Finding Independence in the States, at NTRC
Ammi Keitz is a 22 yr. old man born in the Netherlands, but raised in Poland by his American father, who was a missionary, and his mother, a native of Poland. Ammi’s birth was very difficult resulting in a number of learning problems. When his father died (approximately 5 yrs. ago) his mother and his father’s brother started making plans for Ammi to travel to the United States as he is a naturalized citizen. Their hope was that he might receive better services here in the U.S. than he was in Poland.
Since his arrival in the U.S. he has received medical services through several different agencies. In July of this year, he was referred to NTRC for a speech/language evaluation, Results indicated a severe language delay, articulation disorder, and a severe stuttering disorder. Altogether these delays created a severe communication problem for Ammi. Only his closest friends and family were able to understand his speech.
Ammi has worked very hard to improve his communication skills. He attends therapy two hours weekly and practices regularly at home. His communication has shown great improvement. His friends and family report that they are much better able to understand him.
Soon the physical therapy and occupational therapy staff will begin working with Ammi to improve walking balance, muscle tone, and coordination skills. These are all areas that he has not had an opportunity to work on since he was quite young.
Speech, physical and occupational therapy staff members look forward to supervising the progress of this amazing young man, whose name means “my people” in Hebrew. Ammi’s goal is to become independent. He wants to live on his own and take care of his own needs.