We have Safeway to thank

by Beth Finke

Early last month I published a blog here called Safeway wins well-deserved philanthropic award. In that post I promised you another blog highlighting some of the many, many autism-related programs our all-time top corporate Sponsor Safeway, Inc. supports here at Easter Seals. Today I’m finally making good on that promise.

One of the largest, most successful fundraising events Safeway hosts is its annual People with Disabilities Campaign. Each April during Autism Awareness Month, all 1,700-plus Safeway stores across the United States and Canada and its family of brands (including Vons, Tom Thumb, Dominick’s, Randall’s, Genuardi’s, Carrs and Pavilions) raise funds to support Easter Seals services in local communities. Safeway supports many, many programs at Easter Seals including:

• Expanding our early intervention services. When it comes to autism or developmental delays, getting the right help at the earliest life stage makes all the difference. This critical type of service gives toddlers the skills they need to learn, grow and be school-ready alongside their peers.
• Growing our Child Development Centers. Easter Seals understands that parents who have young children with disabilities experience far greater levels of stress than parents of typically developing children. Knowing your young child with autism or a developmental delay is well-cared for in an inclusive child care setting, receiving appropriate therapy and instruction, gives working parents not only piece of mind, but the ability to continue working even after a diagnosis.
• Building our autism transition programs. Transitions, whether large or small, are particularly challenging for many families living with autism. Whether entering school, becoming a teenager, seeking employment or simply taking a family vacation, people with autism often struggle through these types of changes and require personalized supports and services to help get them through.
• Creating more family supports and autism training programs for parents and siblings of individuals with autism. Families living with autism are desperate to find help, hope and answers. The fact is, an autism diagnosis affects the entire family. Easter Seals offers several programs that provide support to every family member, giving them the resources they need to best care for their loved one with autism.

I’ve said it here before, but I can’t say it enough: thank you, Safeway!

A father’s journey to understand his extraordinary son

by Beth Finke

Mike and I are heading to Wisconsin on Saturday to visit Gus in his group home. Our son moved away when he was 16 years old. That’s a long time ago now, but every visit still reminds us of when he first left eight years ago. So it was particularly poignant to hear Ian Brown interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air this week about his son Walker’s life in a group home.

Ian Brown is a feature writer for Toronto’s The Globe and Mail newspaper. His son Walker does not have autism, but, like Gus, Walker has severe cognitive, developmental and physical disabilities. “He can’t speak,” Ian Brown told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. “He just has no way of rationally communicating — so we spent a long time trying to figure out other ways to connect.”

Mike and I listened to the interview together and could especially relate to Ian Brown’s recollections of bringing their son to a group home for the first time. “I still remember that day,” he told Terry Gross. ”We all drove up there, we dropped him off … and nobody said a word. We got home and there was so much time. So much of it. It was a really terrorizing decision — but a good one, I suppose, in the end.”

So many of the decisions we have to make about — and sometimes, for — our children with disabilities can make us feel so alone. It was so comforting to hear someone tell a story on the radio that was so similar to ours. Ian Brown has written a book called The Boy in the Moon: A Father’s Journey to Understand his Extraordinary Son about raising Walker. I’m looking forward to reading It.

Informing Obama administration on priorities for people with autism

by Katy Beh Neas

Autism Awareness Month was celebrated at the White House with a working session with key stakeholders, including Easter Seals, to address the needs of children and adults with autism and their families. Senior White House officials and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius briefed us on the efforts of the Obama Administration and requested input for future activities.

Easter Seals sees the need for greater services and supports for adults with autism, especially in the areas of housing, transportation and employment. We shared our continuing commitment to work with the White House staff so that people with autism have more choices in their lives.

I was very jazzed to be among some amazingly articulate young self-advocates. As someone who has been around for a while, I know we need to have more young people coming into the world of advocacy.

Next steps will likely be some legislation to continue the programs of the Combating Autism Act. We hope the name of the legislation will change, because its not our view that we need to “combat” any person. We need to make sure that every person with autism has the ability to access the services he or she needs to live the life of his or her choosing.

Rethinking the ways we celebrate Mother’s Day

by Beth Finke

My husband and I can’t get away this weekend to visit our son Gus in his group home in Wisconsin. Gus doesn’t understand that this Sunday is Mother’s Day, so we’ll just go the next weekend and celebrate Mother’s Day then. And as always, it will be great just to be with him.

Children with autism can find it challenging to express their feelings about Mother’s Day without guidance from a parent, teacher or caregiver. That doesn’t mean a family shouldn’t celebrate, though! Children with disabilities can mark the day in small ways that can speak volumes. Sometimes Gus signs a simple card. One year we took a scribble Gus had drawn and transformed it into a pin. This year, the three of us will probably go out to lunch together.

If you are looking for ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, a company called Rethink Autism might have an idea for you. From a press release:

In appreciation of mothers of children with autism, Rethink Autism has drawn from its library of video lessons to provide a free online video with a few tips on how to teach a child with autism to appreciate Mom by making a gift or even a meal (using a microwave).

I checked out the video myself — it’s straightforward and easy to understand. The video lessons Rethink Autism produces are consistent with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a methodology we are a big fan of here at Easter Seals. So enjoy the video, and … Happy Mother’sDay!

Click for Kids with autism

by Bob Glowacki

Northwestern Mutual Foundation has been a great partner for non-profits in the Wisconsin area for years. I am proud that my older brother John has been a Northwest Mutual agent for over 25 years and yes, my family is fully insured!

Thankfully, I am not here to sell you insurance. I am here to sell you on a purpose. Northwestern has launched the Click for Kids campaign to benefit three charities, including Easter Seals. The money raised for Easter Seals will be used to offer grants to affiliates across the country to provide innovative approaches to early education for children with autism and other disabilities.

You can help us! All you need to do is visit Northwestern Mutual’s Facebook page and vote for Easter Seals. All Facebook users have access to the Click for Kids program and are allotted one vote per user. the Northwestern Mutual Foundation will donate $10 to Easter Seals for each vote that is cast for us.

You believe in the power of early education! You believe in giving kids the best chance at success! You believe in the work of Easter Seals! So let the world know — click it and pass it on!

Joe Mantegna honored with Hollywood Walk of Fame star

by Patricia Wright

Joe Mantegna was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last Friday. I just loved hearing this since I regularly read People Magazine (which I affectionately call the Journal of Popular Culture) to keep myself apprised of all things related to the “stars,” and I had the chance to meet and talk with Mr. Mantegna during our Easter Seals Living with Disabilities video shoot. Mantegna has a daughter with autism and has been a longtime friend of Easter Seals. A story on The Hollywood Walk of Fame web site recognizes Mantegna’s charitable nature:

Mantegna has helped raise millions of dollars for charities all over the world, including Autism, The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Pediatric Aids Research, The National Kidney Foundation, Easter Seals, Melanoma Research, The Tom Sullivan Blind Children’s Charity and Breast Cancer Awareness.

Maurice Snell summed up Mantegna’s spirit in a post he wrote for us here after meeting the actor during a charity event in Chicago:

At first, Joe told his own story about his family life, which includes his older daughter Mia, who is autistic. He explained the trials and tribulations he and his family suffered during the early part of Mia’s life. The road was rocky, but Joe and his family have stayed together and are optimistic about his daughter’s life.

He went on to express his involvement with the Easter Seals organization. The most interesting part of the conversation was me asking the question of what inspired Joe to represent Easter Seals. His response: yours truly. At first, I couldn’t believe it. But I knew he was saying it from the heart. If I were to thank Joe in person, I would tell him, “Thank you for your words of inspiration to the Easter Seals family. I see you not only as a spokesperson, but also a philanthropist and humanitarian for people with autism, including me. Whenever you come back into town, I would love to meet Mia.”

Mr. Mantegna is absolutely right: Maurice IS inspiring and is also a great spokesperson for autism awareness. With Joe Mantegna and Maurice sharing their stories, autism awareness indeed gets a boost!

Respite … good for all concerned!

by Bob Glowacki

Autism Awareness Month has kept us busy in Wisconsin! BizTimes Nonprofit Weekly covered Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin in an article called “Easter Seals Hosts Series of Events for Autism Awareness Month.” The story listed some of the many things we’ve been doing the past month to make people more aware of autism and how it affects our community, including:

• An Act for Autism Night with the Milwaukee Admirals
• A fundraiser at Rock Bottom Brewery (during all of April, 25 cents of each purchase of Lily Lager has been donated to Easter Seals Autism Services)
• In-store dollar donations for a handmade autism puzzle piece pin at local National Bakery and CVS Pharmacy locations.

The article featured a sweet photo of me with Easter Seals National Child Representative Kyle Mayer and his mom, Stephanie Gordon. I was quoted in the article, too:

Without services provided by Easter Seals, a parent may need to quit a job losing all the training and experience a business has invested in that employee … Easter Seals’ delivery of autism and respite service are not just “nice” for our community to have, but our vital in providing support so parents can continue to work.

I meant every word. Respite programs are so very important, and we are very proud of the respite we provide here at Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin.

TV interviews are always better with an expert on hand

by Patricia Wright

Every year, Autism Awareness Month provides lots of opportunities to educate the general public about autism. As a professional I think my public education efforts are always more successful when I can talk about autism along with a real expert: someone with autism.

Thankfully this is just what happened last week in Boston. Joey Barry and his mom Jill shared their story on FOX 25 Morning News and did a great job raising awareness about autism. Watch the interview and you’ll see that Joey is a delightful child who is full of stories. What you won’t get to see was how much fun Joey had before the cameras even started rolling …

As with most interviews, the “talent” (that’s what the professionals/interviewers call those of us who show up to talk about a particular topic) is asked to be at the studio early. I met Joey and Jill in the lobby. I asked Joey what he thought about being there that morning and the first thing he said was, “I’ve never been on TV before!” His statement was accompanied by the biggest grin you could imagine. We had about an hour before our time on screen and Joey just continued to be full of life, sharing stories about his book writing, commenting on the TV cameras that appeared to move on their own and taking lots of photos of his own with a camera phone.

Fun was definitely had by all!

Reading aloud helps Make The First Five Count

by Beth Finke

Two years ago I traveled to Topeka with my Seeing Eye dog to visit Easter Seals Capper Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. A story in the Capital Journal did a beautiful job describing our visit.

Jim Leiker, president and chief executive officer of Easter Seals Capper Foundation, explained the purpose of Finke’s visit to Kidlink, which is an inclusive preschool and child care program for children with or without disabilities.

“She has a disability and has lots of challenges,” Leiker said, “and she has lots of goals and dreams, and she’s been able to achieve those. I think that’s a really positive message for the kids.”

My favorite part of that visit was reading aloud to the kids at Kidlink. Plenty of the kids in the preschool had autism, but truth is, without being able to see them, I couldn’t tell. Some were scared of my Seeing Eye dog, some couldn’t stop hugging the dog. Some seemed shy, others wanted to jump on my lap. Which were symptoms of autism, and which were symptoms of … well … childhood? Who knew? All we did know is that something different was happening in the room that day, and that we were all having fun.

Now Kansas First Lady Mary Brownback has joined in on the fun too! This month the First Lady read two books to the children at the Capper Foundation to help promote reading by adults to children. Coverage of the First Lady’s visit by 49 News (the local ABC station in Topeka) and The Capital Journal mentioned Easter Seals’ Make the First Five Count campaign. President and Chief Executive Officer of Easter Seals Capper Foundation Jim Leiker was quoted in the stories about how important it is for kids to get off to the right start so that they’re ready for school. First Lady Mary Brownback added:

Most people have the gut feeling as a parent, this doesn’t seem to be quite right or quite where they should be and then they need to get some help and figure out what the problem is and address it.

This visit from Kansas First Lady is a great way to bring awareness to the people Easter Seals Foundation serves — children and families living with autism and other disabilities.

The five things every parent should know

by Beth Finke

A big shout out to writer and autism advocate Laura Shumaker — thank you, Laura, for featuring Matt Riley as a guest blogger on your City Brights blog. Matt is the Chairman of the Board for Easter Seals Bay Area and the parent of a 16-year-old son with autism. In the post he credits Easter Seals for helping teach him a lot about being a parent to a child with autism, then gives a list of five things he thinks every parent should know:

1. Early identification and treatment are key to your child’s future.
Our son Grant was diagnosed when he was two. In hindsight, he developed normally until around 18 months. As young parents, Cristyn and I couldn’t put our fingers on it, but we knew something wasn’t right. Our fears were realized when we heard the diagnosis of “Autism” (more specifically, PDD NOS-pervasive development disorder, not otherwise specified). We didn’t realize it at the time, but getting that early diagnosis was very important to Grant’s development.

2. Trust your instincts– you know your child best.
If something doesn’t feel quite right, recognizing that there may be a problem is a first step to ensure your child gets the services he or she needs at the time they can benefit the most.

3. Understanding the basics about child development increases your awareness about the skills your child should achieve.
It is important to know and objectively track your child’s developmental milestones. I know as young parents we felt Grant was a bit “off” in certain areas, but we were not educated enough to recognize key development milestones like language, eye contact, name recognition and appropriate play. We are lucky today to receive such high-quality support right in our community from Easter Seals.

4. Each child is unique in their development and needs — take nothing for granted.
Grant’s diagnosis has redefined us as a family, as parents and as individuals. Despite the many challenges that we have faced, I know I am a better parent, a better husband and a better man because of those challenges. We understand Grant’s needs and are so focused on guiding and helping him each and every day. We take nothing for granted. Wise people have told me the key to fulfillment in life is to live each moment fully. Grant brings that quality to our life. Even with the difficulties we face, we try to remember that and remain grateful.

5. Work with an organization like Easter Seals.

Matt goes on to talk about how much his son Grant enjoys attending Kaleidoscope in Dublin after school — link to a blog post here to read about Kaleidoscope being named 2011 Organization of the Year by the City of Dublin.

This week Easter Seals unveiled Make The First Five Count, a new advocacy effort to raise awareness for the importance of early detection and intervention within the first five years of a child’s life. Staff members from Easter Seals have been working all over the country during Autism Awareness Month to let people know about Make The First Five Count, but sometimes no one can get the word out like a parent can. Thank you for your eloquent and honest blog post, Matt Riley. And thank you, Laura Shumaker, for having the great idea to feature Matt as a guest blogger for City Brights..