With the support of AEIOU, our son Jedd can now draw a face, sing a song, pedal a bike, join in at birthday parties and communicate with his family. Best of all, he’ll be attending a mainstream school in 2017, which was our goal from day one.
We were initially quite devastated when we first received Jedd’s autism diagnosis, but it was also a relief to have some answers regarding his developmental delay and sensory issues. Being a teacher and knowing a little about ASD, I began questioning; is he going to be able to talk and have friends? What does this mean for the rest of his life? It was a very emotional time for us because Jedd couldn’t even be in the same room as his baby brother. Any loud noise he made would have him on the floor screaming and often vomiting.
Flash forward and now we’re part of AEIOU Huntfield Heights’ first graduating class in 2016. We’re so lucky to be part of such a close and supportive community. I knew from day one I was leaving him in safe hands. The staff have been able to break through those walls better than we could on our own at home.
One of the biggest changes in Jedd during his time with AEIOU has been his ability to regulate his emotions. He now copes really well with sounds he doesn’t like and things he doesn’t want to do. He’s gone from having very few words, to using PECS and now he’s speaking. He’s also toilet trained and can tolerate the sensory issues which previously had him melting down.
All these positive changes have helped to prepare Jedd for school in the best ways possible. As for us as parents, the school transition workshops have been very beneficial, but it’s also just knowing the staff are there for us if ever we have a question or need some guidance. AEIOU has also been working with Jedd’s new school to ensure a smooth crossover which we’re very grateful for.
We encourage all families to trust in the AEIOU program because it truly does work. At first it seems daunting and scary but persevere and you will see results immediately, while the long-term results are nothing short of incredible. It also does wonders for the whole family unit. It is a place for new friendships and can be somewhat of a ‘counselling service’ for mums free from judgement. There’s an overwhelming feeling that we’re all in this together.
By Laura Roadknight
Laura is also the head of Parent Forum Committee and Parent Fundraising Committee. She enjoys the get-togethers to talk about the centre that’s doing so much for their children.
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