Who We Are

Success Stories: Students with Disabilities

Students with Disabilities

three students


Click on each student's name to read more.

Abigail, a student with learning disabilities who needed help getting services during the pandemic.

Adrian, a hardworking student who was stuggling with undiagnosed dyslexia.

Angenis, a student with dyslexia who was a non-reader at age 12, attended a school that was unable to help him learn to read.

Briana, a student with learning disabilities, needed a school that was the right fit.

Caleb, a student whose multiple disabilities made it impossible for him to participate in remote learning.

Emely was almost 14 years old and in fifth grade for the second time when her mother called AFC's Helpline.

Emma, a 12-year-old student with autism, is currently making great strides academically, socially, and in daily living skills, thanks to a school placement that meets her unique needs.

Gloria is a student with a learning disability and anxiety who had difficulty throughout elementary school, but was not referred for special education services until the very end of fifth grade.

Hector now enjoys reading and writing, but just two years ago, he was unable to write full sentences and was reading years below grade level.

Jake had been struggling in school for several years and was far below grade level.

Jayce, who needed in-person supports but was turned away from a Learning Bridges child care center due to his disability

Josh first came to AFC because he was desperate to learn how to read; he was 20 years old but only reading on a first-grade level.

Julian is a hardworking student on the autism spectrum who needed an appropriate school placement. He was the 2017 recipient of AFC's Education Champion Award.

Julius is a student with dyslexia who needed the right support in order to make progress in school.

Kalilah, a 14-year-old with a learning disability, was struggling with reading and writing and needed evidence-based literacy instruction.

Kendall, a student with autism, was referred to AFC when his mother needed assistance securing an appropriate high school placement.

Lillian, a high school graduate who is headed to Hofstra with a scholarship from a fund established for AFC clients!

Mia, a student with cerebral palsy whose District 75 school was unable to accommodate her mobility needs. 

Mishel's charter school demoted her to sixth grade partway through the school year, in violation of her and her parents' rights.

Paige, a bright third grade student on the autism spectrum, sat at home for nearly two months waiting for a school placement that would meet her needs.

Tayloni was referred to AFC for assistance with her educational needs as she transitioned back to school after being hit by a stray bullet and paralyzed from the waist down.

Valerie spent years making little academic progress, but each year, rather than provide additional supports or a more appropriate placement, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) would lower her promotional criteria.

Yacine, a dedicated student who struggled with verbal comprehension.

Zio is a child with an autism spectrum disorder who had attended four schools in six years, unable to find one that met his learning needs. He was the 2013 recipient of AFC's Education Champion Award.