Adam Bensalah is young man on the verge of going to Kindergarten.  He has attended Children’s Services at Bost, Inc. for the past two years.  When he was three years old, his mother, Jennifer, reached out to Bost to ask for help. She said she had been in denial about his difficulties, and her initial thoughts and feelings were of great concern for her Adam’s welfare. She described feeling scared to death and overwhelmed when she met with the team of staff that would be working with Adam. Therapists and teachers explained the reports, yet she didn’t know what to believe about what he might learn.

 

Jennifer stated that she had no idea that Adam would learn at the rate he learned. She said Bost became Adam’s second home, that he loved his therapists and teachers.  Because Bost had her child for eight hours a day, this single mom was able to be calm and to rest.  Jennifer said it saved her mind and restored her.

 

Jennifer made commented about the impact of Bost on their family’s life and what she would like others to know about Bost:  “The mother is the first and best teacher.  There is no magic pill, but there is an extension of a community of people. It does really take a village to raise a child.  What Bost did for my family is like a miracle.  Now I can focus on Adam’s future instead of living from moment to moment.”

 

Adam’s speech therapist, Kasey, commented that early on Adam didn’t say anything.  Now he is much more interactive and more social if not verbal.  He interacts so much more with others and speaks more at home. Kasey said she thinks he is smart and funny and shared a little of his humor.  While trying to encourage him to be more verbal in his requests, she said to him, “I know how smart you are, and you have to let everyone else know how smart you are.  Use your words.”  Kasey said that Adam wrinkled his nose at her and smiled his precocious smile then simply replied, “No.”