After many years of wanting and waiting, our sweet...

After many years of wanting and waiting, our sweet boy Charlie arrived into this world on December 20, 2010. He was a beautiful, joyous baby who met all his milestones in his first year. Around 18 months we become concerned about Charlie s language skills and his high level of anxiety. Charlie was evaluated and started therapy. Although he added many words in his vocabulary, he still wasn t really communicating with us, and was so anxious that leaving the house became nearly impossible.

Although we knew it was coming, we weren t really prepared when Charlie received his autism diagnosis at 27 months old. His team recommended he start a five day a week program, so we decided to tour some programs. At first, none of the schools seemed to fit. Then, someone suggested RCN and all that changed.

The minute we walked in we were greeted with so much warmth and love. One of the first things I noticed was how relaxed Charlie was. The teachers came over to him, asked his name and included him in the class activities. The children too were welcoming. That night we signed Charlie up!

Gradually, Charlie did more than just settle in; he blossomed. When I dropped him off, his classmates would run up and hug him. When I picked him up, he was smiling and happy. He gained the nickname Char-Star from one of his teachers and it couldn't have been more true. This boy who had refused to leave the house was now a confident and happy guy who joined in soccer lessons and Little League. This fall, on his first day of Kindergarten, Charlie bravely got on that big bus by himself without looking back, on his way to his next big adventure.
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RCN is more than just a preschool to us; they are family. Each person at RCN contributed to Charlie's success, from Wendy at the front desk to his teachers and therapists. They taught us to have confidence in our guy, but most importantly they taught us all to have fun together.

Thank you, RCN, for all your love. We are forever grateful!