Therapy Breakthroughs Transform Lives at Fairfield Day Academy
At the Fairfield Day Academy, a small treatment center in a quiet neighborhood, families are experiencing transformative changes in their children’s lives. The academy, operated primarily by Dr. Bob and a host of dedicated volunteer mothers, offers specialized therapy that, though not covered by insurance like Blue Cross, has proven effective for many children with developmental challenges.
Dr. Bob’s approach emphasizes collaboration between parents and professionals. The academy’s living room has been repurposed into a vibrant occupational therapy gym, equipped with monkey bars, weights, mats, and patterning tables. Each morning, a team of mothers guides the children through structured therapy sessions, culminating in the Listening Circle, where they focus on identifying sounds such as birdsong and thunder. According to Dr. Bob, this auditory training is crucial for unlocking the brain’s speech and language centers.
Among the families benefiting from this innovative treatment is Emma Greene, whose daughter, Carla, has made remarkable strides since attending the academy. At nearly four years old, Carla had yet to speak, but under Dr. Bob’s guidance, she engaged with music and began to express herself through xylophone compositions. Emma recalls, “Just getting her there three days a week in a place with other children seemed to make a difference.”
To finance her daughter’s therapy, Emma volunteered at the academy, receiving a partial tuition reduction. The family also took out a second mortgage and borrowed from the Faimans to cover costs. Despite the financial strain, Emma remained optimistic about Carla’s progress and the therapies provided.
Catherine, Emma’s older daughter, faced her own challenges. At eight years old, she often felt overwhelmed by the societal stigma attached to her sister. The taunts from neighborhood children, including the harsh label of “retard,” haunted her. This tension created a rift between the sisters. While Emma believed wholeheartedly in Carla’s potential, Catherine struggled with feelings of resentment, even hiding her emotions, akin to how she concealed a special key around her neck.
In an attempt to bridge the gap between her daughters, Emma allowed Catherine to adopt a stray cat, which they named Blackie or, in a moment of creativity, Trismegistus, after the god of magic. Jasper, Emma’s husband, contributed to Catherine’s imaginative world by sharing stories of ancient magic, fostering a unique bond between them.
As the therapy sessions progressed, a breakthrough occurred. Eighteen months after starting at Fairfield, Carla spoke her first complete sentence, expressing a desire to play outside. This milestone marked a significant turning point in her development. Emma vividly remembers the moment, saying, “It was as if Carla had always had the gift of speech, just like any other child.”
Despite the joy of this development, Emma grappled with feelings of isolation. Balancing her family responsibilities and her husband’s demanding job at Cambridge left little room for personal connection. As she prepared a heart-shaped cake for Valentine’s Day, she reflected on her emotional state, recognizing that she needed to foster more social interactions.
Catherine’s childhood memories of Milford are fragmented, filled with fleeting moments of happiness intermixed with isolation. She recalls walks home through the woods, which turned treacherous when confronted by a group of boys demanding a “toll.” That humiliation forced her to seek refuge in the local diner, where she could momentarily escape the pressures of her school environment.
These experiences shaped Catherine’s identity, leading her to navigate the complexities of friendship and competition among peers. As she transitioned into adolescence, the arrival of a new friend, Susanne McCoy, brightened her outlook. Together, they created a world filled with imaginative play and creativity, offering a reprieve from the challenges of navigating social dynamics at school.
However, as Susanne’s family moved away, Catherine faced a new wave of loneliness and exclusion, which intensified her desire to fit in. The shifting tides of friendships left her feeling like an outsider, ultimately prompting her to find solace in solitude and independence.
The journey of the Greene family at Fairfield Day Academy illustrates not just the power of innovative therapies but also the profound emotional complexities that can accompany developmental challenges. Through determination and community support, they have begun to reshape their narrative, transforming struggles into progress.
