Both of our children were diagnosed with ASD in March 2009. As parents, we were aghast about where do we go and what do we do next. You could read books, research, and Google your way into some sort of knowledge. However, we had no clue how to apply it. After going through several ABA vendors and trying different tracks, I contacted Robin Stone. Robin was very understanding and extremely knowledgeable.
The company I worked for would not pay for ABA and Robin worked with me to confirm that. As luck would have it, I was laid off by that firm last August and found a new job. As luck and providence would have it, our new insurance covered ABA at 40 hours per week for both children starting in November last year.
That set the table. Now the results. My son Nathan who was 4 when we started ABA, has gone from echolalia and an extremely short attention span to performing 1st grade work even though he is in Kindergarten this year. Robin’s ABA therapists performed the therapy anywhere Nathan was. We did mostly home therapy with Nathan. The difference has been STRIKING. I can have a regular conversation with my boy now whereas it was a fleeting dream only a year ago. He is learning Spanish in school and is performing exceptionally well thanks to the intensive work and support from Robin and her team.
Now the amazing story, my daughter Julie. Julie did not make eye contact at all when she was diagnosed fundamentally disabled eighteen months ago. Julie was also not potty trained, did not sleep at night, and totally non-verbal. After only working with her for less than a year, my baby girl is now potty trained, verbal, can sing songs, knows her alphabet, and can do so much more than when we started. I am very lucky to have the support from the health insurance company paying the bills, but it is Robin and her team that have transformed my kids in just a short time.
I cannot express even in an 800 page book how much this means to me as a father, but all I can say is that Robin Stone and her team have made a very dark tunnel in our lives into a wondrous world full of possibilities that I could not even begin to imagine this time last year. I am more than happy to talk to anyone who is considering ABA for their children and share our experiences.
Thank you Robin for all you have given us
