It’s time to play! Michael toddles into the playgroup, his Spider-Man shoes flashing as he checks out what the other kids are doing. He might decide to parallel play with cars alongside another child. Meanwhile, his mom, Krissy, is chatting with the other parents, and they’re all cheering on Anthony, one of the children in the playgroup, who has just discovered a tambourine and is gleefully exploring the instrument.
“Before we started playgroup, we would go to the park and he didn’t really understand personal space. He would just rip the toy out of another kid’s hand,” Krissy recalls. “Through playgroup, he now understands when another kid tells him no. Just being comfortable playing around other kids has been the biggest thing that he’s gotten out of this. It’s been huge.”
Michael was originally diagnosed with congenital torticollis and his family was referred to Waypoint at the Richie McFarland Center for Early Supports & Services by his orthopedist. He began receiving physical therapy when he was 3 months old and continued in the program due to delays in other developmental milestones. At Waypoint, Michael received occupational therapy from Tracey and speech therapy from Kristen and later started going to the playgroup. Michael then got an additional diagnosis of autism, which Waypoint at RMC has been instrumental in helping Krissy and her husband navigate.
“Heidi sent me different classes for autism awareness to learn more about how these children learn so you can help them on their journey.” Krissy says. “Kristen gave me this amazing book on different strategies for speech — just anything I needed.”
Krissy says that the comradery with the parents of the playgroup has been the best part for her. She has built friendships that go beyond the playgroup, with some parents meeting up outside to take the kids to the park.
“…To be able to have a space where every part of him is completely accepted – he’s just blossomed so much.” she says. Choking up with gratitude, she continues, “I get so excited because to have people see your kid, the way you see your kid, instead of looking at him, like he’s weird or different… Everybody is not only rooting for my kid, but they understand him. And they love him for it. That’s been the coolest thing.”
“Michael just started talking recently.” Krissy shares. “He’s going through his journey in his own way. There is no timeline.” She believes it’s important to embrace every single part of the process. “They will get it. They will figure it out. It might not be in the traditional way or what society says it should look like, but they are going to progress. It will happen. You just have to keep trying.”
Through Waypoint, Krissy has learned not to fight or force Michael’s development. This meant embracing alternative communication strategies. It wasn’t what she envisioned, but by welcoming these opportunities and accepting Michael’s own timeline, he is now vocally speaking.
“If you told me a year ago that he was going to talk, I would’ve said no way,” she says. “But you just gotta keep going.”