COMMUNITY eNEWSLETTER

Discovering that we were expecting twins was one of the best moments of our lives. We were overjoyed, imagining our perfect little bundles of joy—two precious, beautiful babies. Alexander and Amelia were everything we had dreamed of. Watching them grow has been an incredible journey as they’ve blossomed into mini versions of us—mirroring our looks, personalities, and even our mannerisms. How lucky are we?

By the time Alexander was 18 months old, he was already showing remarkable abilities. He could repeat words, point to objects, count, and recite the alphabet. He even had a knack for spinning coasters on the floor—sometimes as many as six at once—and would try to spin pot lids too. We thought he was a genius, especially when comparing him to his sister, who wasn’t doing these things. But then, things began to change. He started waking up for hours in the middle of the night, stopped responding to his name, preferred to spend more time alone, and by the time he turned two, he went silent—as if he’d forgotten everything. We were lost, unsure of what was happening. Despite the Paediatrician’s reassurance to “give him time,” we knew something wasn’t right.

It was while watching a reality TV show that we got our first real clue. One of the cast members was tearfully describing her child’s autism diagnosis, listing all the symptoms, and suddenly it clicked—this was Alexander. The next morning, I dove into researching autism for the first time, realising we were about to enter a whole new world. With no prior experience or exposure to autism, we embarked on a challenging journey, educating ourselves and finding ways to support Alexander.

Just before his third birthday, Alexander was diagnosed with Severe Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, and nonverbal status.

Like many parents, we sought the best therapies for Alexander, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and eventually a full-time centre-based ABA therapy program in Melbourne, which he attended for two years. We knew we had to provide the best for both our twins, though it was far from what we had imagined when we first became parents. Despite trying two different autism schools in Melbourne, we didn’t see much progress or improvement. I began to feel that I could achieve more with him at home. We could tell he wasn’t happy—he resisted getting dressed for school, didn’t want to get on the bus in the morning, and coming home, he couldn’t wait to get off the bus. Then, lockdown hit, giving us two years at home together. In many ways, it was a blessing to be with our children every day. Alexander had been in full-time therapy since he was 3, and both Nick and I worked full-time, so whilst having this time together was precious, it was also hard.

Throughout this journey, we’ve met so many amazing parents and built beautiful connections. One mum suggested we look into Giant Steps Melbourne (GSM), praising the school’s excellence. Although Kew was an hour’s drive from home, we decided it was worth a try and put our name on the waitlist. Amazingly, we were offered a place.

Now in our third year at Giant Steps Melbourne, Alexander is thriving. His first year was fantastic and every year since he has been happy and engaged. The team at GSM has shown us tremendous love, support, and guidance. They work with Alexander daily, teaching him social skills, supporting his communication needs with his AAC device, and providing opportunities for adventure club, school camp, and peer interactions. The feedback from his teachers has been positive.

Alexander has an excellent memory and sense of direction. He thrives on routine, likes visiting the same places, and keeps his room impeccably tidy. Change, loud voices, and new environments are challenging for him, but since joining GSM, he has made progress in these areas. The school has helped him work through trigger words like ‘wait’, ‘stop’, ‘no’, and ‘loud’, which previously led to meltdowns or self-harm. The transformation has been life-changing for us. GSM is not only helping Alexander improve his communication and comprehension skills, but they’re also nurturing his ability to engage in social interactions and form meaningful relationships with his peers. They’ve provided strategies to manage his anger and frustration, improving his self-regulation skills so he can better cope with overwhelming emotions.

We feel incredibly fortunate to have found such a wonderful school and a team that genuinely cares for Alexander. Giant Steps offers unparalleled love, care, and support, creating individualised educational programs tailored to each student. They are setting the standard for what special schools in Australia should be. This school has been a lifesaver.

Alexander and Amelia are now 13 years old and are flourishing in their own ways. They both love their iPads, each for different reasons, enjoy playing the piano in their own way and share a love for holidaying, walks, bike rides, and long drives. They have similar tastes in music, and both have a sweet, caring nature.

Despite the challenges, there are so many beautiful moments to cherish. Sometimes, we don’t realise just how different our family life is from the norm – you simply keep going. Knowing that we have the Giant Steps team and other families on this journey with us makes it all just a little bit easier.

Diana and Nick Josevski