Help a 13-year-old nonverbal autistic child access speech therapy
Setyesh is my niece. She is a 13-year-old sweet, quiet, and jolly girl. She is nonverbal, communicating through monosyllabic words and unspoken body language. In Afghanistan, she did not have access to occupational therapy or speech therapy. Her favorite hobbies are drawing and swimming, and sometimes playing soccer. She loves walking in nature as she finds a deep connection to the stillness and feels present. Setayesh lives with her parents in Calgary, Alberta. She has not been able to attend school on a regular basis due to a lack of an Educational Assistant (EA), often attending for only three hours, three times a week. This year, she does not have an EA and has forgotten everything, including writing her name. The family has applied for the FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) program, which is excessively long, with families waiting an average of three years for a full range of services, according to CBC. Because traditional educational settings have not been able ...