Thursday, November 24, 2011

Giving Thanks to Cooper's Team

In honor of Thanksgiving, I give thanks to some incredible people who came into our lives starting when Cooper was an infant and have since become part of our extended family.

I am so, so grateful to the following individuals who are among the many who have been part of our journey with Cooper, who has been diagnosed with hypotonia (low muscle tone), global developmental delays, and autism spectrum disorder:

- My dear friend Carolyn F., who encouraged me to have Goober evaluated by the Early Intervention Program and whose son was Goober's first best friend;

- Our service coordinators during Cooper's years in EI and CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education), who fielded my requests for evaluations, placement, and more: Crystal from Personal-Touch, Yen-Yu and Bonnie from University Settlement, Lynnette at These Our Treasures (TOTS), and Hedi and Nancy from NYL Lifestart;

- The Early Intervention Official Designees who approved Cooper's Individualized Family Service Plans (and there were many!);

- The evaluators who assessed Cooper and recommended that he receive occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and special instruction through EI, CPSE (when he went to preschool), and finally the Committee for Special Education (when he started kindergarten), and the administrators at CPSE and CSE who authorized the services;

- The talented staff at the Seaver Autism Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, whose testing and ultimate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder enabled us to better understand Cooper;

- The teachers and staff at These Our Treasures (TOTS) and Small World North who nurtured Cooper as a toddler and preschooler, and helped him blossom into the person he is today;

- The bus drivers and matrons who brought Cooper safely to and from TOTS (when he was only 2 years old!) and later to kindergarten and first grade;

- Cooper's pediatrician, neurologist, ENT, cardiologist, and orthopaedists;

- Dorothy Siegel, for creating the ASD-Nest program in NYC, and Fred for knowing that Cooper belongs there;

- The city and state of New York, for funding the Early Intervention Program, CPSE, CSE and the ASD-Nest program;

- And last, but certainly not least, the inspiring therapists whose kindness, dedication, and TLC have made all the difference:

Occupational therapists:
Pat, Ruth, Peggy, Kristen, Rachel, Jen D. and Sam (at the fabulous Kids in Motion sensory gym in Riverdale), Jennifer (a.k.a. "Swim Jen" with Aquabilities);

Physical therapists:
Brian (you got him walking!), Diane, Dorian, Markella;

Speech-language therapists:
Ivy (you taught him sign language!), Jennifer M., Jenny, Svetlana, Joanne, Jen K., Jen L., Lori (oral-motor guru);

Special education itinerant teachers:
Jenn N. (a.k.a. "New Jenn"), Illana, Maria, Marilyn, Brian.

You're the best!!!!