A five-year-old UK girl diagnosed with autism has broken a three-year silence to ask for “more toast please”, after receiving special therapy made possible by a donation of £20,000 ($A40,445) by the public.
Cornwall resident Coco Bradford, who lost her ability to speak at age two as a result of her autism, surprised her parents recently by asking for her favourite food.
“It was a really magical moment – it was the first thing she has said in three years,” mother Rachel Bradford told the Daily Mail.
“Her exact words were 'I want more toast please'.
“She looked so pleased with herself and was jumping up and down and just kept saying ‘I want more toast’.
“We were just like ‘Oh my god’.”
Mrs Bradford says that while Coco had begun verbally communicating at 26 months, she eventually “just faded away… stopped responding to her name or making any eye contact”.
Desperate to help her, older sister Chelsea Elcocks appealed to the public in July 2015 to help raise funds for Coco to undertake a form of therapy known as Applied Behavioural Analysis.
The fundraising campaign has since gone on to raise more than £20,000 ($A40,445) of the total listed goal is £50,000 ($A100,978), enabling Coco to start therapy.
Ms Elcocks, 25, details her family’s struggle on the campaign page.
“My mum has had to give up her own business to become Coco’s full-time carer,” Ms Elcocks wrote.
“It's a very hard slog, and mum has fought for the last two years to get basic speech therapy, occupational therapy and school placements.
“It is not a case of postcode lottery, but the case of having hard cash to give Coco the chance in life that she deserves.
“My mum goes to bed worrying about Coco's future, has nightmares about it, and wakes up worrying about it.
“I know my mum would give her right arm to hear Coco say, ‘I want that mum’, or ‘I love you mum’.”
Applied Behavioural Analysis therapy uses a reward-based system to teach children with autism a number of skills as well as how to follow social norms.
Autism spectrum disorders are a lifelong developmental condition estimated to affect one in 100 Australians.
People on the spectrum may experience unusual sensory interests and sensitivities, as well as intellectual impairment or learning difficulties.
Fuente: www.9news.com.au
