Minnesota family on receiving mental health support for child with autism: "It's been amazing"
EAGAN, Minn. -- Eliot Glenn's play and chatter show just how far he's come. The 4-year-old spends some of his afternoons in therapy at Fraser.
"He's not the same kid he was when he started doing this," Eliot's mom Jessica Glenn said. "It's been amazing to see."
Glenn says it's been a journey to get to this point.
"It was a really overwhelming moment to hear that word," she said. "That autism word is even scary to hear."
Glenn first heard that word about two and half years ago. As a first-time parent to triplets, she noticed that Eliot wasn't keeping up with his siblings.
"They did, like an evaluation and they just said you know we're seeing some red flags for autism. I was completely shocked," Glenn said. "I did not except it. That wasn't something I thought about. And I really had no information about autism. I didn't know what to expect. And he was so little."
"I just remember thinking, 'I don't now what to do. I feel so lost. I didn't know where to start,'" she said.
She started, by asking for help. Between advice from their pediatrician and insurance plan, Eliot was connected with Fraser; a center that offers mental health services for children.
"Health care can be scary and we want them to know that we are here to provide reassurance for them," senior manager customer service UCare Barbara Bradford said. "And so they know they don't have to do this on their own."
Eliot was "officially" diagnosed with autism in March of this year.
"It was quite the journey. By the time we were told it was autism we were kind of like, 'okay we are okay now.' We knew what it was going to look like for us,'" Glenn said. "It was a lot easier to hear that the longer we waited for it."
Now, between physical, occupational and food therapy, Glenn says Eliot is thriving.
"Speech was the number on thing that they did," Glenn said. "And that has changed—he does not stop talking. He is amazing at talking."
It's a change that Glenn hopes inspires other families to take that first step.
"There is so much help out there," Glenn said. "It's just a matter of finding it, being patient and working with your resources."
Eliot will go to preschool again this fall. Glenn says all three of her children will be in the same class. Eliot is also set to start gymnastics and swimming lessons.