. Staff members work closely with families to create individual education plans to help every student thrive. “Every student has a social worker, teacher and a behavioral health technician,” Balius said. “James was one of my students.”

Building Trust and Confidence

As a high school student, James didn’t envision college in his future. He had experienced bullying in middle school and didn’t have a lot of trust in his teachers or confidence in himself. But his parents were committed to supporting him and ensuring that the challenges he faced didn’t keep him from achieving his goals. Because of the collaboration between James’ family and teachers, Balius said, “You got to see him totally progress and take off.”

It took nearly two years for Balius to earn James’ trust fully. He took his time, didn’t force a connection and met James where he was. Gradually, they built a trusting relationship. James began to believe in himself again, both as a student and as a person. “It really shows you the importance of the relationships you build when you’re in a program like this,” Balius said.

Charting a New Path

Shortly after graduating, James decided to continue with his studies. He attended a local community college and graduated with high honors after two years. He was then accepted into a major university, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in less than two years. After graduation, he secured a full-time corporate job and purchased his first home and a new car. For Balius, now in his twenty-third year at GlenOaks, hearing about James’ success was deeply affirming.

“We’ve worked with a lot of different groups of kids over the years,” he said. “It can be natural to start to lose perspective. We have to keep realizing we make a difference even when we don’t immediately see that we’re making a difference.”

A Message for Parents

James’ mom shared how lonely and overwhelming it can be as a parent advocating within the school system for a child with autism spectrum disorder, especially one who struggled behaviorally and socially and didn’t fit the traditional academic mold. They wanted to let other parents at the GlenOaks School know that there’s hope:

“We didn’t have anyone pat us on the back and say, ‘Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK.’ I want to be that voice. It’s a tough process, but look where we are — it’s possible. We know what support parents are looking for. If we can send a message, we’d say, ‘Trust the process, trust your instincts, hang in there and accept the support.’ We want parents to know there are amazing things that can happen with every one of these kids.”

James’ mom went on to say, “Don’t give up on them and don’t let anybody else give up on them or relegate them to a lesser position. Anything is possible, but to make it happen, you have to love and support them through some very difficult and uncomfortable challenges.”

Helping Every Child Succeed

James’ parents hope that sharing their family’s journey reassures other parents who may feel discouraged as they navigate systems that aren’t designed to meet their children’s individual needs.

No matter what challenges you face, you don’t have to do it alone. At UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks School, we’re dedicated to helping every child succeed and supporting their families along the way.