Bay Area Families

AYLEN

Aylen is 8 years old and lives with both parents in a tiny 550-square-foot apartment with no car. Aylen faces challenges in fine motor skills such as handwriting, using a fork, body and spatial awareness (lots of bumping and bruising), and angry outbursts when frustrated with his inability for his body to keep up with his active mind. After reading an article about a "sensory-seeking" child who kept his finger on a hot lightbulb until the skin was blistered only a week after Aylen had burned his finger in the same way, his family was desperate for help. With the help of Starry Foundation, Aylen gets OT (occupational therapy) to help him control his body (saving him from harm) and helps keep his emotions and behaviors from getting too frustrated or destructive.

STELLA

Stella is 10 years old and her parents are first-generation immigrants from Hong Kong and Vietnam. Stella was diagnosed with Anxiety and Adjustment disorder in second grade and later diagnosed through participating in a study at UCSF that she was on the autism spectrum. Although Stella demonstrated a variety of symptoms that warranted further evaluation, there was a 6-12 month waiting list at local hospitals with the primary focus being on testing younger children under the age of 3. Stella struggled with verbalizing her feelings, sensory meltdowns like overeating without feeling full, overheating without taking off layers of clothing, and a constant feeling of needing to urinate. She also had poor body awareness showing as being clumsy, rough-housing, a craving for deep pressure, crashing into things, high pain tolerance, and a need to run, jump, or cartwheel everywhere. Her family was constantly worrying about her safety. Through evaluations and OT funded by Starry Foundation, Stella's family learned how to read her cues and behaviors to proactively give her the tools she needs to curb her behavior to be safer. Their hope is for continued funding for OT support as she enters middle school, as their online business suffered during the pandemic and the government assistance they used for groceries and basic needs has ended.

REZKI

Rezki is 12 years old, a lover of Legos, and fluent in French. In kindergarten his teachers noticed him struggling with attention and being irritated with things that did not bother other children. Since then Rezki has been working with Juia Harris in the OT Studio and at home through many sensory integration activities. Over the years with OT, Rezki has made improvements in his sensitivity to sounds, textures, and smells. He no longer chews on his sleeves, touches things impulsively, and can focus on instruction better. Once the family started implementing activities recommended by the occupational therapist, Rezki became able to control his desire for sensory input and began reaching out in more appropriate ways. He has been learning to advocate for himself by communicating and identifying his feelings better.

PENELOPE

Penelope is 3 years old and was born prematurely with intestinal abnormalities. She underwent surgery immediately after being born, had most of her small intestines removed, and was diagnosed with a rare lifelong disease called Short Bowel Syndrome. For 3 years she relied on getting her nutrients through an implanted IV. This intravenous line prevented Penelope from doing typical physical activities that would interfere with the IV line, such as playing in dirt, sand, exercising, etc. The overabundance of restrictions caused her to have a variety of developmental delays, particularly with gross motor and feeding skills. In 2021 Penelope had her central line removed, but her delays remained. Penelope's gross motor skills are still very delayed and she struggles with mood swings, temper tantrums, and difficulty with transitions, and has SPD. Her insurance is no longer covering her sessions at OT Studio and her single-income family will not be able to continue her necessary therapy without this insurance.