The PLAY Project

Cailin Hillman, 4, looked overwhelmed with joy as she happily darted back and forth across a large children's play room.

One moment Cailin bounced and kicked a red ball.

The next moment she glided down a slide before climbing back up a playhouse to zip down again.

Judging by her merry state and bubbly personality, it's hard to fathom the social challenges Cailin recently overcame.

"She wasn't speaking much. She couldn't speak phrases. She didn't make eye contact. She would only come to find you if she needed something to eat or drink," Cailin's mother Celeste Hillman said.

A couple years ago, around the time Cailin turned 2, Celeste and her husband, Charles Hillman, took their daughter to see a medical specialist in Michigan.

Doctors there ended up diagnosing Cailin with autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder condition impacting millions of children. Most children with autism face difficulties in communicating and experience trouble forming relationships with others.

Upon returning to their home, then located in Perkins Township, Celeste and Charles sought solutions for Cailin.

So they eventually linked up with the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities, an organization offering services to help children progress early on in life.

Among the programs: The PLAY Project, a national initiative established in local communities, such as Erie County, incorporating evidence-tested principles, methods and techniques to aid a child showing signs of autism. Children up to age 3 can participate in the board's program.

In Cailin's case, she worked, or "played," with the county board's speech language pathologist Teresa McDermond, a locally certified PLAY Project home consultant.

Once a month for about a year, McDermond recommended certain tactics for how Celeste and Charles could enhance Cailin's demeanor.

For example, McDermond suggested they face — and not stand behind — Cailin when pushing her on a swing. That way, the girl can see and interact with her parents during a fun activity.

With Cailin, McDermond and the parents would also swing blankets, play peekaboo and chase one another around the home.

Maybe most important during the sessions, McDermond would digitally record interactions between Cailin and her parents. On the playback, McDermond coached what the family could do better or different to aid Cailin's development.

Then McDermond would have one of the parents record her playing with Cailin, asking them to mirror what she did when she wasn't there.

"This is so important for our community to have because this isn't offered anywhere else around here," McDermond said. "It's free to local families. It's something that offers an intensive intervention for families to be able to connect with their child to have a joyous relationship."

The sessions ended up working wonders for Cailin.

"It's a huge improvement," Celeste said on a recent weekday while watching Cailin play inside the board's play room on Galloway Road. "She is much more social. She seeks us out now. She comes to you and wants to play with her dollhouse or with her toys. She will even come sit on the couch with us and watch TV and read books. This would have never happened two years ago."

Celeste, now living with Cailin and Charles in Norwalk, encourages any other parent who has a child struggling with autism to contact the board.

"It's heartbreaking for me to see families that don't want to put a forthright effort to helping children," Celeste said. "It's so much dedication every week (a recommended 15 hours to 25 hours), but it's worth it. Don't be afraid of the time you have to put in. Don't be afraid about the commitment. Doing it will help your child."

The PLAY Project

To qualify for The PLAY Project services at the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities:

• You or your family must qualify for board services.

• Your child can't be older than 3.

For more information, contact the board at 419-626-0208.

Some early signs of autism

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by at child who is 6 months or older.

• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions when a child turns 9 months old.

• No babbling by 12 months old.

• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months old.

• No words by 16 months old.

• No meaningful, two-word phrases, not including imitating or repeating by 24 months old.

• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age.

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/news/government/7820606