Raegan DeSilva

Review of Hudson Valley Behavior Solutio...

Being able to have our son work with the HVBS team...

Being able to have our son work with the HVBS team has been one of the biggest blessings our family has ever had. He began his work with them non-verbal, non-responsive, completely uninterested in anything but iPad and acting out aggressively and sometimes down right violent to us and his siblings. The screams of pain from our oldest still haunt me. We were at our wits end, I cried every time I looked at him, MCSD tried their best, but no program or amount of therapy could reach him. One day after tirelessly searching online for ANY answer, I found HVBS and called. Maureen spoke to me and it was like an instant relief to know there was hope on the horizon. The intake with Dr. Jodlowski and tour of the facility solidified my belief this was THE place for him. They managed everything, from scheduling to insurance to his program, everything, advice on transitioning him, etc. It was a relief to finally be guided by someone who knew the completely lost feeling our family was suffering and could give us the direction we needed.

Since February 2020, Thomas has been here and is THRIVING!!!! Everyone told me not to get my hopes up too high, but my hopes aren t even close to the progress he has made in such an incredibly short time. He is vocalizing like crazy!! The other day he looked me directly in the eye and said get up, in Tommy-speak of course, but it was perfectly clear what he said!!!!! I was dumbfounded. He calls momma with intent of looking for me now!! He even tries to say I love you. He responds to his name, follows simple instructions and hasn t hurt us or been aggressive like he was in months. The tantruming is normal now for his age, in fact he s easier going now than the other 3 kids!!! He is signing too and actively looks to learn more! He asked for more to drink perfectly, I couldn t believe my eyes! I mean He looked me straight in my eyes and signed more drink!!! Parent training is provided weekly and it has changed our entire approach and appreciation for Tommy as we had absolutely no idea how to parent/understand/manage an autistic child.

Anyone in our position can truly appreciate the magnitude of these things. For the first time since his diagnosis we have hope and are optimistic about the future.

There simply aren t enough positive things I can say about this program, while I am learning the techniques and growing with Tommy, my heart is overwhelmed with the opportunities HVBS has helped us to realize our baby s life has. Whereas before the diagnosis felt like a bomb, it now feels like something we can learn from and grow closer together through love and understanding. Sorry to be so emotional but the team has given our family hope, which I m sad to say we nearly lost and there is absolutely no way to quantify or express our deep gratitude in words.