Our 6 year-old was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder three years ago. We spent one year in a public school program, which was a frustrating experience. It is a horrible feeling to know that time is of the essence for interventions that will significantly impact the outcome of your child’s life, and to have to simultaneously wait for the resolution of administrative issues that limit the quality of care your child is receiving.
Thankfully, we discovered The Center for Growth & Development, where our son has received private services for the last two years. Two years ago, we would have never allowed ourselves to be so hopeful that our son would be doing as well as he is today. Our son is now difficult to pick out of a group of typical children and is about to re-enter public school with minimal support.
The comprehensive program that The Center for Growth & Development designed for our son included a 1:1 shadow that accompanied him to a typical preschool, 1:1 ABA therapy at The Center, facilitated play dates at home with a ABA therapist, and a social skills group at the Center to work on social issues often experienced by spectrum children.
The Center’s plan was brilliant! Here’s how it worked for our son: The 1:1 shadow at school allowed our son to be in a typical preschool, which gave him access to a room full of typically developing peer models to learn from. The shadow gave him the support needed to keep up with what was happening in the classroom, both academically and socially without his needs overwhelming the classroom teacher. The 1:1 ABA therapy provided step-by-step instruction on issues that came up at school or other areas that our son needed extra help. The facilitated play date at home offered him the opportunity to bond with classmates outside the classroom in a fun way while working on social goals AND offered us, as parents, a hands-on way to learn how to help our son with appropriate peer socializing. The social skills group reviews a social lesson and then allows time for practice in a safe and fun environment (my typically developing child cannot wait to be invited to attend the social skills group!). Additionally, we had regular team meetings to review our son’s progress and make a team plan until the next meeting. The staff was and is always there to provide helpful suggestions for issues that arise at home as well.
We could not imagine where our son would be right now had it not been for The Center for Growth & Development. We feel he is perched for success in this next adventure of his life. We cannot thank the staff at The Center enough.
