Bryan's Story of Hope Bryan was born July 1, 1998. He is the second of three children. When Bryan was 14 month old, his mother and some of her coworkers noticed that while his motor skills were developing as expected, he was not showing a social response. At two and a half years old, Bryan was evaluated by a neurologist and diagnosed with poor muscle tone. Bryans parents were told he would probably have learning disabilities which would affect his performance in school. Bryan’s parents began a long journey from specialist to specialist, trying to identify the condition that affected their child. Meanwhile, he was receiving early intervention services at Easter Seals Puerto Rico for his motor skills. Bryan received speech therapies at Easter Seals Puerto Rico. His therapist suggested that Bryan’s social and communication difficulties were related to a problem of sensorial integration, which is typical of children with autism spectrum disorders. Bryan’s motor skills were very delayed. When he entered preschool and kindergarten, his little sister protected him. It was amazing to see a 2-year-old girl understanding and providing what Bryan wanted or needed and feeling responsible for being with him all the time. Puerto Rico’s Easter Seals therapists made suggestions on how to work with Bryan in the classroom. They also helped him with the skills that would aid him with the curriculum that the teacher was following at school. His family helped him adapt. During school breaks, they prepared him for the following school semester. They took him to buy school supplies, giving him rewards and encouraging him to get the things that he liked the most, stressing that they were for the classes that were about to start. They provided a lot of positive encouragement and rewarded him with happy faces in his notebook. For Bryan, this was a representation of his good work and a way of knowing that Mom and Dad would reward him with his favorite activities. Bryan’s teachers, therapists, and parents worked together during his preschool, kindergarten, first grade and second grade years to help him earn the ‘Student of the Month’ award. Later, in second grade, he was selected as ‘Student of the Year,’ for getting A’s and B’s in his classes. His third grade year however, was not a positive experience for the child and very difficult for his parents. Everything that had been achieved in years past fell through. The teacher didn’t understand how to work with Bryan and was not taking advantage of the teamwork provided by his parents and therapists. She thought that Bryan didn’t have any condition and would keep writing complains in his notebook. Bryan began to get F’s and fell behind. The teacher would sit him by himself where he became isolated. Easter Seals Puerto Rico supported the family during this process and guided them on their rights and alternatives to make sure that he received proper services. They continued to support Bryan so he could understand how to live with his condition and the world around him. Bryan’s parents explored different activities that would help motivate him. On Saturdays, they took him to swimming lessons and gymnastics. Because of the routine nature and the challenges these activities posed, Bryan excelled and won medals. This positive encouragement helped him to celebrate with the other members of his team. |