When our son Gavin was 3 years old he was diagnosed with Autism, a developmental disorder that ,appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. This was one of the most difficult days of our lives, as any parent who has been given a diagnosis regarding their child knows. It took a while but we eventually realized that we could give Gavin the same opportunities as any child without Autism – if only he is given proper treatment and therapy. Gavin will soon be turing 5 in July and he is still non verbal.
After we realized that opportunities don’t exist in Dodge County for Gavin to receive the treatment and therapy he needs we made the decision to move to Griffin, GA where Stepping Stones Learning Center is located. Stepping Stones is a private school dedicated to providing help to the Autistic, it has been successful in assisting many children with severe Autism go from non-verbal to being able to work in a regular classroom in only two years. We know that this is the best thing for Gavin’s development and believe that he requires it in order to live the best life possible.
There are some drawbacks to having to move, not only do we miss our hometown of Eastman but we also are faced with the full financial strain of a private school because no grants exist in Georgia to help alleviate this strain. The tuion is very costly. We are also in the process of raising money for an Autism service dog and awaiting thearpy for Gavin to be able to commnicate independenlty with his AAC device.
Thank you,
Brooke, Steve, and Gavin Wright
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