Meet Matthew and his speech therapist Keri! Matthew received speech therapy services through The Warren Center’s Early Childhood Intervention program for his speech delay. The therapy that Keri provided had an impact on both Matthew and his family.
“Every time she came over she was so warm and we had so much fun and I could tell that she genuinely cared about Matthew,” Matthew’s mom said. “I trusted her judgement completely and her assessments with him… She just really knew how to relate to him well and keep him focused…She was by far the highlight of our experience with The Warren Center,”.
Thanks to Keri, not only did Matthew’s speech improve during his time at The Warren Center, but his family was also encouraged and empowered knowing that they had a plan to help Matthew reach his full potential.
“He would start saying a new word or understanding that you had to ask for things with words… and it would just come in these waves that was so encouraging and such a big payoff after hard work,” Matthew’s mom said.
Dulce and Angel Mendoza worried their 2 ½ year old son Ian might not make it through his upcoming baptismal without a meltdown. In fact, Dulce had fears Ian was autistic. When Dulce learned The Warren Center Carrollton office was near their home, she acted immediately. She filled out a referral and came back in less than 2 weeks for Ian’s evaluation. Early Intervention Specialist, Tara, was assigned as Ian’s therapist. At each visit, Tara worked with both Ian and Dulce to improve his eye tracking, speech and his ability to follow directions. As Ian blossomed and made friends in group therapy, Dulce began attending the Family Education and Support group and found reassurance. As Ian’s 3rd birthday approached, he was evaluated by the school district and will start a Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) at his local school. Not only did Ian’s family celebrate his 3rd birthday in June, but they also celebrated his baptism where Ian did well and had no tears. He has also started to use two word phrases.
When Alex was diagnosed with Autism his family began looking for help and found The Warren Center through an Internet search. It was initially difficult for his parents to trust people outside of family, because Alex did not talk nor did he like to be around people. When they first met Melissa, Alex’s speech therapist, they immediately felt comfortable. Melissa was friendly and clearly enjoyed her job. Before he came to us, Alex could only say two words mama and gracias. He was also scared of anyone who came near him, including family members. Through our Clinic Therapy Services program, Alex has grown comfortable in his interactions and he uses more words every day. Melissa also helped Alex’s parents enroll him in a public school program for children his age, called a Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). He began taking occupational therapy along with his continued speech therapy sessions at The Warren Center. Clinic Therapy Services has been life-changing for him and his parents have declared that without our organization or Melissa, Alex wouldn’t have made the progress he has achieved so far.
Jennifer receives Early Childhood Intervention through The Warren Center to help treat her gross motor delays due to low muscle tone. At her initial evaluation, Jennifer could not get in and out of a sitting position or take steps when held upright. She always looked for help and was dependent on her family members for mobility. Since starting occupational therapy services at The Warren Center, Jennifer can now pull to stand and has confidence in her ability to move. This is a big step toward her independence! Her mom says," With the exercises and activities taught to us, Jennifer has made great progress!"
William was 24 months old when he enrolled in The Warren Center's ECI program in July 2016. William's mother was concerned that although he occasionally said a word, it was very random. He seemed to understand everything, but he couldn’t use a simple word to communicate and would get frustrated. To get what he wanted or needed, William would drag his mom over, or grunt and point, or hand an item that he needed help with to an adult. He babbled a lot, but it made no sense. When he was assessed, his communication skills were at a 14-month age equivalent and his mom was worried.
William has been receiving speech therapy weekly for only 4 months now, but he has made incredible progress. His mom follows through on all suggestions discussed and modeled for her by their speech therapist each week. Because of the parent coaching methods that The Warren Center stresses, William has been receiving therapy every day from his mother, and that makes all the difference! William is now regularly using 2 word phrases to speak what he wants or needs. His mom is thrilled with his progress and loves that she has been empowered to participate fully in making this happen.