The Search for the Therapy Center Continues

Earlier today, our family three went to the Beyond Horizon Intervention Center for Dyn's assessment. This center is included on the list of approved centers by our developmental pediatrician few weeks ago. Some of the centers on the list were fully booked hence having a slot is quite a challenge.

We arrived at Beyond Horizon at ten in the morning. We got lost as there was no signage in front of their building, and if you are a local, you would never think of it as a center since it looked like an apartment complex. Children started to arrive while we were waiting for Dyn's turn, and we had some small talk with other parents and guardians sharing their kids' achievements after being admitted to the program.

A grandma mentioned that after three months, her grandson could already say the words "here" and "there," and could already point to what he wanted.

Another mom beside us shared that her child is now better behaved compared to previous years. Her kid already knows how to wear shoes and other skills.

It was a place where they celebrated small wins and changes.

A few minutes later, Dyn was called by the teacher for her assessment. We waited and hoped that she wouldn't throw any tantrums and would be cooperative since we were not with her. Compared to the developmental pediatrician check-up we had, only Dyn was being checked, questioned, and monitored.

After half an hour, we were called in. We were asked how we were feeling and if we had already accepted the diagnosis of GDD and possible ASD. We told them that we were processing everything and slowly accepting it. She mentioned that acceptance is hard, especially for parents, and it is a good step. We were asked about our schedules, our work, etc., and then informed of the results of their assessment.

She mentioned that she agreed that Dyn has a Global Developmental Delay (GDD) and that her age vs her skill set doesn't match. However, the other findings differed from the developmental pediatrician's. The teacher mentioned that Dyn is just delayed and does not fall on the ASD spectrum.

Our little one can understand and respond to them, but it is quite limited. Dyn also showed interest in music and cognitive development. They mentioned that if it were ASD, some signs would show during the test.

They also agreed to start occupational therapy, speech therapy, and early intervention for our little one. However, they did not encourage us to start with speech therapy first but to focus on working with Dyn's behavior. They mentioned the importance of this as it doesn't make sense to focus on speech if Dyn is just running around playing and not listening.

We felt a sense of relief with the results, as our minds had been in turmoil over the past few weeks about what would happen next. As suggested by them, we will do the therapy four times a week, almost daily, and if Dyn is not too chaotic, she will mingle with other kids once a week too.

We agreed and let them know our plan. We will also buy a bag for her since her stuff will be kept inside while she's doing the therapy session. Parents are off-limits once the kids enter the center as a practice to make them independent.

However, we got a message from one of the parents in a group saying that there's a nearby center we might want to check out first, as they offer the same services at a cheaper cost. This other center is also included on the list given to us by our pediatrician, but since they don't have a Facebook page, we hadn't considered them before.

So, as discussed with April earlier, we will check this other center first to see their facilities and services. If we find that their services are comparable to Beyond Horizon, we will choose the other one since we are still saving up some money.

We have a preferred center, but unfortunately, they are fully booked until October. While we are waiting, Dyn should start therapy as soon as possible, as this is an important phase where she absorbs everything quickly, and we need to keep up.

Tomorrow, we will check with the other center. We are positive that we will get a slot so Dyn can start. In the meantime, we will do our best to equip and teach her the skills that were given to us when we attended a seminar on neurodivergence.