Susan and her husband Matt welcomed their first child, Ryan, in May of 2002. Ryan’s development seemed to progress normally, but around 20 months, something suddenly changed. Ryan behaved differently, and much of his social-emotional development appeared to evaporate. Susan and Matt quickly consulted their pediatrician, but they were told to wait until he turned two and see if problems persisted.

But Ryan had stopped talking. He had stopped looking at Susan and Matt. They decided they couldn’t wait, and scoured what information they could find at the time. They consulted a private speech therapist, who noted signs of Ryan being on the autism spectrum. They reached out to numerous autism centers and ran into wait lists of one to three years just to get Ryan in for an evaluation.

Growing increasingly desperate, Susan resolved to call at least three providers every single morning. Her persistence paid off, and after nearly two months, one finally agreed to squeeze Ryan in for a developmental assessment. Susan’s suspicion was quickly confirmed, and Ryan received an autism diagnosis.

Susan was connected with Wendy Olsen at Kindering, who ran CUBS, Kindering’s early intervention program specialized to help children on the autism spectrum. Wendy thought Ryan could benefit from the intensive and individualized therapies and education that CUBS provides. CUBS specialists employ tailored therapies to meet the specific needs of each child in a group setting, fostering social-emotional development and increased communication through peer interaction and parallel play. The program also provides direct instruction for children who need a more structured learning path.

Pictured above: Wendy Olsen (left) works with a young Ryan (white shirt) in CUBS.

Ryan made remarkable progress. Within a year of his diagnosis he was becoming a confident communicator, developing the capacity to use his words, gestures, and emotions to convey his needs.

Wendy fondly recalls witnessing Ryan’s personality emerge as his social, cognitive, and motor skills soared: “He had a very funny sense of humor even as a young child, and still does.” Wendy is still at Kindering, and now manages Kindering’s Renton site.

Ryan also participated in Kindering’s Stepping Stones, an inclusive preschool comprised of children with special needs as well as typically-developing “peer role models.” His younger brother Logan later attended this program too. Susan and Matt utilized Kindering’s range of family support services as well, including parent counseling for themselves and Sibshops for Logan, which is an informative and fun peer support group for siblings of children with special needs.

“It’s Kindering’s holistic approach that was so unique and so vital, the way they supported not only Ryan but also his brother and us as his parents,” says Susan.

Ryan aged out of Kindering’s early intervention services at age three, but the family returned to take advantage of Kindering’s one-on-one KidsClinic therapy program to keep honing his adaptive, motor, and social skills. Ryan continued improving, gradually but measurably.

Today Ryan is a high school freshman attending classes at Eastlake High School mixed with home-schooling, the latter from none other than the niece of Kindering’s Wendy Olsen.

At a teacher’s suggestion, Ryan began volunteering at the Sammamish YMCA front desk nearly two years ago, a role in which he has thrived. He has become the face of the YMCA, cheerfully greeting guests among a host of other duties, including helping with guest check-ins, managing towel supplies, and a variety of other responsibilities. Ryan has earned Volunteer of the Month, and has been featured in the Sammamish YMCA’s catalog.

“It’s been amazing,” Susan remarks, highlighting Ryan’s progress in social development and independence. “He wants to be around people, and here he sees the whole Sammamish community. People genuinely like Ryan. I know he’s very likeable, but to see it play out and watch others react so well to him is meaningful beyond words.”

Ryan is now considering applying for a paid position at the YMCA, and he’s looking into taking junior lifeguard training there as well.

“In the beginning, we couldn’t have imagined the options that are in front of Ryan today. We truly don’t know where we would be without Kindering. They supported the whole family when we needed it most, and really gave Ryan the start he needed to soar.”

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