ACCESS Early Childhood

Coming Full Circle With ACCESS: How One Mom's Intuition and Experience Opened Doors for Her Son

Written by Sarah Bemberg, ACCESS Parent

I was familiar, nothing prepares you for being a parent in need of services for your own child.

When our oldest son Charles was two years old, it started to become clear that he needed extra support. I was grateful that I knew exactly who to call. I will never forget ACCESS Early Childhood Assistant Director Suzanne Carter meeting me outside the front doors when we arrived for Charles’s first evaluation at ACCESS. As a parent, it was overwhelming and scary to realize our child had different needs, and we needed to figure out how to meet them. From day one at ACCESS, I have never doubted that we were in exactly the right place to meet all of Charles’s needs.

self-care skills in occupational therapy. Physical therapy continues to build his strength and balance. The gains he has made in his social skills, speech, and ability to communicate have changed his world, as well as ours.

Our one-year-old Maggie was born the month after Charles started full-time in the Early Childhood program at ACCESS. A few months later, she joined the ACCESS family in the infant room. We know the foundation that Charles and Maggie are both receiving at ACCESS is giving them the best start we could ask for.

“I don’t have to listen!” my four-year-old Charles says to me with a big grin as he dashes away from me trying to hand him his shoes to put on one morning. While this would normally be a moment for discipline, I can’t help but try to stifle my smile. Even when they aren’t words I love hearing, a five-word sentence from this sweet, silly boy is something I will never take for granted. That sentence, and so many more, have been made possible by the Early Childhood program at ACCESS.

Our family has been big fans of ACCESS for years. I came to learn about ACCESS and the wonderful work of its mission as an employee when I worked on the Development Team from 2014 to 2016. While

Charles had his first speech evaluation in March 2021 and started outpatient speech therapy the next month. We quickly started the process of other evaluations and putting together the pieces for how to best support him. By August 2021, he was enrolled in the Early Childhood program and received speech, occupational, and physical therapy each week. When we received his autism diagnosis from the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center in October 2021, I was never more grateful that we already had Charles’s team and support system in place.

The Early Childhood program is designed to integrate education, therapy, and a language-rich curriculum to create an immersive, early intervention environment.

The growth we have seen in Charles since he started at ACCESS is nothing short of phenomenal. He has gained independence from working on

Many different paths bring families to ACCESS. For us, we have come full circle. If your child isn’t meeting milestones, if they look differently or act differently or sound differently - know that ACCESS meets you where you are and helps you find the way forward. This team is filled with educators and therapists that are supporting kids, loving kids, and helping kids (and their families) grow every day.

Charles’s journey at ACCESS is far from over, and we are so excited to see what his future holds.

Primary Diagnoses Served Through ACCESS Early Childhood

Expanding Potential Through Early Intervention

Written by Whitney Bell, EC-3 Teacher

After graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and ample experience working with children, I was eager to put my education into action with the students at ACCESS. Little did I know that this place would be the formative framework for my career with special needs.

Soon after joining ACCESS, I fell in love with everything I saw. There is such intentionality in the way we teach, care for, and walk alongside each student on their unique path. Over the years, I have enjoyed learning about different strategies to calm a child or help them learn to regulate. I love working closely with my team of therapists to find ways to help smooth transitions for students or find different techniques of teaching a concept that will benefit a struggling child. This team approach truly sets us apart, and it provides a comprehensive network of support and guidance for the students and their families.

After five and a half years, I left ACCESS to raise my children at home during their early years. Eventually, I was drawn back to ACCESS as it had my heart the entire time. Throughout the year, we get to watch the children grow in stature, confidence, skill, responsibility, and sense of teamwork.

To witness this progress and change in a child is a privilege, and having the opportunity to be a part of their story – be a small part of the person they will become – is both humbling and challenging. It is our job to see that they are properly nurtured but also pushed to discover new capabilities, and finding that balance is the key to forward progress.

From when Charles started outpatient therapy to when school started in August 2021, he had already changed so much and made so much progress. Once starting the Early Childhood program full-time, Charles quickly learned the schedule and routine, and we just saw this explosion in all areas. He was using words, showing interest in peers, and learning to participate and function in a school environment. It's my favorite part of ACCESS - the growth we get to see and knowing that the impact is life-changing in a family’s ability to function daily.

-Suzanne Carter, Early Childhood Assistant Director

As we journey down each little path with our students, we always take the time to stop and celebrate every milestone reached or new skill gained, for it is the little victories that piece together to create their puzzle of life. We may teach them how to shine, but it is their light – their inner strength, persistence, hard work, personality, and youthful spirit – that shines in its own unique way, for they each bring to this world things that no one else can. In the grand scheme, our contribution is small, and each day has its own challenge. In the end, this is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, and I am grateful to be part of this team that changes lives every day.

? Did you know... more than 91% 91% of ACCESS Early Childhood Pre-K 4 and Kindergarten Transition students meet or exceed the required skills to move on to Kindergarten the following year.