Heartspring Outcomes - Meet Nathaniel

Quinn Quinn was born a beautiful, fun and faithful boy with Down syndrome and a congenital hearing loss. Challenges began early in Quinn’s life, but through the years he has grown in so many ways. Quinn’s mom, Stacy, began early intervention services as soon as she could, and has continued to keep him involved in therapy, swimming, and community based teaching services. She also spends about an hour to an hour and a half each day working with Quinn on preschool tasks, including skills he has learned in therapy sessions.

Quinn has been receiving therapy through Heartspring Pediatric Services since January of 2005. Over the last 3 years he has received occupational, physical and speech therapies. He began wearing hearing aids at the age of one, and also wears glasses.

Quinn has met several developmental milestones while receiving services at Heartspring and through follow up at home. He started eating at the age of two and walking at age three. Quinn began signing his wants and needs at an early age. He continues to have a large signing vocabulary, and is also now really beginning to talk. Quinn’s interest and capability to use sign language has also affected his family. His older brother and sister have learned to sign and have been able to use this mode of communication with him. Stacy reports that his speech therapist Vicki Smith has given her that extra push and a constant reminder of the importance of Quinn’s hearing aids. Vicki has supported Stacy with sign language and has provided assistance in areas of concern, such as eating. Stacy also gives credit to his past occupational therapist, Elise Malmberg, who encouraged her to get a vision screening for Quinn, which lead to him start wearing glasses. Stacy enjoys being able to come to Heartspring and talk to the therapists. They make her feel that the barriers she and Quinn encounter are “not out of the ordinary”.

Quinn Quinn is successful in all areas of development. He is working on riding an adapted tricycle, jumping on the trampoline, putting puzzles together, imitating pre-writing strokes and learning speech-language concepts. It sounds like a lot for such a little guy, but he loves it. Quinn has a long attention span and works very hard for his therapists and for mom at home. He loves learning about numbers and already identifies all but 4 letters of the alphabet.

Quinn and his family like coming to Heartspring. For them, Pediatric Services is able to provide access to equipment, space, consistency and weekly encouragement.

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