Ethan! July 2009

BIA taught Ethan how to learn. It was a building block approach of breaking down skills into the simplest steps and teaching each step one at a time. They learned what motivated him and used rewards to encourage him to work and play. BIA also taught my husband Bruce and I how to support with Ethan. We, as parents of a child with ASD, are on a lifelong course of helping our son reach his maximum potential so we needed to learn how to teach and motivate Ethan once BIA was no longer in our lives. The BIA parent training helped make our family life more normal and manageable.

Before we started working with BIA, it was as though our son Ethan was covered by a veil. He didn’t want to interact with us, with objects or with his world. It was a terrifying place to be. Over the years that BIA worked with Ethan, that veil was removed and we discovered our son was an incredibly smart, social, outgoing and happy little boy who will undoubtedly one day go to college and have a career. He is now functioning well in a mainstream school setting. •

Jack! January 2008

As a proud parent of a BIA alum, I’m thrilled to show this photo of my son, Jack, pictured between his godparents, Jake and Lisa Lore, at Jack’s Bar Mitzvah in January 2008. Jack, 13, attends Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto. His favorite subject in school is science, and in particular, zoology. After school sports are basketball (Jack is 6 ‘ 2” tall!) and tennis. In his free time, Jack plays guitar and is a vocalist; his favorite music genre is country. Jack’s passions are animals and endangered species, and he plans to pursue a career in this field. •
- Shari Boxer Baker

Matthew! 2007

Matthew is head over heels for his new found passion, gymnastics! He started lessons about 2 years ago at a local center and progressed so quickly that he was recently invited to demonstrate exercises for a lower level class! Before starting his intervention program, Matthew’s gross motor skills were evaluated and were, in general, delayed compared to his age group. When he joined the gymnastics class his skills clearly lagged other children of his age group who were also just beginning. Matthew always had an interest in gross motor play, though, and was always something of a daredevil when it came to the park. Great job, Matthew! •

Molly! 2007

Molly fell head over heals for theatre from the moment she took the stage. She is pictured here during a performance of A Christmas Carol and Cats. Molly, now in high school, has appeared in numerous performances by the River City Theater Company. •

Joshua! 2008

Joshua, a former BIA client, approached BIA about working over the summer with children who had experienced early intervention services through BIA as he had. Joshua was paired with 2 elementary age boys who have mild yet ongoing social issues addressed by their parents and teachers. Joshua received some coaching and had the opportunity to observe BIA staff implementing play dates. His play dates took place in a park. Joshua’s interest in giving back to the community that he knows intimately deserves the utmost appreciation. BIA gives a heartfelt thanks and wishes Joshua all the best as he graduates from high school and prepares for college in the coming year.
- By Anna Kern, Program Director

"This summer, I served as a play date facilitator for two boys who at one point qualified for a diagnosis of autism. This was my first time in over a decade participating in these types of play dates, and it was a very hard, but rewarding experiences. In my previous experiences with play dates I was a preschooler who slowly but surely, despite my diagnosis of autism, learned to find great joy in engaging in play with my peers. More recently, I learned how to stretch the limits of my patience, how to stretch the comfort zone of the boys I worked with, and how to create and improvise outdoor games and activities for the two boys and how to keep them engaged. Facilitating these play dates taught me a lot about myself, and about my own recovery from autism." •
- By Joshua

Laura! 2008

Laura was a former BIA student (at age 4). Recently, Laura contacted BIA to let us know that she is now in college and inquired about BIA summer internship possibilities. Laura is spending her summer teaching at the BIA Clubhouse After-School Program. She is a tremendous asset and we are so happy that she kept in touch. All the best to Laura as a college sophmore next year ! •