Franklin and Michael are brothers with autism and a strong competitive streak. Both boys have made remarkable progress this year in spite of the challenges of receiving services remotely via telehealth.
“They absolutely love their remote therapy sessions at CTC,” says their mother, Cecilia. Nine-year old Franklin’s favorite activity is making slime for a chemistry experiment. The activity helps him practice his hand-eye coordination and tolerance for different textures and smells. Younger brother Michael, who at age 6 is still largely non-verbal but making huge progress in speech therapy, also has a new skill: hugging his brother after years of avoiding any interaction. Franklin and Michael look forward to participating in each other’s therapy sessions, too, where they challenge each other to do better.
Their mother, Cecilia, is grateful that CTC’s services didn’t stop when the pandemic started. “My kids have actually done better with telehealth,” she says. “They are at home, so they don’t get as easily overwhelmed. When they need a time out, they can retreat to their tent for relief or play with their familiar squishy toys.” She recommends to other parents that they give telehealth a try. “I consider it a stepping stone to help build and maintain our connection to our child’s therapist once in-person services resume.”