AnnaBella B The Bazan Family’s Story

My experience at Children’s Specialized has been like no other. The therapists that have worked with my children have given it their all.

After being referred to Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH) for neurodevelopmental services for her three-year-old daughter, AnnaBella, Tattiana knew that she wanted all four of her children to be patients at CSH. The expert physicians at CSH diagnosed AnnaBella with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, sensory disorder, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a number of other developmental and behavioral concerns. She quickly began receiving speech and occupational therapy as well as psychology at our Mountainside and Warren outpatient centers.

Tattiana was so impressed with the care that her daughter received at CSH, that when she found out that primary care was available not just for AnnaBella but for her siblings also, she immediately switched her other three children to the special needs primary care services at CSH.

Having concerns about all of her children’s developmental progress that were dismissed by pediatricians seen in the past, Tattiana was so relieved to finally find somewhere to give her children the help they needed. Her mother’s intuition proved to be right. Once Raziel, Leo and AnnMarie came to CSH for evaluations, they, too, received diagnoses of ASD and ADHD. Now Tattiana finally had answers and a strategy to help her children reach their full potential.

“My experience at Children’s Specialized has been like no other,” said Tattiana. “The therapists that have worked with my children have given it their all. When my kids received occupational therapy from Anna Nierenberg, we were able to learn more about each of their conditions as a family. I was taught different ways to help each of my children individually at home and during our daily routines.”

What makes CSH different from other pediatric facilities is the focus on patient and family centered care, which means that each child receives a unique treatment plan involving the family in every decision and educating them throughout their child’s journey. At CSH, Tattiana learned many different activities to implement at home such as dry brushing techniques to stimulate the nerve endings of the skin, generally serving to “wake up” the nervous system. Joint compressions provide the body with deep pressure proprioceptive input, adding a calming element to the nervous system. She was also taught to use a listening program for her kids that she still uses to this day. CSH gave the Bazan family critical tools to improve their daily lives such as learning to tolerate food textures and even “potty training”--which was a huge challenge before starting therapy at CSH.

“Anna has been more than a therapist to my family,” said Tattiana. ”She has been like a friend that has helped to guide me and teach me things that I didn’t understand my children needed help with before.”

The family’s favorite thing to do together is the “Sun Dance,” their daily yoga time which was also suggested by Anna. Tattiana expressed that this simple routine helps her children to relax and it gives them something positive to do together as a family.

In addition to occupational therapy, AnnaBella also goes to physical therapy with Lauren Higgins who works with her on pelvic floor rehabilitation, a new therapy at CSH. This therapy focuses on pelvic conditions and symptoms, helping children gain control over their bowel and bladder to alleviate accidents.

“AnnaBella participated in our pelvic health program due to urinary leaks she was experiencing throughout her day,” said Laura Higgins. “She would have to go to the nurse’s office at times to change her clothes. She was able to significantly decrease her urinary leaks so that she was rarely experiencing leaks at school anymore.”

CSH initiates a lot of discussion and education around a child’s diet, behavior, toileting frequency, schedule and set-up. During treatment sessions patients complete activities and exercises that address the whole body including the pelvic floor in order to improve symptoms.

“I can’t say enough nice things about this family! It is a pleasure to work with her and her children these past few years,” said Occupational Therapist, Anna Nierenberg. “Tattiana is such a devoted mom who always goes above and beyond for her children. All of her children are a delight to work with in OT as they always try their best.”

All of Tattiana’s children are on their way to reaching their full potential. Before coming to CSH, none of her children liked the feeling of sand on their hands and now they all love to going to the lake in the summer as a family. AnnaBella enjoys horse-back riding and AnnMarie enjoys spending time with her friends and going to the mall like most teenagers her age. Raziel and Leo love swimming and hiking with the family bulldog, Hazel. The doctors and therapists at CSH listened to Tattiana’s concerns as a parent, and it changed everything for her family

For more information, visit Children's Specialized Hospital.