Idalia and Robert Martinez
Legacy Community Health Services Board of Directors Bryan Hlavinka Chairperson Beth Bruce
Vice-Chairperson Jani C. Lopez Secretary
Glenn Bauguss Treasurer
Ian Rosenberg
At-Large / Executive Committee
Legacy Provides Hope and Help for Families of Children with Autism When Robert Martinez came to Legacy three years ago at the age of 14, he didn’t like to talk to people, much less look them in the eye. “I couldn’t get him out of his room by himself,” says Idalia, his mother. “He was uncomfortable around other people. I wasn’t sure what was wrong.” The Behavioral Health team at Legacy diagnosed Robert with autism, and he soon began receiving treatment and attending support classes at our Southwest campus. “Many of our patients’ parents had never heard of autism before their child was diagnosed with it,” says Dr. Jeannette Valdivieso, Medical Director of Behavioral Health. “It’s important to diagnose a disorder like autism as early as possible, and unfortunately we’re often seeing children for the first time two to three years later than normal.”
Sehba Ali
Beryl Basham Tony Bravo
George Burch
Dr. Abigail Caudle Victor Cordova
Cyndy Garza Roberts Amanda Goodie Alex Jessett
Legacy’s Autism Support Program is driving healthy change by meeting patients where they are, and adapting our programs to fit their needs. “We provide in-house psychiatric evaluations and treatment, behavior therapy, and psychological testing to anyone who walks through our doors,” says Dr. Monica Garza, Director of Psychology Services. “Our program also has weekly autism social skills support groups and a bi-monthly support group for families that have proven incredibly successful,” Dr. Garza says. “All of these meetings are facilitated by bilingual providers, a crucial feature since the community surrounding this campus primarily speaks Spanish.” There’s still much to be done to expand the program, such as adding bilingual resources that can improve diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes. The Behavioral Health team plans to create a Legacy Autism Assessment Kit with evidence-based tasks, materials, and toys specifically designed to let us tailor our treatment and assessment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The social skills support groups have brought great changes to Robert’s personality and outlook. Now 17, he’s independent, quicker to smile, and able to make his own meals and get ready for school without help. “He’s the best-dressed in the family,” says Idalia. “I’m optimistic about his future.”
Alton LaDay
Glenna Pierpont Jay Sears
Legacy Developmental Clinic Staff, children, and families participate in the Angeles de Esperanza/Angels of Hope Autism Support Group
Lauren Soliz
John C. Sheptor
Legacy Community Health Endowment Board of Directors Claire Cormier Thielke Chairperson
Mark A. Grierson
Vice-Chairperson James A. Reeder, Jr. Secretary
Mike Holloman Treasurer
Michael S. Alexander. J.D. Tripp Carter
Joshua L. Espinedo Melanie Gray
Melissa Mithoff
Monsour Taghdisi
Spring 2015
Spotlight on Legacy’s Employees What is your job at Legacy? I have been the Autism Group Coordinator at Legacy Southwest for the past Emily Santiago two and half years, working with parents Autism Group of children who have autism and learnCoordinator ing disabilities. Our group, supported by a grant from the O’Quinn Foundation, meets twice a month to provide support to parents of children with autism and help them learn how to work with their children to improve their prognosis. When they first come in, some parents don’t want to accept the situation because they don’t understand the diagnosis. In most cases they feel very differently after spending time with other parents who’ve shared their own stories. They find comfort in hearing about other people in similar situations, and that keeps them coming back week after week. One of the largest hurdles for parents is working with their children’s schools, in part because they don’t always understand the laws regarding special needs children. The schools must provide speech therapy, occupational therapy, and time in specialized classes, but they must provide time in mainstream classes, too. Parents also need to learn what they can do at home to complement school activities.
Why are these autism groups so important to the Southwest community? We are seeing a growing number of children every year developing autism. It’s important that parents have their children tested early so they can begin interventions early. In addition, many of our patient families speak only Spanish, so we offer the groups in Spanish. What is the best part of your job? I like to help people and this job lets me focus on families with children with disabilities. I think it’s very important to recognize that each child is unique and that we must respect and love them without comparing them to others. My own child has childhood apraxia of speech, a motor speech disorder in which the child has difficulty saying sounds and words. She understands Spanish and English, but she can’t physically talk. I know how difficult it can be to live with a child with special needs, and how hard it is to find information and know what to do. I am happy when the parents feel comforted. They tell me, “I know now what to do. I know how to help my child. I feel better about how my child will adapt to different areas.” It’s incredibly rewarding to not only make a difference, but to see on a daily basis the impact our work has.