Finding His Voice: Teddy’s Nine-Year Journey of Communication, Confidence, and Connection at Partners for Progress

There is a particular kind of courage that emerges when a child must reclaim something that was once instinctive. For Teddy, communication was not simply a developmental milestone or an academic measure. It was something more fragile, something that had slipped away when he was still too young to understand the loss. 

When his mother, Ioana, looks back on the early years of his life, she remembers a child full of smiles and energy, a child beginning to form words and ideas with the spontaneity of toddlerhood. But then came an illness that changed everything. At 3 years old, Teddy was diagnosed with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders with Streptococcal Infections), which caused his language to fade, his muscle tone to weaken, and his ability to connect to the world around him to blur.

Teddy is enjoying the holiday season.

She remembers thinking, “This is not Teddy,” as he struggled to answer questions or express discomfort. She remembers watching him shrink inside himself, not out of choice but out of neurological overwhelm. The regression touched every corner of their daily life. Communication became a fragmented puzzle. His comprehension was unpredictable. His wants and needs often lived silently inside him, and different sensory stimuli were overwhelming, leaving Ioana to interpret instinctively, guess endlessly, and hope for cues that might help her understand.

That was the world they inhabited before Partners for Progress entered their lives.

The First Steps: From Uncertainty to Unlikely Possibility

When Teddy first arrived at the barn nearly nine years ago, he was not ready to trust the space. He cried for weeks. Sound itself seemed to press against his nervous system. The hum of voices, the rhythm of hooves on arena footing, and the unpredictability of movement around him were more than his sensory system could tolerate. He plugged his ears with pressure. He withdrew. He gravitated only toward objects that offered predictable input, such as washing machines, microwaves, and anything with buttons or lights. He sought refuge in the mechanical consistency of rhythm and function because the world felt too inconsistent, too loud, too complicated.

Yet even in those early, difficult days, his therapists saw something important. They saw potential for sensory integration using the consistent predictability of a horse's movement. They saw opportunities for co-regulation. They saw the beginnings of engagement that could grow slowly with the combination of rhythm and support. They saw a child whose inner world was vibrant, even if his outward communication could not yet reflect it.

Early years of Karin working with Teddy.

They also saw a mother who believed in him with unwavering devotion. Ioana drives an hour each way, every week, because she understands the importance of this form of therapy for her son. She trusted the therapeutic process even when it was hard. She trusted Karin, who first introduced her to the work of PFP. She trusted Mandi’s expertise and wide range of skills. And gradually, Teddy began to trust them, too.

From the beginning of Teddy’s journey and throughout the years, Teddy worked hard to develop his flexibility, which is no simple feat. At first, Teddy was scared, but over time, he strived to be adaptable when Mandi transitioned him from one horse to another, or when Karin would introduce new stimuli, and he learned to accept days of riding versus non-riding activities. Those changes over time became less challenging for Teddy, which were little wins that his therapists continuously noticed to improve his mood at the barn, making each session a little more enjoyable for Teddy. 

Through years of his therapists trying different techniques and modifying new goals, Karin and Mandi noticed many changes and improvements, including the ability for Teddy to be more tactile, improved motor skills, and his overall enthusiasm toward reaching his goals, which gradually allowed him to become more adaptable. 

Teddy at 5 years old.

The Heart of the Work: Sensory Integration, Inhibition, and Participatory Language

What happened throughout the past nine years is not simply a story of growth, but of reconstruction. Teddy’s therapists focused on building sensory tolerance first, because sensory stability is the ground upon which communication is built. Karin has worked with Teddy to strengthen his leniency toward varying sensory stimuli, and as of recently, she’s noticed he no longer retreats due to tactile challenges. He perseveres. He remains engaged. Slowly, his sensory defensiveness has softened and is being replaced by a willingness to explore new stimuli with curiosity rather than fear.

Teddy is engaging in his therapeutic sessions.

Over the past year especially, as his sensory system became more regulated, something extraordinary began to happen: Teddy’s inhibition skills developed. For an individual working through neurodevelopmental differences, inhibition is not a simple ability. It is a complex executive skill that allows a person to pause, consider, and respond with intention. And for Teddy, developing this skill changed everything.

With better inhibition came better engagement.

With better engagement came deeper learning.

With deeper learning came more controlled communication.

This past year, in particular, has brought remarkable transformation. Teddy has grown into a young man who is patient, flexible, and able to navigate transitions with grace. He is no longer ruled by impulse, but rather guided by choice. It is that shift which allowed his language to blossom.

Teddy learned to show love toward his horses!

The Blooming of a Communicator: A New Identity Takes Shape

If someone met Teddy for the first time today, they would encounter a lively, social, extroverted teen who fills every space with conversation and curiosity. He greets people warmly, asks thoughtful questions, shares his interests openly, and narrates the world around him with confidence. His sentences are longer and more complex, his comprehension deeper, and his ability to stay engaged in a conversation, truly engaged, is something his family once could not have imagined. Teddy now listens, responds, and reciprocates. He stays on topic, builds dialogue, and participates in communication rather than being pulled along by it. For a child who once used only a handful of words, this evolution is remarkable.

Ioana describes him as persistent, intuitive, and increasingly aware of everything happening around him. The boy who once struggled to process language now comments when she takes a new driving route, studies menus with interest, and initiates conversations with people he has never met. He expresses discomfort, joy, preferences, and questions with an honesty that reflects true emotional growth. Teddy has not only become communicative, but he has also become communicatively adventurous. His strengthened language skills have ignited a sense of curiosity that extends far beyond the barn.

Sweet kisses for Teddy's horses.

Technology has also become one of his expressive tools. Teddy leaves voice messages on FaceTime, uses Speak to Text, navigates YouTube with confidence, and interacts with Alexa. He even absorbs language across cultures, picking up phrases in Greek, Ukrainian, Romanian, Turkish, and English with striking ease. Wherever he goes, communication follows.

And perhaps the most beautiful shift is how this blooming communicator has reshaped Teddy’s identity at PFP. The barn that once overwhelmed him has become a place where he thrives. He walks through the doors like it is a second home, greeting staff and volunteers with enthusiasm and talking to the horses, sometimes even kissing them on the nose. His therapists note that he no longer approaches sessions with hesitation but with purpose. Riding is not a task; it is a source of confidence. Conversation is not a barrier; it is an opportunity. Teddy has become one of the most outgoing riders in the program, radiating joy and connection the moment he arrives.

For a child who once turned inward, Teddy now shines outward, brilliantly, proudly, and entirely on his own terms.

Growth Beyond PFP: School, Friendships, and Community

Teddy’s progress at PFP does not end when he leaves our barn. It follows him into every setting of his life.

At school, he has become so confident that he now occasionally participates in morning announcements. He has said the Pledge of Allegiance over the loudspeaker for the whole school to hear, not once, but twice. The first time, he was proud. The second time, he was clear, grounded, and expressive, so much so that teachers and students cheered. Staff members congratulated him. His peers acknowledged him with genuine admiration, and his brother, watching the moment unfold, told Ioana, “Teddy is pretty popular at school!”

His friendships have grown, too. A group of classmates invited him to a sensory-friendly movie over Thanksgiving break. One good friend sends him videos, talks with him regularly, and sets boundaries he understands and respects. These connections are born from communication, from mutual understanding, from relational skills that Teddy once struggled to access.

He is not only participating in life.

He is belonging.

More kisses for Teddy's horses!

The Emotional Weight of Progress

When asked what it feels like to watch Teddy communicate in ways he never could before, Ioana says, “I am proud of how far he has come. Everything he has gone through, and how much work he has done, even on the hard days, is inspiring. I feel happy because I have learned so much from him. He gives me hope for more improvement. We often say, ‘I can do hard things,’ and he does.”

Partners for Progress holds a special place in their hearts. Nine years of weekly drives, an hour each way. Nine years of trust. Nine years of partnership. Ioana has dedicated so much of their time to ensuring this growth in Teddy continues.

What Teddy Teaches Us About Communication

Teddy’s story teaches something essential: communication is not just expressive language. It is connection, comprehension, reciprocity, emotional presence, and the ability to be understood and to understand others. It affects social relationships, academic success, independence, emotional regulation, and self-identity. For families of individuals with different abilities, communication is often the most profound hurdle, and the most rewarding victory.

Teddy’s journey reminds us that progress takes time, bandwidth, and consistency. It takes sensory support, clinical expertise, patient listening, and an environment where a child’s individuality is honored.

Teddy as of recently.

A Message From Teddy’s Mom to the World

“I hope Teddy’s story inspires other parents and gives them hope. I hope they learn to enjoy the journey. The challenges will come, but the little wins make life so beautiful. Follow your child’s interests, and things will improve. These children have amazing souls and infinite possibilities.”

A Journey We Are Honored to Witness

Teddy’s nine-year transformation is a testament to therapeutic success and to human resilience. It’s a testament to a child who refused to give up. To a mother who refused to stop showing up. To therapists who refused to see limitations. And to a community that saw a child for who he truly is.

This is not the end of Teddy’s story. It is the beginning of his next chapter. A chapter written with confidence, with connection, and with a voice that continues to grow stronger every day.