James’s journey to kindergarten: How the right support helped him thrive
February 4, 2026
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When Irene Karedis Borys and her husband moved to the Quad Cities in 2021, life seemed typical for their young family. Their son James was just 1 year old, and their daughter Ellie was turning 3. Like many parents, they assumed the challenges they experienced wrangling two toddlers were normal.
But eventually, Irene began to sense something more was at play. “We didn’t know any better,” she recalled. “We thought this was just what kids did.”
A life-changing diagnosis
In December 2023, James was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 2. His evaluator told Irene that without the right support, James likely wouldn’t succeed in kindergarten. At the time, James was eight months away from starting school.
Specialized therapy from MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Pediatric Therapy (GOPEDS) would bring hope that James could start and succeed in kindergarten. Instead of feeling despair at hearing the evaluator’s words, Irene felt a sense of relief and clarity. It was now all about finding the right support and expertise for James.
“We needed this information. And as soon as we had it, everything he needed became a lot clearer. For our family, this is when the story line changed,” Irene said.
Through a local moms’ autism group, Irene learned about GOPEDS and connected with speech therapist Jen Berger and occupational therapist Lauren Frank. By February 2024, James began weekly speech and occupational therapy (OT) sessions.
“The team at GOPEDS was like gymnasts when it came to scheduling James’ speech and OT appointments. They did everything they could to have his appointments back-to-back and make this happen for our family,” she said.
Progress to transformation
The early days at GOPEDS weren’t easy. James’ rigidity made evaluations challenging. It took Jen, his speech therapist, nearly a month to complete her initial assessment. But her creativity and patience were monumental at helping James complete the assessment.
“Jen would swing him on a tire swing and ask questions between swings,” Irene recalled. “They truly met him where he was.”
While at OT, Lauren focused on James’ sensory needs, starting each session with big-body movement to help him regulate before tackling fine-motor tasks. Together, they worked on flexibility, turn-taking and coping with frustration, all essential skills James would need for kindergarten.
“I actually learned a lot about parenting my child through watching Jen and Lauren work with James,” Irene said.
A couple months after starting his sessions with GOPEDS, Irene recalls that James had fewer behavior escalations during his daily activities. “I remember the first time he accepted a ‘no’ without a meltdown,” Irene recalled. “I felt like a new person.”
At the same time James was making significant strides; the family learned daughter Ellie was also facing challenges of her own in kindergarten. Following a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Ellie began occupational therapy at GOPEDS a few months after James. While her needs were different, the therapists worked with Ellie on strategies that helped her engage with others and regulate her behavior.
“Our whole family was learning together,” Irene said.
By August 2024, James had met his developmental goals and was discharged from therapy. His comprehension had skyrocketed from the third percentile to age-appropriate levels.
Thriving in kindergarten
Along with his peers, James started kindergarten in the fall of 2024.
“I was so worried at first because I had been told eight months prior, he is not going to succeed in kindergarten. But I had already been experiencing huge differences and behavior improvements at home, so that eased my nerves.”
Within eight weeks of starting school, James had already met the communication goals in his Individualized Education Program (IEP). His classroom time also increased.
By having the right support from therapists and his teacher, James was not only able to meet the developmental benchmarks of his classmates but also to flourish.
And James’ progress extended outside of the classroom. Before his diagnosis, traveling was out of the picture for the Borys family. But that first fall, the family was able to take an eight-hour road trip!
“To anyone facing similar challenges: It’s overwhelming at first, but don’t give up. The right support can transform your child’s life and your family’s life.”
