Vincent was born in the US full term without complications. At seven, the doctor found that Vincent had a heart murmur. Vincent’s hearing was tested. The only positive outcome was a list of recommended schools that would accept kids like Vincent.I still vividly keep in mind the meeting over Vincent’s diagnosis: Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS). This marked the beginning of ever lasting therapeutic & learning programs for Vincent. To increase the learning of spoken language, Vincent was introduced to sign language & so were the parents. It started a brand spanking new chapter of life for Vincent & the relatives.
Through references, they were blessed to discover a developmental pediatrician who specialized in kids like Vincent. They did a thorough evaluation of Vincent & diagnosed him as a infant with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They started a series of therapies with Vincent. Vincent was integrated straight in to mainstream kindergarten.
With limited language, mainstream kindergarten was very challenging for Vincent. With medication & consistent support, Vincent learned the every day routines & began picking up language gradually. In the coursework of the First Grade language check, they scored at 1%. Vincent’s language improved to 25% by 2nd Grade. Shifting focus
Socially they have gone through times than language learning. The school speech therapist drafted programs for Vincent to role-play & sat with him in the coursework of lunchtime to coach him. Nothing came simple to Vincent. They were blessed that Vincent reacted positively to all the therapies & interventions. The developmental pediatrician was very happy with Vincent’s advancement. After plenty of years of challenges, they started treating Vincent more like a traditional infant.
