Our Shining Stars

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.