Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Oliver is an active 3-year-old boy who lives for the outdoors. You can usually find him in his yard wearing his beloved footie pajamas, playing with water, looking curiously at the textures of plants, or playing with anything that has wheels.
Oliver’s mom, Casey, knew early on that he needed some help to learn to communicate. With the right speech therapy and his family’s support, in just six months, Oliver went from a diagnosis of nonspeaking autism to being able to imitate words. His progress to date has been incredible—and he’s just getting started.
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Oliver is the youngest of five kids. When Casey was expecting him, she learned that Oliver had XYY syndrome, which is linked to a greater chance of an autism diagnosis. Casey recalls that Oliver was delayed in almost all of his milestones as a baby. When he turned 2, he was diagnosed with level 3 nonspeaking autism. Casey began looking for a speech therapist.
“We tried typical, in-office therapy sessions and really struggled with them,” she said. “The hours didn’t work for a child who needed a precise schedule, and the offices felt scary and new to him. This drove us to seek out something different, something Oliver could participate in from the comfort of his own surroundings.
“After looking online, we opted to go with Expressable and felt optimistic it would fit our needs perfectly.”
Casey was quickly reassured that their switch to Expressable was the right fit. Oliver was paired with Kristen Sheffer, M.S., CCC-SLP, and the two of them hit it off, quickly establishing a strong relationship. This rapport allowed them to start working on new speech and language skills right away.
Learn what autism might look like in a 3-year-old, including signs of autism related to communication, social skills, and behavior.
Adventurous sessions help Oliver learn where he’s comfortable
Oliver has been receiving speech therapy with Expressable for about six months. Some of the goals in his treatment plan include:
Imitating motor movements during play or singing songs
Language comprehension for safety and independence
Using words, gestures, or vocalizations to make requests
Making a choice to express his wants and needs
Imitating early developing sounds and practicing vocal play
Experimenting with AAC trial devices and apps
Doing tasks that promote joint attention
Both Casey and Kristen describe Oliver as adventurous. He’s always on the move and loves to be outside, especially with his family’s goats and chickens. Because Oliver does speech therapy at home, he often gets to do his sessions outdoors. This helps keep him motivated and engaged.
Kristen says, “We spend a lot of time in sessions exploring his natural environment, which has provided great language opportunities. Whether we’re saying ‘hi’ to his goats, playing in water, going on adventures in the backyard, or exploring different areas and items in the house, each session includes new chances to model functional language that he can use in his daily routines.”
Family support and partnership leads to big gains in communication
Oliver has been making incredible progress in speech therapy. He has recently started imitating simple sounds and syllables, some exclamations like “Yay!,” and some words for colors.
Kristen remembers, “I’ll never forget the video I got from his mom to show me his imitation of color names. We were both beyond excited and proud of him!”
Kristen notes that much of Oliver’s progress is due to how involved Casey is. “Casey is so supportive. It’s evident she would move mountains for Oliver. She’s always open to suggestions and new approaches, and she carries over all the skills we practice in sessions into their everyday life. Getting to work with this family is incredible because we have such a team effort.”
“Hearing any of his tiny voice is a victory. I’m left with more confidence than ever that we’re on the right path with Kristen through Expressable.”
Casey feels the exact same way about Kristen. She says, “Kristen is wonderfully kind and helpful. Not only is Oliver learning, but I am learning so much as his parent. We’re given ample tools to use and strategies to apply. On top of that, she’s helping us to understand how Oliver processes language and showing us what that means in our everyday lives, not just during sessions.
“Kristen has become a familiar, joyful, and most importantly, safe face inside of Oliver’s routine, which is so special.”
If your child isn’t talking, they can still benefit from online speech therapy. Learn how online speech therapy works for nonverbal children.
From nonspeaking to communicating his needs
Casey sums up Oliver’s progress this way: “He went from being almost silent, to mimicking noises and sounds, making more eye contact, and using other methods to communicate his needs, which means less frustration. This is big stuff for us! Hearing any of his tiny voice is a victory I’ll take, and I’m left with more confidence than ever that we’re on the right path with Kristen through Expressable.”
Speech therapy that meets families where they are
Helping your child become a strong communicator is one of the best gifts you can give them. At Expressable, our speech therapists have worked with thousands of families like Oliver’s. Get started today and find the right speech therapist for your child.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
