JJ is our loving and energetic little bookworm. For the first year of his life he developed typically. It was around 19 months that we noticed his language was lagging. We reached out to some friends who worked in child development and we were able to work with him at home to improve his verbal skills. There were huge improvements in his vocabulary and by age 2 he was reciting whole books from memory, but he had very little interest in using language with others and he would rarely acknowledge anyone outside of his family. Often he would scream and roll around on the floor when peers approached.
Just after he turned 3 we started speech therapy. That was soon followed by physical therapy to address toe walking which required 4 weeks of casting to regain range of motion and currently, AFO braces to maintain. Next came occupational therapy, evaluations from the school district and finally a psychologist who gave him the official Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis just before his 4th birthday. Last year he started ABA therapy and music therapy which he loves!!
Today he is a very different little boy than he was even a few months ago! Now 5 years old, he has recently developed a love for rollercoasters, ice skating, skiing, swimming, and playgrounds. We are so proud of the progress he has made and are so grateful to have a wonderful team of therapists and teachers who have worked so hard with him. Despite making great strides, JJ still needs a lot of help every day. His sensory needs, lack of impulse control, and social anxiety make many aspects of life challenging for him. We truly believe that the right mellow fur friend by his side would go a long way in improving day to day functionality, independence, and overall quality of life. We so appreciate this opportunity and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reading about our guy JJ.
Warmest regards,
JJ, Mom, Dad, and Little brother
You can also mail a check or money order to:
W.A.G.S. 4 Kids
112 East Center Street
Berea, OH 44017
Please make a memo that your donation is in JJ's name & help change an child's life today!