“The Children’s Center helped our family put the pieces together.”
At three years old, Derek wasn’t playing imaginatively like most children his age. His mother, Jessica, began to notice that he repeated words and phrases and spoke in odd ways. Jessica started thinking Derek might be autistic, but didn’t even know where to begin in order to help him. Then she met someone who suggested she check out The Children’s Center.
“When I came to The Children’s Center, I just loved it,” Jessica reflects. “As a new mom, having your child diagnosed with autism is so overwhelming. The Children’s Center helped me put the pieces together for Derek.”
Despite The Children’s Center being quite a distance from her home, Jessica knew this was the place for her son to receive therapy. The family started coming to the Center when Derek was three years old. They received supports coordination, in addition to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services at an outside agency. Now, at age eight, Derek is in our Developmental Disability Services program. His sister, Hannah, and Jessica join Derek in therapy sessions to learn how to socialize and play together.
“The Children’s Center has given my son so much life. They taught me how to understand Derek and work with his behaviors. Being here has brought us closer and helped Derek to grow in so many ways, and I am so thankful we found TCC,” Jessica shared.
Show Derek you Believe in Him Today
Children like Derek, who live with autism, will likely need mental health services for a lifetime. Become a Believer, by joining our monthly giving program, and help him for the long haul.
