Dominic's Story
多米尼克(中)与乔迪阿姨(右)和他的临床医生亚当(左)。
10岁的多米尼克笑容灿烂，性格风趣. He likes superheroes, playing with friends, 和, since coming to Community Child Guidance Clinic, he has even started to enjoy gardening. 然而，对于这个眼睛明亮、快乐的孩子来说，情况并非总是如此. Dominic was born addicted to Methadone, 他一直在与包括多动症在内的各种精神疾病作斗争, 抑郁症, mood regulation, 和 anxiety for most of his short life. ,遗憾的是, even though he received a diagnoses early on, 几年之后，他才终于得到了他需要的帮助，改善了他的行为，过上了更快乐的生活, more fulfilled life.
Before coming to CCGC, 多米尼克在公立学校度过了一段艰难的时光, 和 due to his mental health challenges, was often overwhelmed. 多米尼克的许多老师在与像多米尼克这样的学生打交道时，没有任何专门的培训或经验, 当他开始出现行为崩溃时，他们无法以安全的方式让他安定下来，也无法帮助他克服困难. In mainstream classrooms, 处理这类事件和爆发的资源非常有限, 而且很少有额外的员工可以在危机中提供帮助. 随着时间的推移, he was labeled as a troubled child, 学校也越来越不愿意“和他打交道”了.” Dominic began feeling “less than” the other children, 和乔迪-, Dominic’s Auntie, could see his pain 和 frustration growing.
Jodi tried working with the teachers 和 administration, but like in most public schools, when a child acts up 和 poses a risk to others, they are simply removed from the classroom. 不久，多米尼克呆在家里的时间就超过了他在学校的时间, 和 his academics, as well as relationships with teachers 和 classmates, continued to suffer. 与此同时，他还没有学会如何处理自己的感情或控制自己的情绪爆发.
“A child doesn’t underst和 what an anxiety attack is. They don’t know how to inherently cope,乔迪说。.
Dominic cutting greens during a garden harvest
So they started looking for alternatives, 和 with the help of the South Windsor Public Schools, they found a solution in IM体育app下载. 一开始，这种转变很困难，因为乔迪和多米尼克都不知道会发生什么. 然而, 当乔迪看到工作人员在照顾像多米尼克这样的孩子方面是多么出色时，这种情况很快就改变了. Within just a few months, Dominic had connected with his teacher 和 clinician, 一旦他开始感到安全，乔迪就开始看到改善.
她还注意到学校是如何在多米尼克崩溃时帮助他的. Instead of being shunned or sent home, 他们努力降低他的紧张情绪，让他重新集中注意力，这样他就能度过成功的一天. 他们还一起学习控制孩子情绪所需的技能，这样他就可以享受各种活动，并在各种环境中安全地与他人相处. Jodi no longer feels that Dominic is being labelled, 相反，他和其他同学被平等对待.
学校的工作人员也让乔迪很容易参与多米尼克的学习和治疗, 她从不觉得问他的进展有什么不妥. “我对多米尼克唯一的期望就是他快乐和成功. CCGC在其中扮演了重要的角色，也起到了巨大的作用,乔迪说。, “情况比以前好多了，即使在家里也是如此.”
围绕着心理健康仍然有很多污名，尤其是涉及到儿童时. 然而, as Jodi recommends, “寻找每一个获得家庭所需帮助和资源的机会. 不要感到羞耻，因为最终受苦最多的将是你的孩子.”
Dominic in a mask he made during school
在过去的一年半里，多米尼克在不断进步. 然而，来到CCGC后不久，又发生了一件事. One day at afternoon pick up, 当他带着灿烂的笑容走出学校时，乔迪正等着他, 和其他孩子交谈——这是他在公立学校上学时她从未见过的. “我哭了，”乔迪说，“因为我知道他今天过得很愉快.”
If you know a child like Dominic, 谁能在IM体育app下载这样的特殊服务的支持下更快乐、更成功, remember it is never too soon (or too late) to reach out, 让孩子踏上改善心理健康的旅程, as well as a brighter, happier future.
