Hi, my name is Patrick. I am 2 ½ years old and live in Cicero with my mommy, daddy and big sister, Clare, and our fish, Bill.
When I was 18 months or so, I used to spin wheels all the time, I didn't talk very much either. I also didn't look people in the eye, and didn't respond to my name. So my mommy and daddy brought me to DEC to be evaluated and they said it was the best thing for me. I was diagnosed as having infantile autism when I was 20 months old on January 15th, 2003. (My mommy & daddy remember that day very well) They say it was the day that their world stopped. But things have gotten much better since then.
I started having services in my home in February last year. My mommy and daddy read a lot about autism and they kept reading about ABA and how it is important to include ABA and behavior intervention strategies in a program for kids like me. You see, I do not learn the same way as other kids my age do.
So, I was fortunate enough to go to a program in Utica, called "First Steps", with the help of my service coordinator and the team at Early Intervention. It is a school that is designed to help children on the spectrum learn and also work on diminishing certain behaviors. I went there over the summer. I got to go on a big boy bus, it was fun. But my mommy and daddy thought it would be better if I stayed closer to home for my programming.
So, I have been receiving ABA and DTT services for about 10 months now, and I am very lucky to have a wonderful team who have taught me so many things. It is a lot of hard work and dedication from everyone involved - my team my family and myself. It is a 24/7 type of therapy - but it is working for me, and my family is so proud of me, it makes me feel real good, plus I am having fun. I know I have a long way to go, but I am on the right track.
Thanks for listening to me.
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