I was diagnosed with Autism when I was two-and-a-half years old. I was non-verbal, I had no social skills, and I had sensory issues. The doctors told my mother that ABA therapy was not accessible in Georgia and that it was the “Cadillac version” of treatment that she could not afford. They also said I would never be able to speak and that I was going to be in special education for the rest of my life. My mother did her research on ABA therapy and was determined to access ABA because she wanted the very best care for me.
Finding someone to provide me therapy at that age was one of the most difficult things for my mother. She went to this workshop for therapists, and she was the only mother there. At the end, she asked the lady to come to our house to serve me. She said yes, but we had to pay for the therapy out of pocket. My mother found an ABA provider in South Carolina, and I began getting therapy at the age of two-and-a-half. The ABA provider came to my home in Georgia to provide me therapy. My mother went to workshops, doctors, and therapists to find the right treatment for me.
I was getting 30-40 hours of therapy a week, and within the first two weeks of therapy, my mother saw immediate improvement. The therapist would spend 30 minutes at the table with me, then we would spend 30 minutes doing play time, then we would spend 30 minutes outside. We did this eight hours a day. The therapist began to see such rapid improvement that they told my mom they wanted to put me in pre-k with a therapist. By the time I went to kindergarten, I was reading just like all the other kids by December.
Without ABA therapy, I would not be where I am today. I believe that everyone in need deserves access to ABA therapy. It is scientifically proven to be one of the most beneficial treatments for individuals with Autism. Within two weeks of ABA therapy, I was sitting at a table stacking blocks which is something I would have never been able to do. When I was four years old, I said “mama” for the first time, as a child who was supposed to never be able to speak. By the time I got to elementary school, I was in the top group as a child who was supposed to be in special education for the rest of her life. I graduated high school in the top 5% of my class. I am now studying Biology at the University of Georgia. None of this would have been possible without ABA therapy.