Jackie Benkert was in no hurry to let her baby grow up.

So when Lillian, then 2, showed developmental delays, Mrs. Benkert was reluctant to acknowledge a problem.

The eventual diagnosis? Autism.

“Be careful what you wish for, right?” she said.

Mrs. Benkert was the keynote speaker at StyleWorks, the annual fashion show and luncheon to benefit the Siskin Children’s Institute, which serves developmentally disabled children and their families.

Jerry Jensen, president of Siskin, shared plans for a collaboration with T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital for a developmental and behavioral pediatric center.

“(These children) all have developmental challenges in their trajectories as they go through their childhood,” said Dr. Regina Gargus, who will head the center.

Plans include a sensory room, which will put children such as Lillian Benkert at ease to assess their needs.

Now 5, Lillian has made strides at Siskin.

“I can’t wait to see where she’s at in two years,” her teacher, Emma Perkins, said on a video shown during the luncheon.

Graduates of Siskin also strutted their stuff during the fashion show.

“We always try to relate it to the children,” said Seth Seymour, spokesman for Siskin. “You can come and have a good time, but it’s all about the children.”

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