Liam's Story
It was 2014 when God blessed us with a wonderful gift. That gift name is Liam. He was such a cry baby, but sweet and very witty. At the age of 1, he already memorized the alphabet, knows how to count from 1 to 10, and very familiar with colors and shapes. We thought that everything was easy for him.
But having a great gift comes with great responsibility. Liam as a child, growing-up with parents both working, lived in the world of his own. He was 3 years old then when I noticed that he don't talk much unlike in his first year. It was the same year, when the doctor confirmed that he has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was a devastating period for us knowing our wonderful gift turned out to have an ASD. However with our faith in God, we did not give up on that blessing. We sought help from Occupational and Speech Therapists and enrolled him in class of special children.
We were so happy when the doctor and the therapist confirmed that he can now enrolled to a regular class. But the journey in looking for school is not easy. During our school hunting only few schools accept kids with special case and mostly these are high paying tuition school. We sought recommendations from people that we've known and trusted, and their advise is to enroll him to Mother Goose Lipa. We took the gamble and we let him took the assessment. Teacher Michelle recommended him to start as Junior Casa, though at first we as his parents were hesitant due to the thought that he will get delayed in his age. But then she explained well the importance of good foundation in education. It is not about the age, but about how they will develop and nurture his being. And so we did not hesitate anymore and enrolled him. We are very much satisfied how Liam turned out to be a good communicator.
With the help of the therapy and Mother Goose teachers, we heard Liam conveyed his feelings and communicate with us for the first time. It was a tear-jerking moment for us parents. He started telling stories about his classmates and teachers. We are very much thankful to his teachers who guided and understood his situation. It is known to us that Liam has episodes of erratic emotions in school and it was very challenging for his teachers. But we salute them for taming him.
As he moved on his next level as Senior Casa, we were very happy because he started to trust his teachers and classmates. His teachers mentioned that he was starting to participate and talk to his classmates, and he has lesser episodes of erratic emotions. It is true that a kid with ASD has issue when it comes to trusting people. People surrounds him need to show great value for him to engage, and Mother Goose teachers made it possible, hence truly remarkable. Another year came and it is the most challenging one, not only for us but to all individual and institutions.
Covid-19 virus has spread all over the globe. There were news that schools will shut down and might not operate for months or year. Another challenge occurred and we were afraid that Liam's development in terms of socialization, communication and academic will get hamper. But then Mother Goose did not stop to look for a solution. We were amazed because Mother Goose Lipa started the class earlier than what we expected and earlier than other schools. But it did not stop there, they innovated online learning process in more effective way, to ensure they serve students with good education.
Now, the kindergarten period of Liam is about to end, and it is amazing because it is the same date as his birthday (April 13). It was a truly remarkable experience because this period of his life did not only develop him, but also we, his parents grow also into a better parents.
So Thank you Mother Goose, Thank you Mother Goose for the Gift.
Juber and Sarah Hernandez
Proud Parents of LIAM
MGP Tribeca Advanced Casa 2021
