Quin's Story

“It was absolutely devastating. I knew in my heart it was true, but I just didn’t want to believe it”.

These are the pained words of Mary Ellen Abramek as she recounted the day her 18 month-old son Quin was diagnosed with autism.

As Quin grew older, his behavior became increasingly aggressive. Other parents wouldn’t let their children play with Quin. He would push them and take their toys. Simple joys like an outing to the playground became impossible. The toll it was taking on the family was enormous.

Ultimately, the Abrameks were referred to Bradley Hospital’s Intensive Behavioral Treatment Program.

At Bradley it’s called IBT for short. For the children and families who have been in the program, it is called life-changing.

At first Quin didn’t cooperate at all. But the therapists at Bradley knew they would eventually get through to him. The IBT program treats children 2-5 years of age in their own homes for up to three years - on a consistent, almost daily basis. The overall goal of the program is to help the child function naturally in the environment with as little dependence as possible.

Ashley Dodd, one of Quin’s talented therapists, described the method used to help Quin as a reinforcement system to teach and reward good behavior. “Every time Quin does something well, we praise him and give him a sense of accomplishment so that he wants to continue to do the thing well. Because we do the therapy in the home, the child feels safe and that comfort level helps us move the process forward. The parents are there, involved, learning how to use the methods we use, “Ashley explained.

Quin's mother observed that as the home therapy progressed and Quin started to make more and more progress, he’d be excited about it and enjoyed the praise and encouragement so much that he couldn’t wait for more. “It just started clicking for him,” she recalled.

Virtually all the children participating in IBT make progress that is lasting. That’s because Bradley specialists literally change the way the brains of these children function while they are still growing. Indeed, the program has done a remarkable job in reducing the number of kids who require out of home placement – from 14% down to 1%!

Video about
Quin and the groundbreaking research in the
area of autism

Early in our journey with the Abramek family, Mary Ellen shared their fear they would never be able to function normally as a family. But recently, Mary Ellen said they feel such a huge change in their lives because of Bradley and the IBT program. She thanked us for providing them with the tools and skills to help Quin be a part of their family.

“We’ve been able to do family things together now. It’s just an incredible feeling. We recently went to Disney World in Florida and Quin sat on the airplane the whole time. He said ‘I wuv you, mom.’ I didn’t think I would ever hear that…” concluded the happy mother.

In a clinical setting, in homes, in schools and in our research labs, “Healing the hearts and minds of children and their families” is more than a slogan for Bradley Hospital. It is what we do every day.

Bradley Hospital is not only a beacon of hope for treating children with autism but it is also one of the leading research centers that is currently doing groundbreaking work in the prevention of the disease.