When Isabella was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it confirmed suspicions long held by her mom, Jennifer. Her little girl experienced multiple fears that were ever-present and debilitating – she was fearful of getting sick, people stopping by the house, being alone in the bathroom and sleeping in her own bed – fears that held Isabella back from living her best life as an 11-year-old kid.
“In the day-to-day, when your child won’t have a bath on their own, when they won’t sleep in their own bed, when they’re afraid of people stopping by the house and you don’t know where all of this is coming from, it’s a lot,” says Jennifer.
It was a program called Facing Your Fears that helped Isabella turn the page, says mom. Facing Your Fears is a cognitive behavioural therapy geared toward youth with high-functioning ASD. Brought to Calgary by experts at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), the program helps kids identify their worries and tackle them head-on.
The donor-funded program includes classes, workbooks designed for both parent and child, deep-breathing techniques, new coping skills and strategies for self-calming, all guided by a team of experts that includes psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.
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Jennifer and Isabella spent 14 weeks learning to understand Isabella’s fears and how to dismantle them, one by one. One of the tools that helps them track progress is a method called the Stress-O-Meter, which asks kids to gauge their anxiety on a scale from zero to eight.
In the beginning, sleeping alone was a solid eight for Isabella. By the end of the program, it was zero.
“We were very fortunate to get into this program. It was really, really helpful,” says Jennifer. “Will Isabella have new anxieties? Yes, of course. But now I know how to help her overcome them. We have the tools.”
Jennifer is grateful for the support they received through Facing Your Fears, and for always having the Alberta Children’s Hospital there for them when they need it.
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