Mason's Mom

09/17/08

 

My son, Mason, was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay-NOS and possible Autism shortly after his second birthday. As difficult as this was for our family to accept, I knew I had to be strong and start early intervention as soon as possible. For the next year, we did various types of therapy as well as some biomedical treatments. Although there was some progress, it was not what I had anticipated. I started becoming discouraged and Mason’s inability to communicate his needs was becoming more frustrating to him and to us.

At about this time, the CATS Center opened, and a family member suggested that I have Mason evaluated and investigate therapy options. From CATS, Mason received a formal diagnosis of Autism and a treatment plan. By this time we pretty much knew it was Autism, but you would be surprised how hard it is to get a diagnosis. We then started Mason with sessions a few times a week at CATS. In just a short period of time, Mason went from being in his own little world to becoming more interested in his environment, giving great eye contact, and becoming more responsive to the people around him. Not much longer after that, he was following simple instructions and communicating his needs with sign language. Now, our most recent victory; speech! My son, who was completely non-verbal, is saying words. Aside from our own personal satisfaction of hearing him say “mama”, “dada” and at least ten other words, seeing Mason with more self-confidence, hardly any frustration and an eagerness to learn more skills has been the biggest reward.

I think that when a family receives a diagnosis of Autism or any other developmental disability, the anxiety about what the future holds for your child can be overwhelming. I can honestly say that thanks to the dedication, persistence and support from the staff of CATS, I finally feel at ease knowing we are on the right path. Of course there are always going to be new challenges, but I have the confidence that with CATS on our team we will overcome them.

Sincerely,

Denise B., Cape Coral