Our daughter began the First Step program when she was two years old. It was difficult for her at first but little by little KSLC brought her out of her shell. She has been able to relearn many of the skills she had lost and has acquired many new skills while feeling gratified and accomplished. When she learns and masters a new task, she is rewarded with praise. She beams with pride and personal satisfaction. The motivation and encouragement that the children receive at KSLC is extraordinary. We cannot say enough about the First Step Program. Carmen and Tony Almeida

- Carmen and Tony Almeida
  Miami, Florida.

My son has been in the First Step program at KSLC since January of 2001. The program consists of 8 children. Each child has an individualized plan drawn up for the specific needs of that child. The collection of data that is done to address every need that your child has and the reasons as to how and why each step is taken to progress your child in the right direction is amazing. They get to the core of the problem and start building from there. My son has made leaps and bounds since he started the First Step Program. My son did not say a word when he started in the First Step Program and now he puts three and four word phrases together. The program has offered a structured environment where he has been able to begin to develop his social skills in addition to giving him the tools he needs to verbalize and organize his thoughts. Its not about just getting your child to speak and say words, its about getting the basis and all the precursors needed for your child to be able to communicate, before the child speaks the words. KSLC through the First Step Program has given my son the opportunity to immensely increase his potential to succeed in all aspects of life.

The Director, Wendy Nottoli, along with her wonderful staff, is whole heartedly dedicated to the children in the program and they are very strict and passionate about getting the children in the program to move forward. My son has reaped the rewards and continues to do so since he started in the program. There is no guarantee, however the First Step Program is the best treatment/therapy/chance for your child to be able to function properly in the world. I am a strong advocate of the First Step Program and my son is proof that it is a successful program.

- Lourdes Aldereguia
  Miami, Florida.

There are few events in my life that make me feel quite so grateful, so humble, than the day I walked through the doors of the Kendall Speech and Language Center. My son was diagnosed with ASD when he was 2 ½. He was nonverbal, threw regular and violent tantrums, failed to develop normal play patterns and increasingly retreated into his own world. We were losing him. The diagnosing neurologist proscribed intensive speech therapy and my family returned to Cairo intent on getting him the services he needed. He received speech and language therapy five days a week and attended a special program for autistic spectrum disorder children in Cairo. A year later we returned to the U.S. for a follow-up evaluation with the neurologist.

The doctor confirmed the nagging feeling I had all along. Omar was a bright boy who had potential—potential he was not realizing. A year after his diagnosis, despite the speech therapy, he had made minimal progress. The neurologist reminded us that early intervention was our greatest hope and that the time to act was now.

A friend told me about the Kendall Speech and Language Center (KSLC) in Miami. When we met Wendy Nottoli, the KSLC's Founder and Director, I knew instantly that we had found the right place for our son. When Ms. Nottoli spoke, it was as if she knew Omar his whole life. She understood his problems and would design a holistic, comprehensive and intensive program to address them. At KSLC, they consider the whole child and offer a range of highly specialized therapeutic techniques to address all of the developmentally challenged child's issues including behavioral, emotional, intellectual, social and physical.

KSLC's staff built Omar's skills, increased his understanding of the world around him and how he could successfully be part of that world, step by step. The early intervention program combines intensive one-on-one speech and language and occupational therapies and academic tutoring with group activities that mirror mainstream preschool activities—giving the child the skills and the opportunity to practice them in a healthy and supportive atmosphere.

The result for Omar was astounding. He quickly emerged from the silence that had gripped him for so long—for the first time he was able to communicate his wants and needs and observations of the world. We were able to communicate with our son! The tantrums gradually became a rare occurrence and his social skills improved dramatically. He was thriving!

Perhaps the greatest testament to the skill of the KSLC's staff and the efficacy of the program is the fact that this fall, after only a year and a half after his entry to the program, Omar is ready to enter a new phase of his life as a student in a “mainstream” school. My family will remain forever grateful to the staff of Kendall Speech and Language Center for their skill, patience and love. They gave us our son.

- Tarek & Pamela El Gammal
  Cairo, Egypt.