Ashton's Story
Ashton Faller is an enthusiastic five-year-old, all energy and eager for kindergarten.
School officials are confident he can succeed in a regular classroom, despite early indicators of autism. His mother, Lisa, concurs and says Ashton is living testimony to early childhood programs like Little Red School House, an agency funded by United Way.
United Way commits nearly 40 percent of its Local Community Fund dollars to wide-ranging programs that help children and youth reach their highest potential. Programs for children under age five are a special focus because research shows that investing early pays huge dividends for our community as well as for individual lives—like Ashton’s.
When their son approached his second birthday, Darren and Lisa Faller could not ignore the marked developmental differences between Ashton and his peers. After consulting the family pediatrician, they contacted “Little Red.”
“We just never needed help like this before, but when Ashton did, we reached out and our eyes were opened to a whole new world,” Lisa recalled.
The Fallers quickly discovered that Little Red is renowned for their specialized work in supporting children birth to age five who have, or are at risk of, developmental delays or disabilities. They enrolled Ashton with hope and after three years said the program exceeded even their highest expectations.
“It’s made a huge difference in our lives and such an incredibly deep impact on Ashton’s future,” Lisa said. “They treated the family with the same passion as Ashton and we learned so much about him, his capabilities and what we can do to support him.”
It is this commitment, Lisa asserts, that gives children the opportunity to rise above their unique challenges to reach their full potential. A commitment that means her son, Ashton, will enter kindergarten ready to learn and expected to thrive.