The Friedman Family - Early Intervention

I was eight months pregnant with my third son when I was told my one and three year old boys were autistic. I was devastated; tears flowed from me with every breath. I didn't sleep because I was on the computer all night trying to figure out what autism was and what to do now. I shudder remembering how lost I felt. I was mad. I blamed my self-declared "absent minded professor with ADHD" husband as the boys were a "chip off the old block." I felt so alone.Up until my heart problems, I thought I was living the dream. My husband was working for George Lucas when we met, how cool is that! I had two beautiful boys and another one on the way. I was able to work part-time and still make great money. I had no idea what was about to hit. The only clue I saw was my middle son, Tristan, losing his words. He said a few words before he was 12 months old and then lost all words a month later. I took him for several hearing tests and was finally told he had normal hearing. So why wasn't he speaking? I heard: "He's a boy." "He's your second child and Logan is so verbal, he doesn't need to talk." I knew something wasn't right. Just as the hearing test confirmed normal hearing for Tristan, the play-based preschool that I had Logan enrolled in said that he doesn't know how to play. The school said Logan has some speech issues, get him tested. I did, the next day by a speech pathologist. Both boys were found to be autistic. A few weeks later a neurologist formally diagnosed each boy: Logan is autistic with severe behaviors and Tristan is Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), both with sensory disorders, both with ADHD, Logan with an anxiety disorder and Tristan with a Language Based Learning Disorder. A child is never just autistic, but autism encompasses all related disorders.

Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty. Red flags were all around me and I chose not to see them. At two years old, Logan could memorize documentaries after seeing them only a few times. He hoarded toys at the foot of his bed, placed a blanket on them, then sat on them like a nest. If any one came near the nest, Logan would scream. He didn't want to go anywhere. He was so imitative, but had no original play. Tristan had no words and was almost two. He grunted and screamed and banged on tables to communicate. He bit and hit. Both boys would crash their bodies into walls, each other, and my pregnant stomach. My blinders were now removed.

In California, Early Intervention, services until the age of three, is county based and children over the age of three are managed by the school districts. We knew Ron was about to lose his job and everything went on a credit card. The boys needed help and I couldn't let money or the system slow up these crucial months.

I gave birth to my third son, Ethan, just after Christmas and knew right away that he was special too. He never slept, I had to grip him tight while hiding his face under a blanket with a sound machine on and no distractions. So, he didn't sleep except at night because during the day there were two other hyper boys with no volume control. As soon as my grip lessened, he woke up. I never slept and was shaking and seeing things!

Shortly thereafter, Ron lost his job and was without work for almost five months. No one was working.

The County granted Tristan only one hour a week of speech, no other services. PDD-NOS is not considered on the autism spectrum in California, neither is Asperger’s Syndrome. It is a bankrupt state and they fight to not give services, rather than just give children the help they need. I fought for services but only prevailed with one more hour of speech and one of occupational therapy. The District fought to not give services to Logan. But, the more the District tested him, the more services they were forced to provide. Logan received great home-based services for speech and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in California, but the preschool placements were sub par.

We moved across the country because I was done fighting. I just wanted to concentrate on my sons and their therapy. I contacted the Autism Alliance and told them I would go anywhere for better services for my sons. We had no money and no jobs. I was sure anywhere would only be an improvement. I was told Massachusetts, specifically Acton, Concord or Sudbury had the best services. I then went on Craigslist to look for rental properties. Out of the three towns, there was only one home for rent in Acton and it was owned by a church. We took it as a sign and moved across the country.

In Acton, all of Logan's services took place at Acton Public Preschool where he was in an integrated classroom half the day and ABA the other half of the day, receiving speech and OT. The day we presented Minute Man Arc in Concord, MA with our Acton address, Tristan received twenty-one hours a week in services including speech, floor-time, OT, nutrition, playgroup, ABA and the support of a developmental specialist. Ethan started getting services from Early Intervention through Minute Man Arc in Concord at nine months based on a sensory disorder. At sixteen months, Ethan received his formal PDD-NOS diagnosis and the services increased to fourteen hours a week including floor-time, ABA, OT, speech, playgroup, and hippotherapy (horse therapy).

We have been so grateful for Minute Man Arc Early Intervention. We are so disheartened to hear the state might be cutting programs. We've come all this way! We've participated in a stroller-in at the Capitol to protect services during talks about cuts. We've walked with pride to raise funds at the Minute Man Arc March in Concord. I also just completed getting my certification to become a special needs advocate through the Federation fro Children with Special Needs. Now, I can help other children get services in towns that fight against giving services due to budget restrictions.

We have never regretted the move. We have been so happy with early intervention and the change it makes for kids with autism. California will end up spending a ton more money to aide kids for the remainder of their school career and possible adulthood for not presenting kids with early intervention.The Friedman Family - Early Intervention

I was eight months pregnant with my third son when I was told my one and three year old boys were autistic. I was devastated; tears flowed from me with every breath. I didn't sleep because I was on the computer all night trying to figure out what autism was and what to do now. I shudder remembering how lost I felt. I was mad. I blamed my self-declared "absent minded professor with ADHD" husband as the boys were a "chip off the old block." I felt so alone.Up until my heart problems, I thought I was living the dream. My husband was working for George Lucas when we met, how cool is that! I had two beautiful boys and another one on the way. I was able to work part-time and still make great money. I had no idea what was about to hit. The only clue I saw was my middle son, Tristan, losing his words. He said a few words before he was 12 months old and then lost all words a month later. I took him for several hearing tests and was finally told he had normal hearing. So why wasn't he speaking? I heard: "He's a boy." "He's your second child and Logan is so verbal, he doesn't need to talk." I knew something wasn't right. Just as the hearing test confirmed normal hearing for Tristan, the play-based preschool that I had Logan enrolled in said that he doesn't know how to play. The school said Logan has some speech issues, get him tested. I did, the next day by a speech pathologist. Both boys were found to be autistic. A few weeks later a neurologist formally diagnosed each boy: Logan is autistic with severe behaviors and Tristan is Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), both with sensory disorders, both with ADHD, Logan with an anxiety disorder and Tristan with a Language Based Learning Disorder. A child is never just autistic, but autism encompasses all related disorders.

Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty. Red flags were all around me and I chose not to see them. At two years old, Logan could memorize documentaries after seeing them only a few times. He hoarded toys at the foot of his bed, placed a blanket on them, then sat on them like a nest. If any one came near the nest, Logan would scream. He didn't want to go anywhere. He was so imitative, but had no original play. Tristan had no words and was almost two. He grunted and screamed and banged on tables to communicate. He bit and hit. Both boys would crash their bodies into walls, each other, and my pregnant stomach. My blinders were now removed.

In California, Early Intervention, services until the age of three, is county based and children over the age of three are managed by the school districts. We knew Ron was about to lose his job and everything went on a credit card. The boys needed help and I couldn't let money or the system slow up these crucial months.

I gave birth to my third son, Ethan, just after Christmas and knew right away that he was special too. He never slept, I had to grip him tight while hiding his face under a blanket with a sound machine on and no distractions. So, he didn't sleep except at night because during the day there were two other hyper boys with no volume control. As soon as my grip lessened, he woke up. I never slept and was shaking and seeing things!

Shortly thereafter, Ron lost his job and was without work for almost five months. No one was working.

The County granted Tristan only one hour a week of speech, no other services. PDD-NOS is not considered on the autism spectrum in California, neither is Asperger’s Syndrome. It is a bankrupt state and they fight to not give services, rather than just give children the help they need. I fought for services but only prevailed with one more hour of speech and one of occupational therapy. The District fought to not give services to Logan. But, the more the District tested him, the more services they were forced to provide. Logan received great home-based services for speech and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in California, but the preschool placements were sub par.

We moved across the country because I was done fighting. I just wanted to concentrate on my sons and their therapy. I contacted the Autism Alliance and told them I would go anywhere for better services for my sons. We had no money and no jobs. I was sure anywhere would only be an improvement. I was told Massachusetts, specifically Acton, Concord or Sudbury had the best services. I then went on Craigslist to look for rental properties. Out of the three towns, there was only one home for rent in Acton and it was owned by a church. We took it as a sign and moved across the country.

In Acton, all of Logan's services took place at Acton Public Preschool where he was in an integrated classroom half the day and ABA the other half of the day, receiving speech and OT. The day we presented Minute Man Arc in Concord, MA with our Acton address, Tristan received twenty-one hours a week in services including speech, floor-time, OT, nutrition, playgroup, ABA and the support of a developmental specialist. Ethan started getting services from Early Intervention through Minute Man Arc in Concord at nine months based on a sensory disorder. At sixteen months, Ethan received his formal PDD-NOS diagnosis and the services increased to fourteen hours a week including floor-time, ABA, OT, speech, playgroup, and hippotherapy (horse therapy).

We have been so grateful for Minute Man Arc Early Intervention. We are so disheartened to hear the state might be cutting programs. We've come all this way! We've participated in a stroller-in at the Capitol to protect services during talks about cuts. We've walked with pride to raise funds at the Minute Man Arc March in Concord. I also just completed getting my certification to become a special needs advocate through the Federation fro Children with Special Needs. Now, I can help other children get services in towns that fight against giving services due to budget restrictions.

We have never regretted the move. We have been so happy with early intervention and the change it makes for kids with autism. California will end up spending a ton more money to aide kids for the remainder of their school career and possible adulthood for not presenting kids with early intervention.The Friedman Family - Early Intervention

I was eight months pregnant with my third son when I was told my one and three year old boys were autistic. I was devastated; tears flowed from me with every breath. I didn't sleep because I was on the computer all night trying to figure out what autism was and what to do now. I shudder remembering how lost I felt. I was mad. I blamed my self-declared "absent minded professor with ADHD" husband as the boys were a "chip off the old block." I felt so alone.Up until my heart problems, I thought I was living the dream. My husband was working for George Lucas when we met, how cool is that! I had two beautiful boys and another one on the way. I was able to work part-time and still make great money. I had no idea what was about to hit. The only clue I saw was my middle son, Tristan, losing his words. He said a few words before he was 12 months old and then lost all words a month later. I took him for several hearing tests and was finally told he had normal hearing. So why wasn't he speaking? I heard: "He's a boy." "He's your second child and Logan is so verbal, he doesn't need to talk." I knew something wasn't right. Just as the hearing test confirmed normal hearing for Tristan, the play-based preschool that I had Logan enrolled in said that he doesn't know how to play. The school said Logan has some speech issues, get him tested. I did, the next day by a speech pathologist. Both boys were found to be autistic. A few weeks later a neurologist formally diagnosed each boy: Logan is autistic with severe behaviors and Tristan is Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), both with sensory disorders, both with ADHD, Logan with an anxiety disorder and Tristan with a Language Based Learning Disorder. A child is never just autistic, but autism encompasses all related disorders.

Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty. Red flags were all around me and I chose not to see them. At two years old, Logan could memorize documentaries after seeing them only a few times. He hoarded toys at the foot of his bed, placed a blanket on them, then sat on them like a nest. If any one came near the nest, Logan would scream. He didn't want to go anywhere. He was so imitative, but had no original play. Tristan had no words and was almost two. He grunted and screamed and banged on tables to communicate. He bit and hit. Both boys would crash their bodies into walls, each other, and my pregnant stomach. My blinders were now removed.

In California, Early Intervention, services until the age of three, is county based and children over the age of three are managed by the school districts. We knew Ron was about to lose his job and everything went on a credit card. The boys needed help and I couldn't let money or the system slow up these crucial months.

I gave birth to my third son, Ethan, just after Christmas and knew right away that he was special too. He never slept, I had to grip him tight while hiding his face under a blanket with a sound machine on and no distractions. So, he didn't sleep except at night because during the day there were two other hyper boys with no volume control. As soon as my grip lessened, he woke up. I never slept and was shaking and seeing things!

Shortly thereafter, Ron lost his job and was without work for almost five months. No one was working.

The County granted Tristan only one hour a week of speech, no other services. PDD-NOS is not considered on the autism spectrum in California, neither is Asperger’s Syndrome. It is a bankrupt state and they fight to not give services, rather than just give children the help they need. I fought for services but only prevailed with one more hour of speech and one of occupational therapy. The District fought to not give services to Logan. But, the more the District tested him, the more services they were forced to provide. Logan received great home-based services for speech and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in California, but the preschool placements were sub par.

We moved across the country because I was done fighting. I just wanted to concentrate on my sons and their therapy. I contacted the Autism Alliance and told them I would go anywhere for better services for my sons. We had no money and no jobs. I was sure anywhere would only be an improvement. I was told Massachusetts, specifically Acton, Concord or Sudbury had the best services. I then went on Craigslist to look for rental properties. Out of the three towns, there was only one home for rent in Acton and it was owned by a church. We took it as a sign and moved across the country.

In Acton, all of Logan's services took place at Acton Public Preschool where he was in an integrated classroom half the day and ABA the other half of the day, receiving speech and OT. The day we presented Minute Man Arc in Concord, MA with our Acton address, Tristan received twenty-one hours a week in services including speech, floor-time, OT, nutrition, playgroup, ABA and the support of a developmental specialist. Ethan started getting services from Early Intervention through Minute Man Arc in Concord at nine months based on a sensory disorder. At sixteen months, Ethan received his formal PDD-NOS diagnosis and the services increased to fourteen hours a week including floor-time, ABA, OT, speech, playgroup, and hippotherapy (horse therapy).

We have been so grateful for Minute Man Arc Early Intervention. We are so disheartened to hear the state might be cutting programs. We've come all this way! We've participated in a stroller-in at the Capitol to protect services during talks about cuts. We've walked with pride to raise funds at the Minute Man Arc March in Concord. I also just completed getting my certification to become a special needs advocate through the Federation fro Children with Special Needs. Now, I can help other children get services in towns that fight against giving services due to budget restrictions.

We have never regretted the move. We have been so happy with early intervention and the change it makes for kids with autism. California will end up spending a ton more money to aide kids for the remainder of their school career and possible adulthood for not presenting kids with early intervention.The Friedman Family - Early Intervention

I was eight months pregnant with my third son when I was told my one and three year old boys were autistic. I was devastated; tears flowed from me with every breath. I didn't sleep because I was on the computer all night trying to figure out what autism was and what to do now. I shudder remembering how lost I felt. I was mad. I blamed my self-declared "absent minded professor with ADHD" husband as the boys were a "chip off the old block." I felt so alone.Up until my heart problems, I thought I was living the dream. My husband was working for George Lucas when we met, how cool is that! I had two beautiful boys and another one on the way. I was able to work part-time and still make great money. I had no idea what was about to hit. The only clue I saw was my middle son, Tristan, losing his words. He said a few words before he was 12 months old and then lost all words a month later. I took him for several hearing tests and was finally told he had normal hearing. So why wasn't he speaking? I heard: "He's a boy." "He's your second child and Logan is so verbal, he doesn't need to talk." I knew something wasn't right. Just as the hearing test confirmed normal hearing for Tristan, the play-based preschool that I had Logan enrolled in said that he doesn't know how to play. The school said Logan has some speech issues, get him tested. I did, the next day by a speech pathologist. Both boys were found to be autistic. A few weeks later a neurologist formally diagnosed each boy: Logan is autistic with severe behaviors and Tristan is Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), both with sensory disorders, both with ADHD, Logan with an anxiety disorder and Tristan with a Language Based Learning Disorder. A child is never just autistic, but autism encompasses all related disorders.

Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty. Red flags were all around me and I chose not to see them. At two years old, Logan could memorize documentaries after seeing them only a few times. He hoarded toys at the foot of his bed, placed a blanket on them, then sat on them like a nest. If any one came near the nest, Logan would scream. He didn't want to go anywhere. He was so imitative, but had no original play. Tristan had no words and was almost two. He grunted and screamed and banged on tables to communicate. He bit and hit. Both boys would crash their bodies into walls, each other, and my pregnant stomach. My blinders were now removed.

In California, Early Intervention, services until the age of three, is county based and children over the age of three are managed by the school districts. We knew Ron was about to lose his job and everything went on a credit card. The boys needed help and I couldn't let money or the system slow up these crucial months.

I gave birth to my third son, Ethan, just after Christmas and knew right away that he was special too. He never slept, I had to grip him tight while hiding his face under a blanket with a sound machine on and no distractions. So, he didn't sleep except at night because during the day there were two other hyper boys with no volume control. As soon as my grip lessened, he woke up. I never slept and was shaking and seeing things!

Shortly thereafter, Ron lost his job and was without work for almost five months. No one was working.

The County granted Tristan only one hour a week of speech, no other services. PDD-NOS is not considered on the autism spectrum in California, neither is Asperger’s Syndrome. It is a bankrupt state and they fight to not give services, rather than just give children the help they need. I fought for services but only prevailed with one more hour of speech and one of occupational therapy. The District fought to not give services to Logan. But, the more the District tested him, the more services they were forced to provide. Logan received great home-based services for speech and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in California, but the preschool placements were sub par.

We moved across the country because I was done fighting. I just wanted to concentrate on my sons and their therapy. I contacted the Autism Alliance and told them I would go anywhere for better services for my sons. We had no money and no jobs. I was sure anywhere would only be an improvement. I was told Massachusetts, specifically Acton, Concord or Sudbury had the best services. I then went on Craigslist to look for rental properties. Out of the three towns, there was only one home for rent in Acton and it was owned by a church. We took it as a sign and moved across the country.

In Acton, all of Logan's services took place at Acton Public Preschool where he was in an integrated classroom half the day and ABA the other half of the day, receiving speech and OT. The day we presented Minute Man Arc in Concord, MA with our Acton address, Tristan received twenty-one hours a week in services including speech, floor-time, OT, nutrition, playgroup, ABA and the support of a developmental specialist. Ethan started getting services from Early Intervention through Minute Man Arc in Concord at nine months based on a sensory disorder. At sixteen months, Ethan received his formal PDD-NOS diagnosis and the services increased to fourteen hours a week including floor-time, ABA, OT, speech, playgroup, and hippotherapy (horse therapy).

We have been so grateful for Minute Man Arc Early Intervention. We are so disheartened to hear the state might be cutting programs. We've come all this way! We've participated in a stroller-in at the Capitol to protect services during talks about cuts. We've walked with pride to raise funds at the Minute Man Arc March in Concord. I also just completed getting my certification to become a special needs advocate through the Federation fro Children with Special Needs. Now, I can help other children get services in towns that fight against giving services due to budget restrictions.

We have never regretted the move. We have been so happy with early intervention and the change it makes for kids with autism. California will end up spending a ton more money to aide kids for the remainder of their school career and possible adulthood for not presenting kids with early intervention.Faces of Minute Man Arc

published in the Concord Journal, Thursday, January 26, 2012

She's an independent woman

by Marilyn Sargeant

Murray and I have 2 children.  Our first child was born with no disabilities, but our second child, Gayle, was born with Down Syndrome.  In 1964, our son was already in the Sudbury public school system following a traditional curriculum when Murray and I discovered that there was a new nursery school in Concord for children with special needs that Gayle could attend (this nursery school would become Minute Man Arc's Early Intervention Program and Gayle was one of the first children to participate).  We became lisfe long friends with the other parents whose children had also attended this nursery school and our children formed close friendships as well.  These friendships, helped to give Murray and me the assurance that we would all learn how to best support our children with special needs. 

When Gayle was old enough, she attended public school in Sudbury in a special education program until she was 17 years old and then transferred to the Keefe Vocational Tech School in Framingham.  Upon graduation from Keefe Tech, Gayle has the self confidence and the skills needed to work in the community.  Upon Keefe Tech's recommendation, Gayle worked for ten years at the Colonial Inn in Concord.  When Gayle left that position, Murray and I turned to Minute Man Arc for help in finding her next job.  Although Gayle did not use otehr agency programs until she became an adult, Murray and I were actively involved in supporting this agency however we could, so we felt at ease turning to Minute Man Arc for support.  With the help of Minute Man Arc, Gayle found employment at the New England Deaconess where she has worked for the past 15 years. 

Gayle, and her friends from Minute Man Arc, participated in many recreational activities and social e

vents, attended church with us in West Concord, and was an original member of the West Concord Union Church Sunday Fellowship group that Murray and I helped to organize.  During this time, Galye still lived at home with us and our lives seemed very comfortable.  But, in the back of our minds, Murray and I worried about how Gayle would be taken care of when we became too old to provide a home for her. 

Then, six years ago, the West Concord Union Church and Minute Man Arc partnered to open a new residence on Pine Street in Concord and we recieved the neccessary funding for Gayle to move into the house with three other women.  Much to our amazement, when Gayle was given this opportunity, she was thrilled to have the chance to move to her own place; Murray and I were the ones who suffered "separation anxiety," not Gayle!

What helped us as parents to become comfortable with Gayle living away from home was to know that the staff at Pine Street was there to help the four women become their own family of good friends.  Gayle quickly became involved in many different social activities, both through Minute Man Arc's Recreation Program and outings with the staff person who worked at Pine Street on the weekends.  She has become very independent and loves her life.  

Knowing that Gayle is so happy and will always be supported through Minute Man Arc's programs has given Murray and me the peace of mind to know our daughter will receive the loving care and support she deserves. 

Previously Featured Stories:

The Friedmand Family - Early Intervention

The Friedman Family - Early Intervention

I was eight months pregnant with my third son when I was told my one and three year old boys were autistic.  I was devastated; tears flowed from me with every breath.  I didn't sleep because I was on the computer all night trying to figure out what autism was and what to do now.  I shudder remembering how lost I felt.  I was mad.  I blamed my self-declared "absent minded professor with ADHD" husband as the boys were a "chip off the old block." I felt so alone.

Up until my heart problems, I thought I was living the dream.  My husband was working for George Lucas when we met, how cool is that!  I had two beautiful boys and another one on the way.  I was able to work part-time and still make great money.  I had no idea what was about to hit.  The only clue I saw was my middle son, Tristan, losing his words.  He said a few words before he was 12 months old and then lost all words a month later.  I took him for several hearing tests and was finally told he had normal hearing.  So why wasn't he speaking? I heard: "He's a boy."  "He's your second child and Logan is so verbal, he doesn't need to talk."  I knew something wasn't right.

Just as the hearing test confirmed normal hearing for Tristan, the play-based preschool that I had Logan enrolled in said that he doesn't know how to play.  The school said Logan has some speech issues, get him tested.  I did, the next day by a speech pathologist.   Both boys were found to be autistic. A few weeks later a neurologist formally diagnosed each boy: Logan is autistic with severe behaviors and Tristan is Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), both with sensory disorders, both with ADHD, Logan with an anxiety disorder and Tristan with a Language Based Learning Disorder.  A child is never just autistic, but autism encompasses all related disorders.

 Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty.  Red flags were all around me and I chose not to see them. At two years old, Logan could memorize documentaries after seeing them only a few times.  He hoarded toys at the foot of his bed, placed a blanket on them, then sat on them like a nest.  If any one came near the nest, Logan would scream.   He didn't want to go anywhere.  He was so imitative, but had no original play.  Tristan had no words and was almost two.  He grunted and screamed and banged on tables to communicate.  He bit and hit.  Both boys would crash their bodies into walls, each other, and my pregnant stomach.  My blinders were now removed.

In California, Early Intervention, services until the age of three, is county based and children over the age of three are managed by the school districts.  We knew Ron was about to lose his job and everything went on a credit card.  The boys needed help and I couldn't let money or the system slow up these crucial months. 

I gave birth to my third son, Ethan, just after Christmas and knew right away that he was special too.  He never slept, I had to grip him tight while hiding his face under a blanket with a sound machine on and no distractions.  So, he didn't sleep except at night because during the day there were two other hyper boys with no volume control.  As soon as my grip lessened, he woke up.  I never slept and was shaking and seeing things!

Shortly thereafter, Ron lost his job and was without work for almost five months.  No one was working.

The County granted Tristan only one hour a week of speech, no other services.  PDD-NOS is not considered on the autism spectrum in California, neither is Asperger’s Syndrome.  It is a bankrupt state and they fight to not give services, rather than just give children the help they need. I fought for services but only prevailed with one more hour of speech and one of occupational therapy. The District fought to not give services to Logan.  But, the more the District tested him, the more services they were forced to provide.  Logan received great home-based services for speech and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in California, but the preschool placements were sub par.

We moved across the country because I was done fighting.  I just wanted to concentrate on my sons and their therapy.  I contacted the Autism Alliance and told them I would go anywhere for better services for my sons.  We had no money and no jobs.  I was sure anywhere would only be an improvement.  I was told Massachusetts, specifically Acton, Concord or Sudbury had the best services.  I then went on Craigslist to look for rental properties.  Out of the three towns, there was only one home for rent in Acton and it was owned by a church.  We took it as a sign and moved across the country.

In Acton, all of Logan's services took place at Acton Public Preschool where he was in an integrated classroom half the day and ABA the other half of the day, receiving speech and OT. The day we presented Minute Man Arc in Concord, MA with our Acton address, Tristan received twenty-one hours a week in services including speech, floor-time, OT, nutrition, playgroup, ABA and the support of a developmental specialist. Ethan started getting services from Early Intervention through Minute Man Arc in Concord at nine months based on a sensory disorder.  At sixteen months, Ethan received his formal PDD-NOS diagnosis and the services increased to fourteen hours a week including floor-time, ABA, OT, speech, playgroup, and hippotherapy (horse therapy).

We have been so grateful for Minute Man Arc Early Intervention.  We are so disheartened to hear the state might be cutting programs.  We've come all this way!  We've participated in a stroller-in at the Capitol to protect services during talks about cuts.  We've walked with pride to raise funds at the Minute Man Arc March in Concord.  I also just completed getting my certification to become a special needs advocate through the Federation fro Children with Special Needs.  Now, I can help other children get services in towns that fight against giving services due to budget restrictions.

We have never regretted the move.  We have been so happy with early intervention and the change it makes for kids with autism.  California will end up spending a ton more money to aide kids for the remainder of their school career and possible adulthood for not presenting kids with early intervention.