Stories of Impact

Bobby

Five-year-old Bobby is an amazing little boy… with a lot of opinions. Thanks to the therapists at Curative New Berlin Therapies (CNBT), he is able to communicate and share more of those opinions every day.

When Bobby first started at CNBT a little over a year ago, he had very limited communication skills – using approximately one to two signs inconsistently and only a few single sounds that he was not expressing meaningfully. His mom, Jessi, recalls the first time Bobby worked with CNBT speech therapist, Brittany. “I remember they were playing with a Mr. Potato Head and she got him to make
the ‘Mmm’ sound,” shared Jessi. “It brought tears to my eyes and I knew right there this was going to be really good.”

Brittany became an advocate for Bobby, helping his mom navigate the neuropsychology process that eventually led to his diagnosis of autism, which affects approximately one in 59 children in the United States. Bobby also worked with CNBT occupational therapist, Emily, to help him with self-care, sensory and picky eating concerns. “Knowing that they have the science behind how the brain works and how children learn is amazing, and we are so lucky to have this resource so close to home,” shared Jessi. “I didn’t go to school for this and I’m not the expert, but they gave us the tools we need to use at home and connected us to the right people at every step.”

Brittany shared that Bobby continues to make great progress. He is working on speaking in full sentences and his inspiring mom could not be more proud.

“There was a time when I didn’t know if we would be able to sing our ABC’s together or if I’d ever hear him say ‘I love you.’”

Bobby is now able to advocate for himself, telling his mom things like what he wants to wear that day and what he wants to be for Halloween. “He loves Toy Story 4 and wants to be Duke Caboom,” shared Jessi.

Jessi attributes much of Bobby’s success to the therapists at CNBT and to his “can do” attitude. “One of my favorite faces he has is when he does something new and when he is proud of himself like when he learns a new phrase,” said Jessi.

She is thrilled that Bobby’s little personality is coming out. He is supported by a loving family including his very proud parents, Jessi and Michael, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have all cheered him on as they witnessed the strides he has made. “Even his cousins say, ‘Bobby said his name to me,’” shared Jessi. “The fact that I’ve gotten to know my child is such a gift.”