I was able to set weekly goals that were my own and focused on what I needed help with—remembering tasks and learning how to schedule my days in a way that would benefit me.
Josh Silverman, HOBSCOTCH participantMy name is Josh Silverman and I live in upstate NY. I have an associate’s degree in Human Services and am currently pursuing my BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Psychology and Legal Studies. I also volunteer time as an Epilepsy Advocate Champion, knowing that sharing my experience can help others and also bring about positive change for people with epilepsy.
I started having seizures at the age of 13 and this led to some struggles in school. Seizures and treatment for the seizures made it very difficult for me to remember information and stay organized. Memory and organization problems have been longstanding for me. I still have active seizures and so challenges related to them continue and are why I decided to go ahead and make HOBSCOTCH a part of my journey.
Going into the HOBSCOTCH program I didn’t have any expectations, but I hoped that I would learn different tools to use while I was working on my studies and also in my day-to-day life. Once I began my HOBSCOTCH sessions, I found it helpful that the program and my HOBSCOTCH Cognitive Coach directly applied the tools throughout the learning process to my personal experience and needs. I was able to set weekly goals that were my own and focused on what I needed help with—remembering tasks and learning how to schedule my days in a way that would benefit me.
There were many strategies and skills that I picked up during the program and with the help of my HOBSCOTCH Coach. I benefited from learning to set a paced, daily structure which makes it easier for me to be more productive and stay organized with my college course work and appointments. I also often find myself using the “quick” mindfulness relaxation techniques on the spur of the moment to help keep stress and anxiety in check which allows me to function better cognitively.
I would reassure anyone considering this program to give it a try. HOBSCOTCH can work if you are willing to put in the time and effort to implement the tools and strategies that are learned from working with your Coach, who provides you with encouragement to work on the goals that matter most to you. Despite still having active seizures, HOBSCOTCH has made it possible for me to feel more in control of my daily school and life tasks. Thanks to the tools and support I received from HOBSCOTCH, this past semester (Spring 2021) I received an A in both of my courses and I was able to achieve a 3.75 overall GPA.