ORLANDO, Fla. – One local mother is sharing her experiences with her son’s autism therapy journey to help spread awareness and greater acceptance.
About one in every 31 children aged 8 years has been identified with autism spectrum disorder in the U.S., a slight increase from one in 36 in 2020, according to the CDC. Studies show early intervention and therapy significantly improve developmental outcomes and quality of life for those diagnosed with autism.
Florida has a growing number of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy providers, including 39 Florida Autism Center locations operated by BlueSprig. Their teams of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) use ABA therapy to create individualized treatment plans for each child.
“My goal for him in life is to see him grow up, be a man, and be able to live his life happily and successfully,” Sasha Belloli said.
Belloli’s son Enzo, now 4 years old, was diagnosed with autism almost two years ago.
“His challenge is communication, so he still doesn’t tell me, ‘Hey, I want juice.’ He uses different forms of communication, but the goal is for him to say it. ‘I want juice. I want milk. I’m hungry. I’m sad. I’m happy,’” Belloli said.
To help him develop better communication skills, Belloli enrolled Enzo at Florida Autism Center, where he’s been receiving intensive therapy of 30 hours or more per week.
Belloli says she’s encouraged and inspired by Enzo’s progress in just the past few months.
“It’s the little things that matter. So, it’s when I ask him questions, he replies ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Before, he never said anything. He’ll just whine and grab my hand, point. Now, he taps my shoulder, taps my arm whenever he needs something. He uses this book that has pictures in it so he can communicate with me. And we’re still working on communication, but he’s getting better. And I really have seen the difference. He’s singing more. He’s more like, you know, expressive and everything,” Belloli explained.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Therapists say early diagnosis and early intervention maximize children’s opportunities for learning and development. Belloli agrees, it’s why she says she started Enzo’s therapies right after diagnosis.
“I think that starting earlier is more beneficial because I feel like the brain is still developing and I feel that Enzo knows English and Spanish, so it’s like kids learn fast,”
ABA therapy customizes therapy plans for each individual child as they grow. Through meetings with caregivers and progress analysis at the center, therapists closely monitor skills improvements and adjust treatment plans and goals along the way.
“It’s not enough that they can do it here with us under a special set of circumstances. We want that child to be able to go eventually to a classroom where they can maintain the skills they’ve learned here. To go into the community, to perform the skills at home with their caregivers. And we want to make meaningful impacts for their lives,” said Kelly Gabriel, director of Clinical Operations for Florida Autism Center.
“He motivates me every day. Whenever he does something new, I’m like, ‘That’s good!’” Belloli said.
Autism Acceptance Month is recognized in April every year to promote greater awareness, understanding and support for those impacted by autism.
Find links about autism research, early warning signs and more below:
