Ava is an Independent Eight-Year-Old Thanks to Easterseals Autism Therapy Services

Ava went from a child who was dependent on her family for each and every daily task to being an independent eight year old. She is now able to meet some of her basic needs such as serving herself snacks, self-care, and helping with chores around the house as well as making friends after completing three years of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) provided by Easterseals Autism Therapy Services. Through ongoing speech therapy she’s improved her communication skills too.

“(Reaching this point) wasn’t easy. As a parent you know what is going on but don’t always have the right words to explain,” Ava’s mom Andrea said. “Easterseals helped a lot by doing observations at school, learning where behaviors were coming from and then coming up with a plan.”
Ava’s Behavior Interventionist supported her in community and social settings to help her make friends and play, as well as to master tasks and address behavior issues.

In 2016 Ava mainstreamed into a class with peers her age. She completes classroom assignments, waits to take her turn and follows instructions.

“Easterseals is good to work with,” her mom Andrea said. Anytime I had a question or concern Easterseals was always good about finding the answer.”