Rafael Tovar has made "phenomenal" progress in the past two years by moving to an intermediate level of learning, which requires more abstract thinking.
"He is now able to apply what he has learnt and can recall what he did on outings, so it is no longer about basic numbers and letters," said his mother, Carolina Tovar, the executive director and co-founder of the Child Early Intervention Medical Centre.
"His language is expanding and he can now make four to six-word sentences … after speech therapy he can also articulate sounds."
Rafael, who started intense therapy when he was 5, works harder than most, with 30 to 40 hours of therapy a week.
He is a pupil at Gems Wellington Primary School.
Ms Tovar added: "He is a trooper … and a much more confident child now - he speaks louder and is better able to express himself."
