Autistic Student Triumphs Over Silence

By BETHANY A. ROMANEK Education Writer


BETHLEHEM — Upon entering the Augusta Levy Learning Center in August 2006, Logan Coffield used an electronic communication device in order to speak.

Diagnosed with autism at an early age, Logan’s parents Amanda and Todd Coffield of Bethesda, Ohio wanted their child to live a normal life. They decided they would do everything in their power to assure Logan had the same opportunities as their other children.

Located in Bethlehem, the Augusta Levy Learning Center is an intensive autism treatment program. Utilizing methods pioneered and proven by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas of UCLA and his colleagues, and under the guidance of the Lovaas Institute For Early Intervention (LIFE), the Levy Center aims to enhance the language, social, academic and independent living skills of its students.

“Logan had gone to a special needs preschool before he came to us and really hadn’t made much progress,” said Kathy Shapell, director. “It was August 2006 and he had an electronic communication device. He pushed a button and it talks for you. A year later, summer 2007, he was completely verbal.”

Shapell said Logan has made so much progress in all areas. Professionals at the center worked with Logan’s home school district of Union Local to begin transitioning him into a preschool program, and by October of last year he was thriving in a regular class.

The transfer from Augusta to Union Local schools began early in the process. Shapell said Logan started one hour a day in the new setting accompanied by an Augusta chaperone; he spent the remainder of the day at the center.

“The plan was to increase time there and decrease time with Augusta,” Shapell explained. “By October he was fully transitioned in their Monday through Thursday preschool program and he was still here on Fridays to fine tune things. It took one year which is not typical. His results are nothing short of miraculous. It typically does not happen this way.”

Completely integrated into a traditional class setting, Logan now knows all letters and numbers and is starting to read. He has even developed strong social skills and plays regularly with other students in his classroom.

Shapell recalls reading a letter Logan’s mother wrote her back in August. In the letter, Logan’s mother writes about being with her three children when Logan said to his siblings, “Oh, you are going to ride the bus to school.” Amanda Coffield never realized her children would be sitting and talking together.

“Logan’s parents are completely blown away by the progress he has made. They were – I think – a little hesitant to begin the program and once they did they have been completely on board,” Shapell said. “He has made huge progress and continues to do so.”

Shapell said the Augusta Center is unique in that teachers require parent participation. She said if parents are not fully on board and fully trained, their children won’t make significant changes. For ongoing changes for children, she insists autistic children have to do therapy at home with consistency.

“It’s a huge commitment for families, but the payoff for families is priceless,” she said. “Logan’s family has been very committed and very on the ball. His mother went back to school to get a degree to work in the field of autism.”

But just how did Logan beat the effects of autism? Shapell said to date the only method of working with children with autism that has research behind it is the Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA approach.

According to Shapell, each student at the Levy Center has his or her own unique curriculum based on the child’s needs and abilities and receives at least the recommended 30 hours a week of intensive one-on-one instruction using ABA – a systematic approach to teaching small, measurable units of behavior, from relatively simple responses like making eye contact to spontaneous communication and social interaction.

These skills are broken down into small steps and taught systematically through one-on-one instruction and positive reinforcement from teachers trained by the Lovaas Institute For Early Intervention (LIFE). The intervention program is based on extensive clinical experience and more than 30 years of scientific research and yields the best educational results for children with autism.

A unique component of the program is parent involvement. Parents are considered the most essential part of the child’s educational team and are trained by Lovaas consultants to work alongside the child’s therapists and to implement programs in the home.

To honor Logan’s success in the program, an emotional graduation ceremony took place at the center on Feb. 8. Dressed in a bright blue cap and gown, Logan smiled as he received his diploma among many kisses, hugs and well wishes from the Augusta staff who each expressed their love for the entire Coffield family.

A tearful Amanda Coffield, Logan’s mother, said her life has changed so much since Logan’s journey began.

“Life is great now because we have a relationship with Logan we never thought we would have,” Amanda Coffield said. “The staff at Augusta are very helpful. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to get as far as we did. The staff here are like another family. They are wonderful with Logan and they truly love all of their students. We never would have made it this far if they wouldn’t have developed a relationship with him like they did.”

Instructor Erica Ouellette spoke at Logan’s commencement describing him as a little boy with a beautiful voice and a lot of spirit.

“We love you so much and we wish you nothing but the best of luck,” Ouellette said.