Gratitude Stories - Nathan
Finding Strength on and off the Mat
Ten-year-old Nathan felt like he was constantly getting it wrong. His jokes didn’t land the way he intended, and classmates didn’t understand him. School wasn’t a place where Nathan felt like he fit in; it was a place where he felt alone.
“Nathan just wasn’t happy,” Nathan’s mother, Amanda, recalls. “It wasn’t just school—it was everything. He felt different, and he didn’t know why. And the more he struggled, the more it seemed like nothing was working.”
Amanda had done everything she knew to get Nathan help and support, including therapy. Yet, following an alarming incident at school, Nathan’s clinician recognized that his needs had outgrown what she could offer. “She was so honest with me,” Amanda shares. “She told me, ‘I don’t think I’m the best person for him right now—but I know where he can get the help he needs.’”
That place was Bradley Hospital.
On the inpatient unit, clinicians stabilized Nathan and conducted a thorough evaluation, officially diagnosing him with autism, anxiety, and depression—conditions that had gone unrecognized for years. Before his hospitalization, Nathan had been diagnosed with ADHD, but the full picture of his challenges had not been clear until then.
Nathan then transitioned into Bradley’s Children's Partial Hospital Program, a step down from inpatient care for children who still need intensive treatment but can safely live at home. The highly specialized program provides comprehensive evaluation and structured therapy to help children ages seven through twelve and their families address emotional, social, and behavioral challenges in real-world settings.
“This program is about more than treatment—it’s about giving children and their families the tools to navigate life’s challenges together,” shares Margaret Azar, PsyD, Nathan’s provider at the Children's Partial Hospital Program. “We focus on real-life application, so the skills they learn here help them at home, in school, and in relationships.”
Over several months, Nathan learned how to regulate his emotions, developed tools to help him navigate social situations, and learned how to communicate and build connection. Amanda also learned new ways to support her son, communicate with him, and manage her own responses to stressful situations.
A key part of the program was preparing him to return to school. The Bradley team worked closely with Amanda and educators to create a transition plan, ensuring Nathan had both the academic and emotional support he needed.
“They didn’t just send Nathan back and hope for the best,” Amanda explains. “They thought of everything—even small things, like helping Nathan decide what to say when kids asked where he had been. These things made a huge difference.”
Nearly one year later, Nathan is thriving in school, forming friendships, and embracing extracurricular activities. A dedicated athlete, he recently placed second in a statewide wrestling competition and was named Student of the Week for the first time in his life.
“Nathan used to feel isolated, like he didn’t belong,” Amanda recalls. “Now, he talks about his friends, celebrates his wrestling wins, and carries himself with a confidence I never thought I’d see.”
For families like hers who might be considering the program, Amanda offers reassurance. “It’s hard in the moment,” she says. “But when I look at my son now—how far he’s come, how happy he is—I know it was the best decision we ever made.”