Angelo

Two-year-old Angelo and his mom Carla were at a crossroads and didn’t know where to turn. Angelo would express himself through tantrums, crying, and throwing toys. Carla struggled to get his attention and shared the challenges they were experiencing with his pediatrician. In addition to his behaviors, Angelo had a speech delay. That’s when Angelo’s doctor referred the family to Southwest Human Development. The agency’s Birth to Five Center of Excellence team met with Angelo and Carla for an evaluation. It was determined that Angelo qualified for speech and occupational therapy along with the services of a nutritionist.

An important component of the Birth to Five Center of Excellence program is that each child and family receives all its service in the same facility. Doctors and therapists work together on a plan and continuously update one another on the child’s progress. This process is more efficient and helps save the family time and stress of keeping up with multiple service providers.

“Everything is in one place which makes things easier. I see the difference. I see that it’s helping both of us,” said Carla.

Already Carla can see progress in Angelo. She reported that he’s calmer, plays appropriately with toys, and is using more words to express himself. He also enjoys going to therapy and is excited at his appointments. Carla appreciates the care and attention he receives and reported that they both have been able to communicate with each other better.

Through services at Birth to Five Center of Excellence, Carla learned how to interact more with her son and maintain his attention. Like many other two-year-olds, Angelo is very active, and Carla is always looking for fun and new ways to keep him busy. Since receiving services, Angelo cries much less, enjoys playing with the family’s new puppy, is learning how to play soccer, and enjoys running at the park.

Before enrolling in the Birth to Five Center of Excellence program, Carla said she “didn’t know what to do at the time and I was so stressed out. I feel like we needed the help and we found it.”