Xander’s Path to Confidence and Connection
5-year-old Xander's parents engaged Everyday Independence for early childhood supports to help him overcome ...
Continue readingCody is a seven-year-old who is autistic, non-verbal and has a global developmental delay. He loves gaming, trains, and cars. Cody and his family wanted him to improve his communication, express himself better, become more active, make friends, and have fun. He also wanted to improve his writing, drawing, and fun activities.
In 2020, Cody began receiving early childhood supports (early childhood intervention) from Everyday Independence, guided by his Key Worker and Physiotherapist, Lyndal, experienced in childhood development. Lyndal coordinated Cody’s broader therapy team, including Occupational Therapist CJ and Habit Coach Brooke. She also helped build his family’s capacity to support him in achieving his goals.
Lyndal supported Cody to improve his communication using the Proloquo iPad app and taught him some sign language. They worked on hand gestures so Cody could better express himself.
CJ engaged Cody in plenty of fun activities to help build his skills. They built Lego, solved puzzles, and enjoyed practising arts and crafts while building hand-eye coordination. CJ connected with Cody’s teachers to ensure school tasks such as handwriting were on track and provided support for home practice.
Habit Coach Brooke played a pivotal role in revolutionising the importance of daily routine and repetition. She assisted Cody in practising the skills overseen by Lyndal and CJ.
Cody’s communication and social skills have greatly improved thanks to his family’s unwavering support, active participation in therapy, and a collaborative therapy team approach.
Cody’s therapy team has been helping him to participate more at home and school while also building his family’s skills and confidence in using various strategies to achieve their desired outcomes. Key Worker Emily is now at the core of Cody’s team, bringing in several practitioners to provide bursts of therapy to help him achieve his goals.
Cody’s family is delighted that he is now attending school, maintaining better sleep habits, and expressing himself through three modes of communication: the Prologue app on his iPad, sign language, and communication buttons at home that he can press, which also serve as sensory input. He plans to boost his core strength and balance through yoga with his classmates.
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