Since she was a baby, Amelia suffered from chronic ear issues resulting in hearing loss. The infliction impaired her speech and language development. Her mother and father, Courtney and Brian, began to worry when Amelia never started talking. At nearly three years old, Amelia was almost completely non-verbal.

She frequently made incoherent demands that became forceful tantrums when she was misunderstood. Courtney and Brian enrolled Amelia at Starfish Academy at The Florida Center for Early Childhood, where she could attend preschool and receive on-site speech and language therapy during her day. At Starfish, Amelia’s therapist worked with her teachers to create a personalized development plan to help her reach her full potential. It was only a few weeks before Courtney and Brian began to see a big difference.

“She went from grumbling sounds to four and five-word sentences in a matter of months,” Brian said. “I remember the first time I saw her have a conversation with her sister – I knew then she was going to be OK.”

Today, Amelia’s language skills are on par with other children her age as she continues to grow and develop at Starfish Academy.