If you've followed my reviews, or if you search them now, you will understand that the NMT has…read morestruggled with his emotional wellness over the past few years. One of his biggest struggles has been with school-based anxiety, to the point of being unable to get into the school building. His local, award-winning, nationally recognized public school worked mightily but ultimately could not provide him with an environment in which he could learn. We cycled through a couple of other independent schools that work with anxious kids with various levels of success, but ultimately did not work out.
I learned about Fusion via a newspaper article in November of 2017, while the NMT was inpatient for the second time to keep him safe. I spoke with their school director, hoping to be able to send him there at discharge. Alas, they would not be open until late spring. NMT enrolled elsewhere for spring semester, did OK but by the end of summer clearly needed something else.
So we went off to Fusion, where they met so warmly with him and us. I admit, I was skeptical, a bit, as was the boy's therapist. Could they really handle this kid? Deep breath. The NMT cautiously agreed to enroll.
The first days were ROUGH. Really rough. He doesn't transition well, and he was anxious and terrified and angry. I was waiting for the "I'm sorry, we can't help him" call. Except...they handled him, well, beautifully. Better than the award winning nationally recognized public school or the two independent schools who work with anxious teens. They just...got him. Gave him space but kept him engaged. Slowly, he started to trust, first one teacher, then others. He started to think it wasn't so awful. Then, that it was OK. Now, 10 months later, he voluntarily enrolled in summer programming so he could avoid re-entry stress and keep moving and because he loves his time there.
Recently he was angry with me over something teenager-y. He shouted "You know what? I'M GOING TO SCHOOL AND I'M NOT COMING BACK." I had to turn my back to keep from showing him the little happy dance I did with my arms. This is a kid who hated school. The bright, above average testing boy who was anxious and angry and felt he was stupid and it was a waste of time.
I can't say that they could teach any kid, or that every parent will have the experience that we have. There are a lot of factors that go into his success, one of which was him making different choices, his clinical team making some medication changes that helped him, and a measure of emotional maturity kicking in, or just being weary of being in trouble all the time. I can say that Fusion's team were a significant part of that though, meeting him where he was, building the relationship first, building trust, and yes, holding him to standards and teaching too.
Yeah, they really get it, how to reach the anxious school refusing kid, and they are doing great work with him. I could not be more grateful.