Success Stories: Tracey & Tyler

"When Tyler was just two years old, I knew he was different. He would laugh as he banged his head repeatedly on my hardwood floor and become furious when I tried to stop him.  For years, I fought to get him the help he needed; but, over and over again, I was told that his behavior was my fault. No one would help us. And then we found The Providence Center School."

Tracey knew something was going on inside Tyler that she could not control, but no one believed her.  After many frustrating years, Tyler was finally diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity, bi-polar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Then came the nightmare–finding the right placement for him.

By the time Tyler was 11 years old, he had been placed in schools and residential settings all over Rhode Island and had failed time and time again.  Tracey was skeptical when a social worker from Tyler's school district suggested The Providence Center School. Tyler had been through so much. Was he headed for just one more disappointment? Tracey decided to take a chance. 

At The Providence Center School, Tyler quickly made friends and jumped from a third-to fifth-grade reading level in just six months.  Tracey watched him run from the bus excited about his day, his teachers and what he had learned.  She watched him as he learned to control his behavior; and, after all these years, Tracey watched as Tyler began to believe that he could succeed. Tyler was finally doing well and Tracey knew why: "At The Providence Center School, Tyler was not just cared for, he was cared about."

Tyler is 13 years old now.  He's still learning about himself and how to manage his behavior, but Tracey is confident that he will succeed.  She knows this because Tyler carries with him a gift–a gift given to him by the staff at The Providence Center School, a gift Tracey knows he will treasure for the rest of his life: the gift of hope.