Three years can change everything for a child and their family. For Langston, those years included an autism diagnosis and a move across the country. Today, Langston is 7 and recently celebrated his birthday with 20 friends — many of them from St. David’s. Just a few years ago, his parents never imagined a moment like this.
Until about 18 months old, Langston’s development followed a typical path. Over time, however, his progress began to slow. He stopped meeting milestones, and noticeable changes appeared in how he interacted with others.
“When we’d go play with the neighbor kids, they’d all be playing and he’d be hanging out by himself,” said his dad, LeVar. “After about 30 minutes, he’d walk away on the same route and if we moved away from that route at all he’d get very upset.”
At age three after Langston’s parents shared concerns about his speech, motor skills and feeding his pediatrician advised them to pursue an autism diagnosis. A pediatric neurologist gave Langston the autism diagnosis shortly thereafter.
While the family found private autism services in Georgia, they continued searching for a program that felt like the right fit — especially one that could support Langston’s complex speech needs.
“The options for services in Georgia were good, but none of them really made my momma heart happy. A lot of them used the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) treatment and recommended 40 hours of work a week, but the way we saw it we didn’t know how he could function as a kid and be himself with that,” Langston’s mom, Kristi, said. “I had family living in Minnesota and they had heard about St. David’s. We did a lot of research on the therapies they use, like Floortime, and thought it would be the best fit for Langston.”
Meeting with St. David’s staff member Leanne Popehn for an evaluation helped confirm their decision.
“We felt seen, like the staff understood our child and our concerns. We didn’t want Langston to miss an opportunity like that,” Kristi said.
Langston was placed on a waitlist for services. The family expected the wait to take several months, but just two months later they got a call. An opening had become available in the Autism Day Treatment (ADT) program.
A few weeks later, the family moved from Georgia to Minnesota.
Over the past three years in the ADT program Langston has grown leaps and bounds. He still has challenges with feeding and handling change, but now he — and his parents— have the tools and strategies to navigate those moments. His ability to communicate has exploded and he is more comfortable interacting with other kids.
After one year in the program, friends from Georgia came to visit.
“They told me right away that Langston seemed like a completely different kid,” LeVar said.
Today, Langston has more joy in his days. He takes tumbling classes and will play baseball with friends in the fall. His family has also found a sense of belonging, forming strong connections with other families who share and understand their journey.
Langston’s story reminds us that great minds do not think alike. And with the right care, community and support, children and families can thrive in ways they once thought were out of reach.