After patience, time, the right approach, 
and a lot of hard work, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a child empowered by real progress.
All of the small victories accomplished along the way are pieces of the bigger puzzle, and that got us thinking, Why not celebrate and share those progress pieces too? So that’s exactly what we’re doing!
And it’s not just our kiddos who are empowered with progress – our team members feel the benefits personally & professionally!
1) A special way to say “I love you”
I’ve been working with a client for some time now and the mom is very pleased with the progress he has made. He still struggles verbally but with time and hard work, we will make progress in this area as well. While mom is concerned about his verbal communication skills, they have found a way to say “I love you” to each other. She and my client point at their eye, then cross their hearts, and then point at each other. He even says, “Ooooo,” to say, “you!” It melts my heart to see the interaction between the two of them and reaffirms my confidence in him and his abilities! I think I see his mom tear up when this happens as well 🙂. – Bethany M.
2) A classic #WWDWWD – Brotherly love
On J is a 13-year-old boy. He has been a client for 4 years. This weekend, he played with his brother for the first time. It was completely spontaneous and independent! He and his brother chased each other and wrestled for 30 minutes! Both J and his brother had huge smiles on their faces and were both laughing the entire time. Mom said that she has been waiting 13 years for this. – Stephanie H.
3) Circle of Moms
Last Friday night I had dinner with four women whom I have known for the past 15
years. Our boys attended an integrated preschool program together and, along with many other special moms, we have navigated this wild, frustrating, enriching journey. We toasted our boys who are seniors in high school (They’re 18! When did that happen?). We toasted the achievement that all five boys have their drivers licenses (What?!). We laughed and cried about how far the boys have come. For these women and these friendships I am eternally grateful to autism. –Maryanne Nugent, Autism Community Consultant for AHSS and “mom of”
**These statements (solicited from AHSS staff) represent a quick snapshot of a moment in time. Each child with autism is unique and on their own journey. Your child’s journey will be different than any other child’s, including those depicted here. If you would like more information on the progress possible for your child, please call 844-AHSS-ABA.
Every week we’ll share progress pieces from our team. We invite you to share yours as well & embrace the positivity!
