“It's amazing that we have people in this community who change a person's life!”

Meet Josh & Casey Jensen | Early Intervention Clients | Father and Child

- Click the link above to play Josh & Casey’s Video Testimonial, which includes their son, Brendan.

Josh (Father): Received RHSC Early Intervention Services

Brendan (Child): Received RHSC Preschool Services

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT (4:21 Mins.)

when I was two years old I didn't speak a word I was non-verbal and so my parents took me to Rochester Hearing and Speech Center on Elmwood Avenue for testing and obviously needed speech therapy if my parents wouldn't have had that concern if they wouldn't have had an avenue to go and find people who could help I wonder quite a bit how would my life be different today how would I be able to express myself and how would I be able to do what I do to be a voice for other people if I didn't have people help me find my own voice when I found out we were having kids one of my greatest fears and concerns was that I was going to have a kid like me and we did and Brendan he was certainly more involved than I was at that age then I remembered that we live in a great Community where we have people who know what they're doing and can help and are amazing and experts at it and that fear wasn't scary anymore so Brendan's a twin it was hard not to notice that she was saying words and more words and more words and he just was making sounds he would um you know point and make some sort of sound to say that he wanted that but he wasn't ever getting to the point where he was you know saying actual words or progressing for him to now be able to just say so many more you know he's he talks and sentences now and it's incredible um is really given him a lot of confidence he was a kid who was easy to be frustrated he would get upset he would grab his head and you know shake his head it was very hard for him because he couldn't articulate what he wanted to say but now that he has the skills you see his personality more he's really flourished and um has really become his own person where before he was a kid filled with frustration and you know disappointment that he couldn't say what he wanted to say but now we're really getting to like see the real Brendan and it's wonderful so it was my cousin's birthday and in the typical fashion we wanted to send her a video of everyone you know telling her happy birthday and in the past you know Brendan would have just like said no or you know maybe pretended to sing along while his sister sang but we now have a video of him by himself singing Happy Birthday

happy birthday to you happy birthday dear [Brendan singing]

it's just incredible to me that a kid who you know nine months ago couldn't even say it clear enough that you'd be able to understand saying the whole like I'm literally getting emotional he it really is incredible and he's such a happier kid and it was just a great moment and it's really you know a year ago today more often than not he had a frown on his face right today he has smiles on his face again and he's happy and for me as a parent I just wanted to have kids that were happy and over the past year my son is happy and that makes me happy and as a dad I can't really ask for anything more I'm very thankful that we found our way to Rochester Hearing and Speech because truly I think that having kids has been the best thing that we've ever done and wanting to put them in you know give them best footing possible and I feel like we are giving Brendan the step that he needs to really be successful in life it's amazing that we have people in this community who change a person's life like that and I'm blessed that I had my life changed for the better in that respect um and I'm glad that my son is giving that too