Former student now behavioral therapist at autism center
HUMBLE, Texas (KTRK) -- Brennan Muscat wasn't always the funny, outgoing young man he is today.
When he was younger, he says he was non-verbal and always angry.
"I would not exactly take things well when I didn't get my way," the now 26-year-old explained.
Muscat was a student at Including Kids Autism Center.
That's where he learned basic life skills, like how to visit a doctor or barber.
When he got older, the autism center is where he learned how to take care of himself, how to keep his room clean and how to shop for groceries.
"You're not going to be successful at first and you're not going to be successful the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or even the 20th time, but you just got to keep working at it," he said.
Including Kids Autism Center is a nonprofit organization that serves clients ranging from two to 30-years-old.
All coaching and educational plans are based on individual client abilities.
"Autism is a huge spectrum," explained executive director and founder Jennifer Dantzler. "There's the expression that if you've met one child with autism, you've met one child with autism."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects 1 in 59 American children.
But it's a difficult disorder to understand.
Which is why those who work at Including Kids are so glad to have a familiar face in the office.
Muscat is now a behavioral therapist at the center.
"I use some strategies like deep breathing," he said. "I pass those along to everybody else because there are some things that I can help them through that I can relate to."
