Families at the Marcus Autism Center celebrate small victories when their children reach developmental milestones.
Diana Zuleta says she’s grateful to properly communicate and connect with her son. She says reaching progress has been a journey.
“I could see that my child was different. Nobody else could. But I just… it felt different. It’s my first born child,” she said.
The facility is a subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Doctors treat more than 5,000 children with autism and other related disorders every year.
Doctor Cheryl Klaiman says some families start noticing the signs for autism early on.
“The child will be born with it, but it’s going to unfold over the first few years of the child’s life. You’ll start to see symptoms starting between 12, 18, and 24 months,” Klaiman said.
She says in order to see developmental milestones, behavior improvements and communication skills, parents have to make a strong connection with their child. And that’s what the Marcus Autism Center helps them achieve.
“If you can hold out and wait a little bit longer, maybe your child is going to give you some eye contact, or say a sound, or give you a sign. And those moments are just precious to us,” Dr. Klaiman said.
The Marcus Autism Center is always looking for volunteers for research purposes. The research looks for ways to find early detection and early intervention.
