I have been an occupational therapist with 22 years of experience in the field of pediatric rehabilitation. Since day one of my career I have dedicated myself to working with children with severe motor and developmental disabilities. Now I am more focused on early detection and intervention from the prevention approach. It is possible to correct the trajectory of a developmental disturbance when it is detected and intervened at an early age. Now, in the autism pandemic, information, detection, and early diagnosis are vital to winning the race against autism.

 

A little bit of my story.

In my beloved Caracas, Venezuela, I worked as an occupational therapist in differents public hospitals and private clinics. Then, I founded the Center for the Neurodevelopment of the Venezuelan Child, a therapeutic center that still provides rehabilitation services to the children of my country. Also, I worked as an assistant professor at the Central University of Venezuela. Now here in the USA, I work for the Early Steps Program, the early intervention program of the State of Florida. I am also part of the Florida State University Autism Research Team.

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Besides, I also have a personal history with developmental delay. My oldest son was on the autism spectrum 14 years ago. I remember it as one of the most emotional stages of my life. But due that we started interventions before 12 months, my son was able to overcome and get off the autism spectrum when he was around 3 years old. Today, my son is a typical, regular 14-year-old handsome boy, living a happy life.

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That is why, due to my academic training, my professional experience, and my personal experience, I chose the path of early detection and intervention as the best approach for children and their families to go over a developmental delay.