Josue is a radiant force of joy. He loves to eat. He loves his family. He loves counting in English and Spanish. He dances without restraint, sings with heart, and lights up our Early Learning Playgroup with his laughter and curiosity.
From the start, Josue showed how deeply he was learning, tracking along in his mom Sindy’s English classes, absorbing language, rhythm, and routine. But by age two, he hadn’t yet spoken his first words. Concerned voices began to surface, and Sindy started him in speech therapy. That’s when a therapist suggested exploring a diagnosis.
“I was nervous to get him diagnosed at first,” Sindy recalls. “I didn’t know what autism was. But now I realize: you can’t fear the diagnosis. It doesn’t define who your child is, who they will become, or what they are capable of. For us it showed me how I could best support my son and it opened doors.”
And open doors it did. With his diagnosis came access to new therapies and to Open Doors for Multicultural Families. Here, Josue wasn’t seen as a problem to solve, but as a child full of promise. His strengths were celebrated. His joy was mirrored. His intelligence was honored.
At Open Doors, Sindy found more than a playgroup. She found a village. A place where families like hers are seen, supported, and uplifted. “We are not alone,” she says. “There are safe spaces where we can learn together. I might not always understand Josue, but every day we are learning together.”
She remembers a painful moment at the library, when someone yelled at her to quiet Josue, a toddler simply trying to explore the world. “Now, if I see another mom struggling, I know I can help. I always carry something, a toy car, bubbles, and I let her know she’s not alone.”
Through Josue’s journey, Sindy has discovered a deeper truth: possibility isn’t measured by speed. It’s revealed in persistence, in joy, in the small steps that build toward transformation.
Some days are tough. Lessons go unfinished. But other days, Josue unlocks three new words. Then three more. Step by step. On his own time. With the right tools, resources, and community, Josue is showing us all what’s possible.
He is not waiting to be “fixed.” He is thriving. And he is leading the way.