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 Parents
Claim 'Victory Over Autism'
by Eileen Soler, Miami Herald, November 14, 2004
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Logan Mathieu
entered The Victory School for children with autism in 2001,
barely able to speak and certainly not reading, said his father,
Ron Mathieu of Weston.
"When Logan was 3 years old, doctors told us he had pervasive
developmental disorder in the autism spectrum and that the
best-case scenario was that Logan would always be two to three
years behind in school," Mathieu said.
Today, Logan, who is now 7, is an honors student in second grade
at the American Academy at American Heritage School located in
Plantation.
Ron and Yasmine Mathieu say they owe their son's success to the
one-on-one intensive therapy their son received at The Victory
School in North Miami Beach.
'But how do you say `thank you' to people who open the world to
your child? You can't just say the words. 'Thank you' isn't
enough," Yasmine Mathieu said.
Instead, Logan's parents provided a life-skills classroom at the
school that will enhance the daily lives of children diagnosed
with more severe autism.
Called the Logan "Let Me Do It" Life Skills Room, the room
functions as a studio apartment fully furnished with a bedroom,
living room, dining room and a working kitchen and laundry area.
Everything from the carpet to the refrigerator, washer, dryer,
artwork, hatrack, even a loaded entertainment center, were
donated by the Mathieus.
Jessica Cerda-Hernandez, the school's executive director, said
the room will help teach children daily activities, including
how to make a bed, wash dishes, sort clothing, and set a table
for meals.
"Some things that we do automatically, like closing the
refrigerator door after opening it, will be taught one-on-one to
students," Cerda-Hernandez said.
In fact, just a few hours before, about 25 parents, teachers and
students gathered for the Nov. 4 dedication of the room.
For the occasion, children at the school baked cakes in the
kitchen.
Tucked into a string of wood frame classrooms and offices in a
corner of the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, 18900
NE 25th St., the nonprofit school was founded in 2000 by Barry
and Judith Nelson of Golden Beach.
The school, which serves about 18 children from Boca Raton to
Doral, is largely dependent on donations, grants and tuition,
Judith Nelson said.
Some scholarships to the school are provided through the Fisher
Island Foundation.
In a speech prepared for the dedication ceremony, Logan said he
hoped the room would give other children the opportunity to say
his favorite phrase: "Let me do it."
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