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Carson, Age 5
Easter Seals Michigan
In 2002, Bettina and Rob were thrilled to welcome a new addition to the family, their son Carson.
His arrival was a shared excitement for his parents, as well as his older sister Callie.
Carson was a healthy baby with a typical developmental timetable. For the first year and a half of his life, he rolled over, sat up, crawled, walked, and even spoke words at 11 months.
However, all of his advancements and progression suddenly stopped at 18 months. According to Bettina, “Carson seemed to go into his own little world. His interaction with the outside world stopped. There were no more words.”
Bettina and Rob were puzzled at Carson’s regression, but soon learned that Carson had autism.
“We knew there was no cure for autism, so we had to get a game plan on how to tackle the disorder,” Rob recalls.
When Carson was 2 1/2 years old, he began participating in the P.L.A.Y. (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) Project at Easter Seals Michigan. The P.L.A.Y. Project is based on Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s D.I.R. (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based)/Floortime approach. This approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and treating children challenged by autism and related disorders. It focuses on helping children master the building blocks of relating, communicating and thinking, rather than on symptoms alone.
“The P.L.A.Y. Project has helped us relate to our son at a level we were never able to before,” says Bettina.
Carson no longer repetitively opens and closes doors; no longer flaps his hands or stares into space for long periods of time. He has developed a true sense of humor. He hugs his parents and sister -- and tells them he loves them. The services he receives let Carson out of isolation, allowing him to contribute to his family through love and affection.
Although the future is unknown, Carson’s future is sure to include interaction and communication with those around him, especially his loving family. Carson knows he can be anything when he grows up.
According to Bettina, “that is all any mother could ever ask for her child, the ability and opportunity to do whatever they set their mind to.”
Carson now has that option. And the opportunities are endless.
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