Dylan’s Story: Finding Affinity, Conviction, and Belief

When Andrea and Zach Traeger talk about their son Dylan, their faces make a slight change.

“Oh my gosh, Dylan…he is such a joy,” Andrea says. “He’s a very happy kid. He’s also really funny, which is not very typical in autistic children. He likes to laugh, but he also likes to make people laugh, which is just as fun.”

Today, Dylan is five years old and finding meaning. But his parents remember when they first started to notice signs that something might be a little different. “We first noticed something when he wouldn’t respond to his name,” Zach recalls. “Eye contact was another thing that we noticed right away. He wasn’t giving us eye contact or responding.”

“He would say a couple of words, but then he wouldn’t say them,” Andrea says. “It’s like he lost them.”

It wasn’t until Dylan’s preschool teacher suggested they contact First Steps, a program for developmental support, that they began to notice what was going on. Shortly after, Dylan was officially diagnosed with autism.

“When we first got the diagnosis, emotionally, it was kind of a roller coaster,” Andrea says. “It kind of hits you right in the gut, and you’re a little bit scared. You’re nervous about what the future’s going to hold as a family and for him.”

She adds, “It was a little overwhelming at first, and a little scary. But it was good to have a diagnosis so we could start focusing on our plan: how we could get him help and what we were going to do.”

That help came from Easterseals Midwest. “We actually first heard about Easterseals from the doctor that Dylan got his diagnosis from, Dr. Sarah Bauer with Wash U Medicine,” Andrea explains. “She highly recommended them.”

From the very start they felt right at home. “When we first started, they walked us through the whole process and made us really comfortable,” Zach says. “We felt confident in getting Dylan the help he needed.”

“He did cry a little bit at first with separation anxiety, but even within the first couple of weeks, he got used to the routine,” Andrea says. “He’d run and hug his therapist. It didn’t take long for him to get comfortable.”

“The first impressions of the team at Easterseals were very, very positive,” Andrea adds. “They were so compassionate and professional. You could tell they loved what they do.”

Over time, those early tears turned into big smiles and huge breakthroughs. “He started recognizing his name,” she recalls. “That was huge. He started looking at us more when we were talking to him. And as time went on, he became so much more comfortable with two-way communication.”

Dylan’s confidence began to show in new ways. “We could go to the park without a problem, he wasn’t going to get overwhelmed,” she says. “We could trust him more. He wasn’t going to run away or get upset.”

One of the biggest changes came in how Dylan interacted with the children around him. “His peer interaction has improved,” she explains. “He really was always wanting to just do his own thing for the longest time. He also wasn’t comfortable in group settings at school. But at therapy, they introduced him to those kinds of activities with other peers there. That was huge.”

And the ripple effects reached every part of their lives. “It definitely made our daily routines go a lot smoother,” she says. “He was more comfortable, and everything in our household wasn’t as highly emotional. It became much more routine.”

When asked who made the biggest impact, both parents gave a little smirk. “Definitely his first therapist, Katie,” she says. “He absolutely just thrived when he was with her. They did a lot of fun things together, like art projects and learning new skills. She made it very fun for him.”

She adds, “The BCBAs we worked with, Danielle and Carrie, were amazing. They taught us everything about autism. Every other week, there were slideshows about different aspects of autism and how the program targets them. They even attended our doctor’s appointments and IEP meetings with us. That helped a lot.”

For the Traegers, that level of dedication made Easterseals more than just a therapy program. It made them feel like family.

“It takes a village,” she says. “And they are very much a part of our village. They make you feel like they’re going to do their best to make sure your child gets everything they need.”

The journey hasn’t always been easy. “The hardest part is not knowing what the future holds,” she admits. “It’s tough when Dylan struggles, like with potty training. He gets upset with himself and doesn’t understand why it’s so hard. It just kind of breaks my heart a little bit to see him struggle. I know he wants to have friends and it’s just not as easy for him as it is for other kids.”

But the thing that keeps them going is how far Dylan has come with everything. “If he can come from where he was at to where he is now, and continue to improve and thrive, that gives us a lot of hope,” she says.

“He shocks us,” Zach adds. “Once we think we’re stuck somewhere, he just breaks through and keeps going.”

Andrea smiles as she remembers a recent field trip. “We were at the pumpkin patch on a spin ride. He wanted to go really fast, and when he got out, he wasn’t feeling good and actually threw up.”

“He just brushed it off and went right back up there to play again,” Zach chuckles.

“There was a time that would’ve set him off completely,” Andrea adds. “But now? He’s resilient. He just keeps going.”

When asked what they hope for Dylan’s future, their answer is simple: “We just want him to be happy,” Andrea says. “We don’t care what he does, we just want him to be content with life.”

And if they could say one thing to the Easterseals team who supported their family? “The biggest thank you,” she says, her voice full of emotion. “You made a world of difference for our son. It was a game changer. He would not be where he is today without Easterseals and we’re very, very grateful.”