This month, our spotlight story features 7-year-old Kash Kemp. Kash started coming to the Autism ETC Glendale, Arizona location in March of 2021. Kash’s grandparents, Denise Kemp and her husband, adopted him when he was just two weeks old. Denise noticed Kash wasn’t hitting his developmental milestones, and that his language development was very limited. “He was making minimal progress with the skills he had. His pediatrician recommended that Kash begin Speech Therapy, but he made very little progress. When he was almost 2 ½ years old, he was diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician as being on the autism spectrum. Although Kash did not have behavioral issues, he had difficulty making eye contact and was struggling to understand potty training.”

Kash’s doctor recommended ABA therapy, so Denise started doing her research. She eventually discovered Autism ETC, a new clinic that had recently opened in Glendale. “I met with Kayla Ziolko, the clinical manager for the center. They took the time to care, and I am so grateful. ABA was all new to me. I had heard about ABA through Kash’s developmental pediatrician, but now I was able to see that this was a good fit for Kash. The staff understood what he was experiencing. I was at ease about my decision for Kash to come to Autism ETC.”

Denise says she saw immediate results with Kash. Kayla and Danielle (an RBT who worked with Kash) were making a huge impact. He was potty trained within two weeks of coming to AETC.

The staff helped Kash learn to use an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. Denise says it was a big change for him to use this device, but he is now really good with it.

Kash is also learning to eat different foods. “He is touching and trying different foods they give to him. He has learned colors, counting, and he is learning to play with other children. Being around other adults and children and learning to play and interact is a huge deal.”

As for the parent training Denise has received, she says it’s been useful to help her understand what Kash is working on and how she and her husband can help him at home. “My husband would tend to give in to Kash instead of having him follow through with what he needed to do. I discussed this with Kayla and now my husband has come to some of the training sessions. Kayla has been able to emphasize the importance of being consistent with Kash. Now we are working together, and we know this will help Kash continue to improve.”

Since coming to Autism ETC/Glendale, Denise has had the opportunity to meet other client families. “I let them know it is a process, but they need to trust the process and to follow through with the recommendations they are given. I can’t recommend Autism ETC enough.”

Looking to the future, Denise commented, “I want Kash to be independent. I want him to learn life skills without me hovering over him. I want him to have the skills to be able to successfully navigate the world. I want him to be able to learn and adapt. I believe this will happen because ABA has changed his life.”