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BY SANDRA BOLAN Staff Writer Shortly after the Scrofano fam- ily of Stoufiville celebrated their eldest son's second birthday, he started to change. “I noticed it was very difficult to get his attention; he was always very hyper (and had) limited speech," said Matteo’s mother, Anna Maria Scmfano. ‘ Matteo spent the next year bouncing from one day came to another. It was not until one day- care provider approached the Scrofano family that they finally gt assistance. The family immediately got on the pediatric development assessment centre's waiting list at Markham Stoufiville Hospital. It took one year to receive a clinical diagnosis of what was happening to Matteo. That was in 2005. “All I needed was one person to sayto me ‘I thinkwe need to talk,” Mm Scrofano said. While waiting to see the pediat- ric neurologist, the Scrofanos con- tinued to seek out the assistance of other specialists in order to get an answer to Matteo’s troubling behaviour. Hmver, Mrs. Scrofano knew deep down what the problem Stoufiuille autism + centre gives families ' hope Autism spectrum disorder is the most common neurological disease to afiect children, as well as one of the most common devel- opmental disabilities to affect Canadians in general. according to the Autism Society of Canada. “I knew he had autism,” she @Boston Pim® UPCOMING EVENTS minute flea-tumulflm! SUN-TRIBUNE PEOPLE Tracey Grensted at Let’s Communicate in Stoufl'ville, a community-based autism centre. Autism changes the way the brain processes information and can affect all aspects ofa person's development Symptoms include a disinterest in toys. content being alone, flapping hands, becoming excited in unusual situations, lack of affection, unusual sleeping pat- terns and the failure to respond to his or her own name. Card's Appliances and Televisions. “There (were) absolutely no services (here) 50 families were traveling to Newmarket or Aurora or Ajax and the Pickering area," said Let's Communicate owner/ operator Tracey Grensted. Let's Communicate utilizes applied behavioural analysis, as well as intensive behavioural Fashion show helps children access Stouffville centre Let’s Communicate is in the process of opening a subsidiary company to focus 0 fundraising for families within Stouffville to utilize professional assistance, through Despite exhibiting many of these characteristics, it was hand to find anyone able to conecdy diagnose Matteo. Matteo was initially diagnosed. by his pediatrician, as being epi- leptic. “When we got the diagnosis, I knew that wasn’t it,” Mrs Scrofano said, noting that at one time she did believe Matteo suflered from epileptic seizures, but it was not the root cause of his behaviour. As of today, Matteo is seizure-flee. In late 2006. Matteo finally saw the pediatric neurologist at Markham Stoufl‘ville Hospital, who confirmed what Mrs. Scroâ€" fano knew all along. Matteo was autistic. For the next two years, Mat- teo went to therapy in Richmond Hill. But last year. he changed therapists and starting going to Stoufi'ville’s Let’s Communicate. which is a community-based program centre for children diag- nosed with autism spectrum dis- order or who are developmentally or communicatively delayed. The centre opened in April 2006 at the rear of a plaza that houses MM Meat Shops and NOW SEIZURE-FREE IOGO “There (were) absolutely no services (here) so families were traveling to Newmarket or Aurora or Ajax and the Pickering said Let’s Communicate owner] operator Tracey Grensted. Let's Communicate utilizes applied behavioural analysis, as well as intensive behavioural intervention, to best understand and treat the needs of autistic chilâ€" Intensive behavioural inter- vention is an individualized pro- gram that targets communication through imitation and play, school preparedness as well as social and life skills. Prior to going to Let's Com- municate, Mrs. Scrofano said therapy helped Matteo read and function in social situations, but it was apparent these were learned behaviours and not something that came naturally to him. However, once at Let’s Commu- nicate, Mrs Scrofano noted that he now speaks with feeling and can sit down and play games with his family, something he never did before. . Matteo’s autism has also been downgraded from moderate-to- severe to high functioning. According to Mrs. Scrofano, when Matteo was diagnosed with autism by the pediatric neumloâ€" gist, she told the family “by the age of 10, he wouldn't be on the spectrum; therapy would help him that much.” Matteo goes for a re-assess- ment later this year, shortly afier his seventh birthday. Let’s Communicate is in the process of opening a subsidiary company to focus on fundraising for families within Stouffville to utilize professional assistance, through grants. "We want to be accessible to everyone,” said Iracey Grensted, the owner/operator of Let’s Communicate. The provincial government currently provides $40,000 a year, per autistic child, for therapy. “But a lot of families are still (paying) out of pocket,” Ms Grensted said, noting $40,000 does not provide enough money for the number of hours many children need to be in therapy. Let’s Communicate is conducting a penny drive campaign in which people are asked to fill small plastic water bottles with pen- nies and bring them to the centre. In an effort to step up their fundraising efforts, on Feb. 23,the organization will be holding a fashion show at Boston Pizza in Stouflville. lhe event gets under way at 6 p.m.lickets are $40 each and include dinner, door prizes and the fashion show. Tickets are available at MM Meat Shops, Boston Pizza and Card’s Appliances and Televisions. STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEE N Monday, Fauna-y 18" III-Ia the cum lunlvl Stouffville Sunâ€"'I'ribune I SaturdayLFeb. I4 2009 Canvassers, plaa sales bow heart research There are 114 people making the rounds of your neighbour- hood for all the right reasons this month. They’re trying to raise $16,000 for Whitchurch-Stouffville’s Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario February drive. Last year’s campaign raised $15,633. The goal across north- em York Region is $152,000. Money raised supports the work of 900 researchers across Canada. Whitchurch-Stouffville News Digest “We are hoping to retain these canvassers for next year and also to expand the camâ€" paign into areas we have not canvassed before," said Maureen O'leary, York Region North Area Manager. Boston Pizza in Stouffville is selling paper hearts for $1. Heart- shaped pizzas are on the menu this weekend. with a portion of the proceeds going to the Boston Pizza Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Get active this weekend It's a long weekend for many. thanks to Monday's Family Day designation. The Whitchurch-Stouffville Winter Carnival is on today from 1 to 4 pm. at Cedar Beach on Musselman’s Lake. 10 minutes north of Stouffville. Latcham Gallery hosts a free family art day today in the Leboâ€" Vic Leisure Centre lobby from 11 am. to 3 pm. Make hand-print- ed Valentine’s Day cards with art - ist Sandra Cole Burke. Monday activities include: 0 Oak Ridges-Markham MPP Helena laczek hosts a free pub- lic skate from 2 to ’4 pm. at the Stouffville Arena. 0 The Lebovic Leisure Centre is holding a variety of swimming and fitness sessions. Call 905- 642-PLAY. 0 The Whitchurch-Stoufl‘villc Museum is open fmm 10 am. to 4 pm. Cneate heritage crafts and visit the historic buildings. 0 Camp VVlllowgrove is hostâ€" ing a free day, including wagon rides, sledding and snowshoe- ing. Call 905â€"640â€"2127. Visit yorkregion.com for more on these and other stories