A graduation celebration at MMI

As his mother, his care team, other MMI staff members and friends lined the hall, Mason Plock-Sisoutho, graduation cap on his head, walked the length of the pediatric feeding hallway to celebrate his graduation from the feeding program.

Mason, age 5, has been with the feeding program for about two years, said Kate Plock, his mother. The length of time a child stays with the feeding program varies widely, but when goals are met, the “graduation ceremony” is a beloved tradition.

A gift bag for graduates is part of the fun of the event.

“It’s a good time to celebrate all the hard work they’ve put in, and we are very proud of Mason for all his achievements and accomplishments,” said Kathryn Peterson, Ph.D., an assistant professor at MMI and lead clinician for the Starting Early: Eating and Developmental Skills (SEEDS) Program that Mason successfully completed. “We’ve been with him every step of the way, so it’s a very exciting time to come together and celebrate.”

The events also provide a chance to recognize the staff and allow them to share in the child’s success.

“We really want to acknowledge the staff and praise them for all the hard work they put in with the kids every day,” Dr. Peterson said.

This summer alone, the department’s day treatment program graduated seven children, while the SEEDS Program graduated five children.

Mason, who was nonverbal when he came to MMI and now has a vocabulary of more than 300 words, received help from other MMI departments, including severe behaviors, his mother said.

“It means a lot, all the success he’s had, all the goals he met, it means the world to me,” said Plock, who wore a big smile as she watched her son make his graduation march. “I never imagined I’d get Mason to where he is right now.

Mason starts his graduation walk.

“He’s off the bottle — he was bottle dependent when we started — he’s taking stuff orally on his own. He’s potty trained, he brushes his teeth — he’s able to do more of his daily care skills.

“MMI — everyone here — has just been amazing.”

The graduation ceremony is a celebration of that amazing effort on the part of Mason, his family and the MMI staff. Program director Cathleen Piazza, Ph.D., attended the ceremony so she could give pediatric feeding’s newest graduate a big hug.

“When he started, he was in day treatment, and he’s been to early intervention, and he’s worked on communication,” Dr. Peterson said, listing Mason’s hard work. “I think for mom, as for our other families, after all this work, it’s such a big deal to come and celebrate all the gains he has made.”