Autism Therapy & Parent Testimonials

Thank you so much everyone for the great IEP. I think my son is very lucky to have all of you on his team! Everyone worked hard to set excellent goals and to prepare him for school in the Fall. My son will have a great life, because of all the things the AST team has done for him.

When he came to the district at age 3, he said mostly 2-word phrases, could not draw a straight line, did not directly interact with peers, had difficulty in public with doors and other OCD behaviors, had difficulty potty training and would probably not be able to have any sort of independent life. It is incredible the progress he has made.

My family and I will never be able to fully express what the time our son spent with Ingrid and the AST team has done not only for his development as an individual, but also in giving us a better set of tools with which to help him develop and address his needs.

Thank you Ingrid and the AST team, the last three months I have witnessed my son transform from a little boy who we were not sure how to support, to a thriving toddler who today turned three.

He is now better equipped in his communication skills and my entire family has observed what some patience and the support of people who genuinely cared about his development can accomplish.

And yes, we are now essentially potty trained and once again able to leave the house.

- Ramon

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My son was a client of AST (a few years ago). When he first started at AST he was 2 1/2 years old, was recently diagnosed as autistic and was non-verbal. At that time he was attending another school based, early intervention program. Although we were seeing positive results from the other program, I know for a FACT that he would not be the child and student he is today if he had never been with AST.

When he first started it was very difficult for the entire family to adjust to [our son’s] new therapy. We had so many other specialists giving us advice on what to do with him at home. He was also struggling with the daily routine of 2 1/2 hours of therapy, a school based program, speech therapy and doctor's visits for his medical needs. He had such a busy schedule for a two year-old, I felt so sorry for him. But after about 2-3 months of therapy from AST, we started seeing dramatic results. We are blessed to have had [our son’s] therapist. She was exceptional and built a terrific friendship with him and laid a solid foundation for him to grow on. Most of our friends don't even know he is autistic and they can't see anything wrong with him (except for some speech articulations and pronunciations). Some specialists in the field can't even tell when around him for a few minutes.

[Our son] is currently in a pre-k program in an elementary school. He is the only autistic child in the class and is performing exceptionally well. In a year and a half he went from a child who no one could be certain if he would ever talk to a top student and a chatterbox with many friends. As I said, before, his entire family knows that this is almost all because of AST. Thank you for giving us a new [son] and an improved chance for him to live as "typical" a life as possible. We owe it all to you because you not only taught [our son] but the family.

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My son (received) behavior therapy twice a week. Before we began I was a very discouraged mother who had no idea how to handle the difficult behaviors of my two year-old son. It was a very frustrating and lonely time and by the end of most days I was in tears. I am ecstatic to say that now, through the help from AST, I feel very different. [My son] has made tremendous progress and is a much happier and more confident boy. His behaviors have decreased and when they do arise I now know how to effectively handle them. I am very grateful for the talents of [my son ’s therapist] and for AST’s wonderful program. They have honestly changed my life and the life of my family. But most important, [my son] now has a better chance at a successful and happy future.

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When my husband and I first started the process of having our two year-old assessed for autism it was an emotionally trying time. We didn’t know what to expect or what kind of therapy was involved. We were overwhelmed! AST managed our case with sensitivity and care while maintaining professionalism and ethical standards. ..(T)he improvement is remarkable! Before therapy he had almost no language skills. Now he is using 4-5 word phrases with full cognition and with each day improves greatly. Our therapist had the ability to understand our son’s disability and help him learn in a way that was functional for him and help us as parents learn how to do the same. As parents of a child with Autism, we needed support and guidance without judgment or criticism. AST provided us with this plus hope and promise for our child’s future.

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I always appreciate the kindness and knowledge given by the AST staff. They use up-to-date research and make therapy fun for the kids. They never tire of parents’ endless questions or concerns.

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AST has been great to work with. They accommodated our schedule and provided us with high quality services. The real joy has been seeing how much the people of AST bonded with our son. It feels like they really care about him, his education, and his quality of life. They have been more than a service provider; they have been part of the family.

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My son made amazing progress. I've seen a lot of advancement in his ability to express himself and his needs. When he began with AST, he very rarely used words or gestures to communicate his wants or needs. Over the course of therapy, he has learned how to relay his wants using many different words. I am very grateful to EVERYBODY at AST for all their hard work and help.

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Ten months ago our family was in turmoil. Almost everyday there was an ‘incident’ in our home involving our twelve year-old autistic son. Each day if his demands were not met immediately or if we made any demands of him, he would fly into a rage and bite, pinch, kick, hit and scream. A lost toy could start the rage, or being denied a trip to his favorite store. In response we found ourselves scrambling frantically to meet his demands. Toilet training was next to impossible, outings and social events with [our son] were stress events for us. In short, somehow, somewhere down the line we had completely lost control of our son.

In the past, we have had many different behaviorists attempt to help us with our problems. In many cases [our son’s] behaviors became worse, so we did not hold out much hope that anyone could make a difference. But things became so desperate that we felt we needed to try again. That decision, and the decision that it should be AST to work with us, was life changing. The guidance and strength of our AST team was phenomenal. They provided us with a concrete plan to change [our son’s] behaviors by changing ours. We had complete support on every aspect of the treatment. Our counselor was amazing. She cheered us on when things went well and stuck by us through the difficult task of changing our behaviors and patterns.

Today [our son] is fully toilet trained, follows direction, and is no longer abusive to us or himself. Our family continues to work daily on the methods we have learned and we continue to enjoy the benefits of our newfound knowledge. Thank you AST. Thank you to our wonderful team for making our home a happy one again!

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I would like to take a moment to tell you how thrilled our family is with [our son’s] improvement. Just a few months ago we learned that our 23 month-old son has autism. He has always been in a world all his own. He didn’t talk, look at us when we called his name, he didn’t know he didn’t know to come to us for requests or to share something he found pleasurable with us. He didn’t point. He spent the majority of his waking hours spinning objects, slamming cupboards and engaging in repetitive activates. I would try to get him to interact socially but was given a blank stare or no response at all.

The goals that we thought were unrealistic have all been met. He now has a vocabulary of approximately 50 words and continues to learn more words as he now understands that everything has a title. Amazing, considering he was completely non-verbal prior to therapy just four months ago. He also eagerly sits for “table time” and remains seated while learning new skills for 17 minutes. We are so proud of him, but what’s more important is to see how proud he is of himself! We now have another wonderful therapist who works with [our son] in the afternoons. He greets her with smiles and runs into his bedroom to “get to work”. It gives me such joy to see how happy he is.

With [our] team, we have seen [our son] turn into a little boy who loves to learn… who wants to learn. Most importantly, he is playing with his big sister (who is 3 years old), something he would never do before no matter how much his sister would try to interact with him. To watch them engage in a game of chase or peek-a-boo is so special to me. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him as he continues to grasp an understanding of the world around him. Thank you AST.

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We want to express our gratitude to all of you that have contributed to [our son’s] progress as a result of his therapy from AST. He had almost no skills when he started just before age two. It is truly amazing to watch him learn and grow.

The early months were spent mostly on compliance skills and engaging him in eye contact. [His therapist] did a great job increasing his engagement minutes at a time. He went from literally only being able to sit for 1-2 minutes to sitting for 15 minutes at a time. [The therapist] was able to start working on imitation skills and functional play skills. We saw a noticeable change when he learned to appropriately play with toys. He had acquired some organization to his actions and had fun with many different toys. He also began to imitate letter sounds and motor actions as well. [The therapist] would use what he loves such as tickling, physical play or music to motivate him. It became obvious that the more functional skills he could learn, the fewer behaviors he would display. [Our therapist] knows how thankful we are to her for teaching [our son] many of his early skills. We also want to thank [our supervisors] during this time for their supervision. They both assisted us with behavior plans, bedtime routine, PECS, and answers or suggestions to our various questions and concerns along the way.

A special thanks to [AST’s staff] as [they] helped us with writing goals and supporting our son’s services at his initial IEP with our school district. We cannot imagine not having the professionalism and education from AST for our son. We, as many parents of children with autism, want to make sure that our son reaches his full potential. We know that with AST’s support, along with his school program, he will be the best autistic boy that he can be! We are very proud of him.

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Our experience with AST has been outstanding. They have been extremely responsive to our son's particular needs. The AST therapist and Supervisor were able to totally win over the teacher in [our son’s] public school class who was very hesitant at first about working together as was required in his IEP. What ensued was a very positive and productive working relationship which resulted in him making substantial progress. We wholeheartedly recommend AST!

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My family and I have been very fortunate to have Autism Spectrum Therapies in our lives. Our son is an eleven-year-old with autism and [our therapist] has worked extensively with our son in the areas of his behavior at school, home and out in the community. These services allowed him to transition smoothly to middle school and deal with a new teacher and grade level. He is better able to manage his behavior and to recover from challenges more easily. Because of these services, he has made tremendous growth academically. At home he is able to play board games, take turns and interact positively with others. He is also able to go out in the community with less stress.

[Our son] is fortunate to have had dedicated people working with him. [His therapist] ..developed a system that is very effective for him at school and at home. We are aware of the challenges and obstacles a child with autism faces in everyday situations and we are pleased with the training [his therapist] has provided for him. With Autism Spectrum Therapies, he will continue to meet the demands he faces in his academic and social worlds.

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My husband and I want to write and update you on the continuing progress our son has made since concluding therapy a year ago.

My son was diagnosed with mild autism at 24 months old. AST was our first link to getting our son back. We couldn't believe his progress with your therapists. [His therapist] was especially wonderful with him. She was so good at reaching him and pulling the best out of him. We loved the frequent contact with our supervisor. She was great for fine tuning our program, and seeing what new challenges we could present to our son.

Our son has continued to make amazing progress. He is currently testing within typical ranges for all developmental areas. A true miracle! None of his accomplishments could have been made without the early intervention provided to him by AST.

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My son became a client of AST (in) 2003. He was six years old at the time. He started an early intervention program at Pediatric Therapy Network at the age of 22 months. At that time he was completely non-verbal. At the age of three he was diagnosed with autism. He then started a school based early intervention program. At that time he was still non-verbal with very limited social skills. At the age of four he still had very limited language skills. We decided to get help for him, so we hired a private agency. Even though he was progressing I was not happy with the high turn-around of therapists. Then in 2003 we decided to try AST after several people had recommended the agency.

AST has been a wonderful agency to deal with. Our son has progressed so much. When he became a client of AST at the age of six he was not toilet trained, his language skills were very low, academics were limited and he very dependent on others for self help skills. With the help of AST and two amazing therapists, he has grown in every possible way.

[Our son] is now nine years old. He has been fully toilet trained for the last two years. He reads very well. He can add and subtract single and double digit numbers. He loves to play on the computer. He dresses and undresses himself independently. He can communicate his needs very well. He answers and asks questions. He communicates using 5-7 word sentences. He can prepare his own snakes and meals including pizza, waffles, and French toast. His self stimulatory behavior has decreased immensely. He now has chores he is responsible for like collecting trash from the waste baskets around the house, feeding the dog and putting clean dishes and utensils away. His social skills have also improved greatly. Eye contact has increased, he enjoys being around other children at the playground at home. He can play board, video and computer games with his brother and other children. He enjoys listening to and dancing to music. I could go on and on.

It’s taken a whole team to get our son to where he is today. Thank you so much AST for helping him reach his full potential. Special thanks to [his therapists] for being so caring and dedicated to my (son). [Our son’s] therapist has not only taught him so much but has educated myself, his brother, and other family members on how to best work with him.

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I have two autistic children and both have received services from AST. My children have had their share of service providers, but I believe that AST has been the most influential. There’s not enough space here for all the examples, but I have had experience enough to give credit where credit is due, and ABA services through AST were more productive per hour than their time in the classroom, OT, and speech. If you weren’t already convinced, please know that you must get ABA for your child.

So then, why AST as opposed to others? Well I can point out that I haven’t had a negative experience and only positive experiences. I’ve felt supported as I learned to be a parent to autistics. They maintain a balance between being professional and yet remain approachable and caring that I‘ve felt very comfortable with. The therapists have always treated my kids with respect, never as just another day‘s work. I‘m reassured by the weekly follow-ups by supervisors and the reliable data they collect. Finally I have benefited from their willingness to cooperate with the school district and the data collection required by the IEPs." In summary, AST strikes that important balance between trusted professionals and a caring support group. I can hardly imagine how much further behind we would be without AST. I feel fortunate to have had them in our lives.

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AST was the first company we had after our daughter was diagnosed with autism. They were very understanding and helpful in that difficult time of our lives. [Our therapist was] great for [our daughter]. [Our daughter] was at ease with her the first time they met, and always looked forward to her sessions. Clearly, [the therapist] has been instrumental in the progress [our daughter] has made, and we are grateful for her skills as a professional. AST also helped us transition, start potty training, and school, things that we could not foresee doing, with ease and comfort. Our thanks to AST for all they have done for our daughter.

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We have a four year-old son with a diagnosis of autism. Prior to receiving behavioral services from AST, my child was aggressive and hyperactive, and he had a poor attention span. He frequently had tantrums, and he punched, bit and kicked. His language was limited and his play and self-care skills were impaired and delayed. He was also delayed in many areas of his development, and he was having difficulty participating in preschool.

After a year of behavioral treatment with AST therapists, I have a different child. He is no longer aggressive. Moreover, once his behavior was brought under control, he started to learn rapidly. His language improved tremendously, and his level of frustration decreased. His attention span has improved a great deal, and he is able to participate in preschool as well as in sports, such as soccer and tae kwon do. His ability to play and interact with others has gotten better and he has had many successful play-dates. For our family, this change has been nothing short of miraculous. We now have a sweet, wonderful, bright little boy who is a joy. We are so proud of him. We owe much of this transformation to the very dedicated and skillful therapists from AST, and we believe very strongly in the effectiveness of behavioral treatment for children with autism.

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AST has provided … world class therapies for our autistic son. AST therapists and their supervisors have always performed their duties with the kind of knowledge and dedication any parent would appreciate. And, in addition, they sincerely care about our son and his future which is probably the biggest reason for our son’s exceptional progress under AST’s program. One of our son’s former AST therapists, who moved out of state and then on to Europe while working for other providers, has told us what we’ve already come to believe: AST is one of the finest service providers for autistic children in the world. AST is willing to make the extra effort to closely collaborate and coordinate activities with our son’s school personnel to maximize efficiency and affect in our son’s overall AST-School experience.

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Two days before our son turned two years old, we were hit with the unbelievable news that our little boy was moderately autistic. Our pediatrician had recommended that we have him evaluated at Harbor Regional Center as he was not making the typical ‘bench mark’, age appropriate developments, and was exhibiting unusual behaviors.

When the psychologist evaluated [our son] and gave us her diagnosis of moderate autism, we were devastated. I was in tears for probably two weeks of and on, trying to deal with not only the diagnosis, but all of the other emotions that come screaming at you after this event. Why did this happen to us? What did I do wrong during my pregnancy? Will my little boy have some kind of a good and normal life? And, what do we do now?

Then, shortly after our diagnosis we met with a Supervisor from AST. She came to our home and explained what their program entailed, of course we were a little skeptical, every thing was so new to us, there is so much to adjust to and take on board. With in ten days our assigned therapist started working with [our son]. I think that he probably cried for the entire duration of her visits for the first four or five days! It was the first time in his little life that he had been asked to concentrate, or even stay still for even a short amount of time. It was a hard transition for all of us, but [the AST staff] assured us that this was a perfectly normal pattern, and to stick with the program!

[One year later] we have a new and improved son! We cannot relay to you other parents out there, how much ABA therapy has helped our son. When he looks us in the eye these days, he connects with the strength of a laser beam; we could never even catch a glimpse before. He is mimicking our words and pretty much will attempt to say any words that we ask him to, which in our eyes is a miracle. He just recently mastered pronouncing the letter ‘D’, and is SO proud of the fact that he can say ‘daddy’, ‘dog’ and ‘digger’. When he wakes up in the morning and he’s still in his crib, I hear him practicing his vocabulary very methodically! I can hear ‘tiger’ (with sound effects!), lion, all the D words and a whole selection of wonderful words. It brings tears to my eyes and fire to my heart, as our little man is breaking free of his social and verbal bindings, and Christmas comes ever time he looks at me and smiles…Christmas comes a lot these days! Every day there is always a challenge, but our days are now filled with hope and excitement for the future…for [our son’s] future, and we owe so much of that to AST.

Thank you to our friends at AST for helping us bring our little guy into our world, so that we may have the extreme pleasure of his beautiful company.

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Well, I must say that our journey with AST has been nothing short of miraculous and wonderful. Our therapists and supervisors have brought our son "back to us" and we are forever grateful. Though he and I will miss our therapy sessions and all the positive support and reinforcement we received from you all, I guess there comes a point when it's time to move on and not be so dependent on you. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge, talents, time and beliefs with us. You will never be forgotten as our gratitude is bottomless and inexpressible. Your work, no doubt, must be draining. Yet, you bring so much hope to others and if hope is too much to ask for then you bring compassion and clarity in an otherwise stifling and confusing world. Truly, we are in awe of each and every one of you and feel so blessed that you were brought to help us. Please accept our most humble gratitude and immense appreciation.