Our daughter, Ella
She was born in December of 2004. We were thrilled to have a beautiful, healthy baby daughter! She was a typical developing child-we saw all of her first milestones at the “right” times. She smiled, turned over, sat up , babbled, crawled, and walked all before the age of 12 months. And then something happened… we stopped hearing the babble, we noticed she was not pointing and clapping or showing interest in other kids her age.
In February of 2008, Ella started receiving EIBI from the Thompson Center – at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Through this therapy, and other resources, Ella has become a different child, with very typical interests.
Thank You for your interest in the fight against Autism. Thousands of families struggle with it on a daily basis. Making sure research and development centers like the Thompson Center are properly funded, has got to be our focus of attention. We are living proof that lives can improve drastically, if the diagnosis is caught, and intervention takes place at an early age. For any questions, or comments, please email me at ([email protected]) and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks Again,
Hope Malone-McPheeters
Director – Ella’s Hope for Autism
314-922-3369
“In the Cards” Gala Video
Ella’s Story from Ellas Hope on Vimeo.
The following video was showcased at the 2010 “In the Cards” Gala in St. Louis, MO. Sponsored by the Thompson Foundation the event helped raise a lot of money toward the fight against Autism. Ella and her mom Hope are featured in the video as an example of the very positive results of early intervention and behavior therapy. EIBI and ABA interventions are necessary in helping improve the lives of familes dealing with Autism. Most cities have a minimum of 18 month waiting period to receive this type of therapy. Why? Not enough funding, and not enough therapists to go around. Please view this video about the Thompson Center at University of Missouri, and what they have done for Ella and her family.
The latest on Ella
At the age of 3 – Ella was testing at the level of a 1 year old. Through two years of in-home behavior therapy – at 5 years old, Ella was testing at her exact age. Her parents are proud to say, that she is currently being mainstreamed in a regular “first grade classroom”. A small victory to say the least, but still one in helping the cause for Hope against Autism.
Therapy Offers Hope
There is Hope for Autism, and Ella is living proof of that. She’s not out of the woods yet, but is drastically improving with continued therapy and is excelling in her studies in school.