Arjac’s first words truly heart-felt

Augustine Heights mum Kristen Welch had been waiting for years, hoping to hear her autistic son Arjac utter his very first word. Little did she know that when it finally happened, it would be a full sentence that would forever make every day feel like Valentine’s Day.

Kristen recognised that something might be different about her son when, at just 16 months old, he sat quietly in a day care corner, engrossed in the world of toy dinosaurs. Most strikingly, he had meticulously arranged the toys by colour and height, a feat uncommon for children his age. Arjac also struggled with emotional regulation in mainstream childcare, experiencing frequent meltdowns. He also only ate four foods, making Arjac incredibly underweight compared to his peers.

Her concerns led her to seek advice from daycare professionals and eventually a doctor, who referred them to the AEIOU Foundation, a not-for-profit provider of autism-specific early intervention for children under six years of age with high support needs. Here, expert transdisciplinary team of clinicians and educators work together to deliver evidence-based therapy to support children including Arjac, now 5.

Despite the initial diagnosis of level two autism, which came with heartbreaking news that Arjac might never speak or walk properly, Kristen was determined he would lead a ‘normal’ life. Kristen’s world shattered, only to be mended a few months later when a simple yet profound ‘I love you too’ from Arjac would change everything.

“Part of our family tradition is that every night I tuck Arjac into bed and always say ‘I love you’, turn off the light and walk out of the room,” she said.

And one night, to Kristen’s astonishment, a tiny voice replied, ‘I love you too’. Tears of joy streamed down Kristen’s face.

“It just melted me. Hearing that tiny little voice saying that was the best thing he could have ever said to me. You know, I was thinking, it’d be great if he says ‘mum’, but saying I love you too was the best feeling in the world.

“I had to explain to him what happy tears were. I just said to him, ‘my heart’s so happy that it’s pouring out of my eyes’.”

The AEIOU Foundation’s commitment to bettering outcomes for children in their early years is evident in their significant investments in research on the impact of early intervention services for autistic children.

“They provided not only therapies but also the invaluable support that became a lifeline for our family,” said Kristen.

“They offered speech therapy, behaviour therapy and even food therapy to help Arjac grow both physically and emotionally.”

Today, Arjac is a thriving ‘preppie’ attending Augusta State School, defying the initial prognosis and thanks to early intervention therapy at AEIOU, he is now excelling in a mainstream school environment.

“I believe that love transcends any diagnosis. Arjac’s affectionate nature defies stereotypes, proving that autistic children can be loving and affectionate,” she said.

“We now have a tradition on Valentine's Day. I take Arjac and his little brother out for a special day, cherishing the moments that truly matter.”