The story of Antek

Antek is 8 years old and is a very cheerful boy. Shortly after his birth, he gave the impression of a thriving child. The situation began to get complicated only when he turned 1.5 years old. That's when the first symptoms of the disorder became apparent. Antek still did not begin to respond to his name, he did not look into his eyes, and his parents sometimes had the impression that he could not see or hear what was happening around him.

These worrying signs caused Antek's parents to go with him to the doctor for help. Necessary tests were performed, including a hearing test, but the results were very good, so the doctor said he saw no cause for concern and sent the family home, unable to pinpoint what was going on with the boy.

The diagnosis, unfortunately, turned out to be very misleading, nothing indicated that the boy's situation would improve. On the contrary, while Antek was growing, the symptoms began to increase. Difficult behaviors appeared, which his mother did not always know how to control.

Antek's mother was very young at the time, and going out with her son to the playground provided her with many concerns. Worst of all were the comments of other parents, who considered her a bad mother, unable to cope with raising her own child. This was extremely distressing and hurtful, because Antek's mother was searching with all her might for a solution and trying to help the boy.

Fearing that another diagnosis wouldn't change anything, the woman began searching for information herself on the Internet, reading about developmental disorders. The solution came only after she confided in her cousin about a situation that was getting worse every day. The cousin suggested that Antoś might have autism. That's when the mom immediately went to the doctor for a referral for an autism diagnosis.

The boy was then taken to the JiM Foundation, where he went through the whole process of diagnosis. Specialists from the Foundation confirmed the cousin's assumptions, Antek was diagnosed with autism. After the diagnosis, the boy went to JiM Kindergarten and began therapy. Already after a few months the first effects could be seen. The boy began to say his first words, as well as respond to what someone says to him. He took part in cleanliness training, learning to communicate his needs. Day by day, one could see him becoming more and more independent. He finally managed to control most of the undesirable behaviors.

Antek has made so much progress during 1.5 years of therapy that there was a possibility of transferring him to an integrated kindergarten. The boy continues to receive therapy from the JiM Foundation, which pays off with further results. Currently, the boy is preparing to go to an integrated school. He still has problems with muscle tone and balance, but he exercises a lot and continues to move forward. He even managed to learn to ride a bicycle, which has brought him great joy and satisfaction!