Life skills center in Fresno empowers kids and families with speech support

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Lucien Gonzales is astir to scope a milestone successful life. He's astir going to crook two.

Lucien was calved successful 2024 with Down syndrome and bosom problems, and was instantly admitted to the NICU.

It was a challenging clip for parents Danielle and Robert Gonzales. While besides raising 3 different kids, it felt overwhelming for them.

"Even with each the resources we had successful the beginning, we didn't cognize if we were going to beryllium capable to bash it," said Robert Gonzales, Lucien's father.

But that's erstwhile they got connected to Empower Speech Therapy and Life Skills Center successful Northeast Fresno. The unit astatine Empower is helping Robert and Danielle navigate Lucien's aboriginal developmental stages.

The household has been with the halfway for astir a year.

"Everything that pertains to him walking, his speech, and everything that comes aboriginal successful life," Robert Gonzales said.

Located disconnected North Financial Drive, Empower offers antithetic services, including code connection therapy and aboriginal involution and improvement enactment for ages 0 to 3.

"With Lucien's Down Syndrome, he's delayed, truthful alternatively of him successful speaking two-word sentences, we're moving connected sounds," said Danielle Gonzales, Lucien's mother.

Jennifer Nunez is the Lead Early Intervention Specialist.

"We assistance you people those milestones that you're attempting to get your kid to reach," Nunez said. "Some families person concerns, and we're moving solely connected the concerns of the family. Some families person concerns for gross centrifugal skills, different families person concerns for cognitive skills."

Part of Empower's ngo is to springiness parents the tools to let their kid to thrive. Nunez said that they make individualized plans for each genitor and child, truthful that they tin scope their goals. She explained that they besides supply in-home services, which is simply a large alleviation for Robert and Danielle.

"A batch of families volition accidental I can't marque it to the doctor's assignment due to the fact that we don't person a car oregon transportation," Nunez said. "So we're alleviating that load and coming to you."

Empower and the Central Valley Regional Center spouse unneurotic to get families connected to the resources they need. For Danielle and Robert, they've seen the assurance turn successful Lucien, empowering him to person a blessed and steadfast prime of life.

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