Bright Future Ahead: Mac Graduates from NeuroRestorative Academy and Plans For His Future
Mac Austin was adopted from Siberia, Russia, after being in three different orphanages. He was just 13 months old. Adopted by his current parents, Mac resided in the Chicagoland
area, attending several schools but struggling with classroom behavior, aggression towards others, leading to psychiatric hospitalization. Mac’s parents advocated for him, helping him get special education services and the supports he needed to succeed in school and get on a path for a more successful future. In 2021, Mac joined our NeuroRestorative Academy in Mount Prospect, IL, where we provided Mac with social work, daily life skills, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and nursing services.
“It was crucial to us that Mac was close to his family while attending a residential school program. NeuroRestorative was the place for him because of the home-like environment and size of the school,” said Krista Austin, Mac’s mother. “It was critical that we find a place that supported Mac and his decisions on how he wanted to live his personal life and support him in reaching those goals. It was his choice to stay at the program after he graduated due to enjoying all NeuroRestorative offers him.”
Mac, 19, recently graduated from the Academy program and decided to continue services at NeuroRestorative’s Residential Program in Palatine, IL, until he is ready to return home. Mac has plans to become a Phlebotomist and wants to learn Russian. “NeuroRestorative gave me more opportunities than other schools. They gave me a lot of life skills and support on how to care for myself. I have future plans to expand my education and get my own apartment,” said Mac.