Shining Examples, June 2017

In his two years at Lighthouse Autism Center, Joey has made incredible progress.

When he first came to Lighthouse, Joey rarely spoke and had difficulty vocalizing his wants and needs. He did not make eye contact, didn’t follow direction, and was not able to sit down without engaging in negative behaviors. His father, Dwight, said, “Before our son started attending Lighthouse, he was nonverbal. His vocabulary had only  a few words. He was not potty trained. He would not eat anything except dry cereal. When Christmas came each year, he would not open his presents. Joey was mostly locked in his own world.” His time spent with Lighthouse soon turned things around.

Now, Joey can speak in compete sentences, maintain eye contact, and answer 200 WH (ie. who, what, when, where, why) questions. He’s also able to read and spell over 100 kindergarten-level spelling words! Even more impressive, Joey has made great strides in his ability to follow 2-3 step instructions and can now sit up to 5 minutes without engaging in negative behaviors.

His parents are thrilled with his progress – and Lighthouse therapists are too! “Since attending Lighthouse, he is growing more and more every day! He doesn’t hold entire conversations, but he can say about anything he wants. He even sings!” said Melissa, Joey’s mother. “He has been at Lighthouse for only 2 years and has done so much more than we ever thought. We are looking forward to seeing how much he grows in the next years before transitioning him to public school.”