Shayan

This is Shayan, he is 13 years old (and obviously not too thrilled I am touching him!). He's a big kid now, but when I met him......

he was just a little guy!!! Three years old! He and his family are one of the main reasons I am a speech pathologist and how my passion for working with kids on the Autism Spectrum began.

I was looking for a part-time job my sophmore year at A&M. Levi found this post online for a job about some sort of childcare for several hours a week (or so that's how I read it ;)). Anyways, I went for the interview and met both Shayan and his younger brother (Darian) and Arzu (their mom). She explained to me exactly what Autism was and if I wanted to be part of her home team that did therapy with Shayan (specifically Applied Behavior Analysis). I still had no idea what was really going on, but why not, right? Little did I know, I was getting myself into what would be learning about the world of Autism, the beginning of trainings and workshops on ABA, and basically what would lead to what I chose as my career.

I worked with their family for 2 years, doing therapy with Shayan after school, shadowing him at his own preschool, and becoming very good family friends. Arzu encouraged me to go into the speech therapy field, ensuring me I would be able to use the skills in ABA in that field. And she was exactly right. When I was hired on at Coppell, I was specifically hired for having ABA experience as a speech therapist and was placed for working with the students in those specialized programs in Coppell.

Although Shayan and his family moved to Seattle after I graduated, I have kept in touch with Arzu and she has definitely been a mentor for me. The last time I saw them was when they were at my wedding. Several weekends ago, they came to Texas to visit old friends and came over. It was SO great to see them, and Shayan knocked on my door and said "Hi Ms. Kim!" He was not talking at all when I met him, and he is now doing great in a private school in Seattle, talking in complete sentences, and learning to advocate for himself.

I am blessed to have met this family and they are very dear to me. Here are some pictures of the two years Shayan and I worked together at A&M.

one of shayan's interests was Toyota, so he loved me

for my 4-runner and my awesome 3 disc CD changer ;)

a school field trip

therapy at his house

another field trip to the Christmas tree farm

school

love this kiddo!!

Reza, me and Arzu