In 2006 my son Cizo was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two. I was an uneducated, scared, lonely, and single mother of four. Cizo was my youngest. The day my son was diagnosed I was surrounded by six different psychologists telling me that I needed to prepare myself for a long hard life of many Can’ts. I have never been a person that had that word in her vocab so I went home, prayed and built a game plan. I started educating myself on Autism, Behavior Management, ABA Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I worked closely with an RBT who worked with us for about 6 months using ABA Therapy, helping me gain the knowledge and skills I needed to properly utilize ABA Therapy. The RBT guided and supported me to where I needed to be for my sons growth, development, and success. Since 2006 I have completed my GED, worked with many individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Behavior Management, Completed my Bachelors, and as of July 28th, 2025 I will be starting my internship with Greater Lakes with a focus on working with clients that are 18 and older, and parents with children with an intellectual disability. In 2020 I began the development of an Alternative Living Program called Slate Family Services, and Washington State is currently in the process of developing the WACs for my business. I have spent the last 19 years not only working with my son, but I have been in the education system, residential services, supported living, and caregiving working with various age groups of those with some type of intellectual disabilities. I have watched my son grow into a young man that has Graduated High School, made many friends, managed a football team for two years in high school, cooks and cleans, and as of today July 3rd, 2025 get his license. My son Cizo has learned how to read, manage his own money, and is now an employee of Yelm School District where he is a para and helps out in the kitchen. As he continues to grow and develop new skills, he continues to build goals, and still has so much that he wants to do in his life. Both my son and I have come farther than either one of us could have imagined, and now we want to help others like us develop the skills and tools they need to build a happy, fun, safe, and successful life. It is our goal to help each individual live their life to their fullest potential through Social Skills, Life Skills, Advocacy, Trainings, and Continuing Education. Our goal everyday is to Build A Better Tomorrow!
We believe that with hard work, comes Big Success!
We're here to answer any questions you may have and help you get started on your journey to independent living. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you on your journey.