“When Lizzie initially started therapy with us, we made a plan, we outlined goals, and as a team -- Lizzie, her family, her therapists and her school – we helped Lizzie to integrate those goals and skills into her daily life”
Conquering milestones
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Spina Munro is a happy, healthy and vibrant seven-year-old who loves to jump on her pogo stick with her brothers, Nicky and Robby. She loves to swim and ice skate, and baking has become one of her passions. These may seem like every day activities for a seven-year-old, something many parents may take for granted, but for Lizzie, these activities are huge accomplishments. Her parents are so grateful to watch her pogo around the living room!
A triplet, Lizzie was consistently behind her two brothers developmentally, slower to reach milestones such as sitting up and crawling. At 15 months, Lizzie had not started to use words like her brothers and her eye contact was limited. Her parents, Chris and Kelly, knew it was time to seek help.
Both Chris and Kelly have a background in special education and know the importance of early intervention for developmental disabilities and they were determined to find the best possible therapy for Lizzie. Their exhaustive research brought them to Dr. Yvette Janvier, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics specialist at Children’s Specialized Hospital.
The Autism Program at Children’s Specialized Hospital is dedicated to improving the lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Families come to the program to receive comprehensive evaluations, treatment and community education. In fact, Children’s Specialized is at the forefront of research for treatment and diagnosis of autism. The hospital is currently conducting various clinical studies related to diagnosis and treatment, including a National Institute of Health (NIH)-sponsored study of children with a regressive form of autism, genetics of autism, medication studies, validation studies for new diagnostic tools, determining diagnostic pathways, autism screening with underserved populations and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment.
After receiving an ASD diagnosis, Lizzie began a journey of extensive occupational and speech therapy in Toms River at the age of two. While her therapy could be grueling at times, over the years, the positive results were encouraging and motivating.
A goal of occupational therapy at Children’s Specialized is to encourage the highest level of independence in the child’s life. Some of the skills that patients work on may be dressing, bathing, feeding, meal preparation and navigating different environments. Chris and Kelly describe Lizzie’s occupational therapist, Nichole Turmelle, as being instrumental in Lizzie’s progress. Turmelle encouraged Lizzie to complete tasks that challenged her to leave her comfort zone and the payoff was huge. “Nichole connected with Lizzie and challenged her and we see the results at home,” said Chris.
A crucial part of Lizzie’s therapy is the consistent continuation with at-home activities. Encouraging the entire family to participate, Chris and Kelly turned their living room into a gym with playmats and therapy balls; they even encouraged scooting inside the house! These physical and therapeutic activities proved fun for the entire family and inspired Lizzie’s brothers to participate in her progress.
Lizzie also received speech therapy with Jennifer Kus. One of the most important goals in speech therapy for Chris and Kelly was to teach Lizzie to communicate. Lizzie couldn’t tell them if she was sick or hurt and that terrified them. With the careful guidance of Kus, Lizzie made great strides in her communication skills and continues to work on those skills in school and at home.
“When Lizzie initially started therapy with us, we made a plan, we outlined goals, and as a team -- Lizzie, her family, her therapists and her school – we helped Lizzie to integrate those goals and skills into her daily life,” Turmelle noted.
Lizzie met her goals. She was discharged from therapy and given some time to take a break and practice her new skills. However, Turmelle continued, “Sometimes new issues arise and it’s very important for our patients and their families to know that we’re here for them and they can come back to work on a particular issue with a shorter, more focused episode of care. I think our families take great comfort in knowing we’re here for them with continued care.”
After five years of intense therapy, Lizzie now attends public school in her hometown, participates in the Special Olympics with her brothers by her side and partakes in all the family activities. The Spina-Munro family is grateful to Children’s Specialized Hospital for helping Lizzie to develop the life-skills she needs to succeed and thrive.