Stories

At 16 years old, Brandon Henmi was known for his intuitive nature, empathy, and charisma. But being born with Down syndrome, Brandon also struggled to communicate effectively and clearly with his peers. Correctly forming the sounds of words was challenging for Brandon. "He often used one-to-two-word sentences to communicate," said Steve Henmi, Brandon's dad. "His words would be either too soft to hear or too fast to comprehend."

While frustrating at times for Brandon, his communication struggles also affected his parents, as they spent much of their time trying to clarify what Brandon was trying to say. "Deciphering his speech day in and day out was not only tiring, but often caused us to overlook real needs," Steve said.

So, in 2020, after Brandon experienced inconsistent speech therapy in a group setting, his parents decided to have him start individual speech therapy sessions at CCLLC, working with speech therapist Maria Costa. Maria began working with Brandon on essential areas of communication to build relationships, such as formulating questions to ask others in everyday conversation and learning how to ask specific questions relevant to any given topic of discussion. "We love Maria because she knows how to work with Brandon in areas that really count to benefit his future," said Steve, "She gives my wife and I practical tools to encourage him at home in what she is teaching him." One of those practical tools is the use of sign language. Brandon's parents use sign language to encourage Brandon to ask questions while he is talking with someone in person or on the phone. "This non-verbal communication is terrific for helping direct his speech without being intrusive or disruptive," Steve explained.

Through years of working with Maria, Steve says his son's self-awareness has increased dramatically, which helps him in all aspects of life. "He will now clarify himself even before we ask him to and spell out words that are difficult for him. He is aware if his listener is understanding him and whether the word he is saying came out correctly."

While these may seem like helpful but marginal changes, they are the very foundation that now allow Brandon to understand others, be understood, and communicate effectively. "My hope for Brandon's future is that he would have a sense of purpose and confidence that he has a vital role to play within a loving family and community," said Steve. "These conceptual goals often come down to one thing – communicating effectively."

Because of continued speech therapy, both Steve and his wife have witnessed Brandon's evolving maturity, self-awareness, and enhanced communication skills that Steve says "are so vital for Brandon's future relationships, career, and everyday life as an independent adult."