FIRST WORDS Project

Thank you for everything you have done for our family!

These are the nicest, most knowledgeable folks a person could ask for. I proactively had my last two children screened(nothing turned up). The whole office was friendly and eager to help. I cannot CANNOT recommend them enough. They are definitely putting thier education and skills to good use, especially considering it's free.

This is one of the most caring group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with! I’m so grateful for all of the supports they offered my son and my family as we were trying to figure out if he was on the spectrum. The whole family felt nurtured under their guidance and we’ll be forever grateful!

First Words helped us so much with our second child. We unfortunately didn’t learn about them until my first child turned two, but they were very helpful in finding us great resources for him as well. Our first child has Autism, so we wanted to proactively monitor our second. Everyone at First Words was so nice and very educated on Autism and the red flags to look for. They did formal assessments on my 18 month old and had highly qualified doctorate level practitioners doing the assessments. They gave us some great resources and social growth charts to follow. Our second child does not have any red flags for Autism, but they continue to track her which we really appreciate. I’m thankful they work with children and families who have Autism and also with those who do not. Thank you, First Words, for all your work and research!

I just can not articulate fully in a Google review how much the First Words Project helped our family. I knew something was off with my son, but people kept saying, “Don’t worry; he’ll grow out of it,” and “He’s just a late bloomer.” Our pediatrician noticed some red flags and told me to call them. I’m so glad I did. Our youngest was diagnosed with autism shortly after him being evaluated and we were able to get him so much help! I did an online parenting group for a semester where we talked about how to help our kids grow socially and meet developmental milestones. The online videos that showed real parents doing the activities with their kids were so helpful to us. Now my son is 3 and he is doing incredibly well! Most people don’t even know he’s on the spectrum. I went from worried he’s never speak to confident about how to help him access his strengths. I feel equipped to help him navigate the social deficits associated with ASD. First Words was a life saver for us, and I share their resources with all my friends.

There are hardly words I can use to get my feeling of gratitude across to the staff of this research project. I was told by our pediatrician to “wait and see” about concerns I was having about my then 17 month old daughter, even though my gut was telling me something was up with her lack of communication. As a new mother, I was frantic and looking for answers to the million questions swirling in my head. A friend recommended contacting First Words, so I reached out to them expressing my concerns. What I was met with was timely response, knowledgeable, professional and, most importantly, an extremely supportive staff that helped to get us through the evaluation process. Was it horribly stressful and difficult to hear that my kiddo had some developmental delays? YOU BET. Did I have resentment and fear and a slew of other emotions toward the program and clinicians and diagnosticians as we were getting the evaluations and diagnosis we needed to begin early intervention? Abso-FREAKING-lutely. Did the staff wait patiently and help me get through my grieving process as my daughter received a diagnosis? YOU BETTER BELIEVE THEY DID. I was able to seek out intervention for my sweet girl immediately, and educate myself about social communication development, Autism and related disorders from this research project. When I felt completely helpless and overwhelmed starting out with intervention services their How To Guide for parents gave me the empowerment and confidence I needed to get my kiddo communicating and on a completely different developmental trajectory than she would’ve otherwise been on. The few hours of professional therapy we were granted by the State were definitely not lost on us, and I learned so much from them as well (there are multiple heroes in the story of our journey so far!) But never once did I feel talked down to, uncomfortable or pressured to participate in the studies because they focus so heavily on what a huge impact early intervention AT HOME with THE PARENTS can achieve. I will continue to advocate for the importance of early intervention and for empowering other caregivers and parents with the tools to make a lasting impact on children until the end of my days!! My daughter and I are forever changed by First Words and all their hard work! THANK YOU FIRST WORDS!

I cannot say enough about this organization and how it changed my life. As a baby, my daughter was exhibiting several signs of autism. I took her to the doctor and also sought out local resources, but no one would listen or take me seriously. I reached out to First Words Project, even though they are 6 hours away, and they welcomed my family with open arms. We travelled there right away for a thorough evaluation (my daughter was 19 months) and they treated us with so much love, kindness, and hospitality. Based on the results of our evaluation, we were offered 6 months of free intervention services via video chat, which we began as soon as we got home. The changes in my daughter were immediate and drastic. After a couple months of intervention she was a completely different child. I’ve never been more grateful for anything than I am for the people at First Words. Today my daughter is a thriving, happy 4 year old thanks to their help. You would never know the grief and hardship we went though before we found First Words. They are so caring, compassionate, and humble, but also the most intelligent, highly trained, passionate organization I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. After all these years they are always there to answer any questions I have and provide support. None of this has ever cost me a single penny. Thank you for everything you do, First Words!