YOUNGSTOWN — Chase Green may be nonverbal, but a mere series of facial expressions and gesticulations told the story of a child filled with joy and a sense of achievement.

“He flapped his hands and stopped talking. He also did a lot of humming,” Chase’s mother, Darrian Shaw, said. “He’s progressing more and more every day.”

Shaw, of Youngstown, was referring to the main characteristics she saw in her 4-year-old son, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. Despite those challenges, however, Chase is learning to interact more with his sister and play with peers, thanks to being enrolled at the Potential Development Preschool, his mother added.

Perhaps the topper for mother and son came during a special graduation ceremony Friday at the school, 880 E. Indianola Ave., because Chase was among the 24 students on the autism spectrum who received diplomas and special recognitions for their accomplishments.

A short- and long-term goal is for Chase to increase his level of independence and his vocabulary, Shaw said.

“Other than that, he’s perfect to me,” she added.

“He’s a great kid. I love him to death. He’s going to do great things, I know,” Chase’s grandmother, Monica Fletcher of Youngstown, said.

The ceremony featured a movie-themed walkway and starting point for the grads, along with a red carpet in the hall designed to give them added VIP treatment. Of the 24 grads, 21 of them are expected to attend Potential Development’s kindergarten program, Kimberly MacDonald, program coordinator, noted.

The event also was staggered to allow a few students in at a time to avoid too much stimulation and large crowds, both of which can be overwhelming to many on the autism spectrum.

Before walking down the hall to take home their diplomas, T-shirts and gift bags, the graduates received, during the school year, a lot of individual attention in classrooms with no more than eight students each, along with two or three staff members per room. In addition, many were offered speech and occupational therapy, along with social groups to further enhance language development as well as socialization and communication skills.

“We try to promote an active language environment to benefit the kids with special needs,” she added.

Aliya Birckbichler of Youngstown has seen much of that recipe play out for her daughter, Mia Birckbichler, 4, who received an autism diagnosis at 2.

“She kept to herself and didn’t want to play with other kids. She also had a lot of developmental delays,” Birckbichler said, adding that, courtesy of her time at the preschool, Mia’s desire to play and socialize has improved drastically.

“I definitely think this school has been the best thing for her,” Birckbichler continued.

Since having received an autism diagnosis in 2019 at the Knapp Center for Childhood Development in Boardman, Zara Benson, 6, of Youngstown, has learned to better answer simple questions, sing, socialize and write her name, her mother, Brionna Benson, said.

Before, the girl had various speech delays and frequently hummed to herself, one of the characteristics in many children on the spectrum, Benson added.

This summer likely will be busy and productive for mother and daughter, largely because efforts will be made to help Zara better socialize with others and understand her environment. In addition, she will be in an applied-behavior analysis program, Benson said.

ABA, sometimes referred to as “behavioral engineering,” is a research-based, scientific discipline that focuses on the analysis, implementation, evaluation and design of environmental modifications, with a goal of producing meaningful behavioral changes and outcomes. The therapy relies largely on direct observation and measurement, as well as analyzing the relationship between behavior and environment, according to the Aurora Behavior Clinic’s website.

In the meantime, mother and daughter are taking things “day to day,” Benson added.

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