News from Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb

Thanks to all of you who have been reading this blog & supporting our efforts!
We really enjoyed seeing some of you at the yard sale & appreciate the support.

My name is Jacqueline Gottlieb, and I am the Head of School at The Mariposa School for Children with Autism in Cary, North Carolina. I have been with Mariposa just over a year now. The setting is quite different from the corporate office environment I was in for over 10 years. It is even much different than the public schools I taught in just after college. The instruction is all one-on-one and the majority of the learning is through play.

A Success Story
Just the other day, I was walking through the hall. I heard a commotion around the corner. I stopped and peaked around the corner. You never know what might be coming down the hall as the children, and sometimes teachers, are flying by on scooters or racing on plasma cars. The hallway was clear, so I walked to the next corner. As I turned the corner, I saw a group of staff standing around a two year old child. All at once, the adults would start to stomp their feet on the ground and then the little boy would giggle. The adults stopped moving their feet and ever so quietly, the little boy would say, "go, go, go" and the adults would being to stomp their feet again. I know for most this wouldn't seem like a big deal, but to the staff here at Mariposa and for a child with autism - it is an awesome event. This child has been here since January 2008 and had never spoken a word until that day!!!! As we continue to reinforce his attempts to communicate, his functional communication will grow, opening up a whole new world of opportunities for him.

Its great to see these kids blossoming. I'll keep sharing the success stories here with you! With the right help, these kids can blossom and take flight.