Just four weeks after entering kindergarten, Raja Cheney received an achievement award. During a school assembly at Ignacio Elementary School, Raja was one of six kindergartners and twelve first-graders to receive commendation and awards from Principal Juvie Jones.

In an afternoon awards ceremony attended by parents, teachers, administrators and students, Raja was called to the podium and asked to face the audience while Mr. Jones described Raja's scholastic excellence. Mr. Jones then shook Raja's hand and presented him with the award, showing Raja to his seat in the chairs reserved for award winners.

Raja's award reads:

Raja has shown big amounts of growth since he came to Kindergarten. He has learned all our classroom rules and procedures. Academically he has also caught up with the rest of the Kindergartners. His reading is above Kindergarten level. Raja exhibits great willingness to learn.

Mainstreamed without an aide, Raja has adapted to his new environment beautifully. Learning alongside 17 normally-developing Kindergartners, Raja readily participates in school activities, growing both socially and academically. On the daily behavior calendar, Raja endeavors to earn a green smiley face for good behavior and anticipates playing with his new friends from class. Raja loves school and looks forward to attending each and every day.

While public recognition of one's academic excellence is always cause for celebration, Raja's victory is particularly eventful. Diagnosed with severe autism in 2000, Raja was unable to talk, possessed no self-help skills, and screamed while being groomed. Raja was terrified of children, strangers, noises, and new surroundings, reacting by clinging, crying or kicking. His attention span was extremely limited, preventing him from completing a four-piece puzzle or responding appropriately to the simplest directions. Grumpy, terrified, and antisocial, Raja rarely smiled or made eye contact, even when his name was called repeatedly and directly. Now, less than four years later, Raja received an achievement award for outstanding scholastic performance after only four weeks of attendance in a mainstreamed Kindergarten class.

Underscoring the significance of his well-earned accomplishment, Raja has never before attended school. During the 3.5 years that Raja has been in recovery, he has not attended any type of school, including preschool or Sunday school, in order to avoid contact with the foods and environmental substances that cause reactions. Deterred by foods such as crackers and milk, and environmental substances like cleaners and perfume, Raja's developmental progress required that he avoid public places where triggers abound. Thus, although Raja's healing path took the form of social seclusion, once enrolled in school, his speedy adjustment to a new environment and outstanding achievement therein has been apparent and rewarded.

What a tremendous day to share in Raja's public victory as he received his first achievement award! Thank you for sharing my enthusiasm in Raja's ongoing recovery!