Aspire Interventions

I have visited with so many families who are considering pulling their children from the public school system and are investigating other education environments. My wife and I homeschooled our four children at different points in their education, as well as using public, private schools, and education cooperatives. I am considering expanding ASPIRE Interventions to include consulting on curriculum and teletherapy focused on alternative schooling needs. I'll have more about these developments soon. Please pass on my post to anyone who may have questions about primary and secondary education options. Kazou and I would love to visit with you.

The laws of unintended consequences. Edie Marler and I made a trip to a group home, Rock House in Stephenville, TX to celebrate our youngest daughter's 22nd birthday. Rock House is a jewel in the group home world. We hadn't seen Marielle in months. Visiting is tough, given the policies and health laws Rock House must follow. Before covid, Rock House had given Marielle such a sense of purpose, appropriate independence, and a strong community of friends.

We loved our visit with Marielle. And honestly, we hardly noticed that it was 111 degrees outside). Staff were very helpful and kind, providing us with cool drinks and there were picnic tables in the shade. But it was heartbreaking to see the other residents watching us from the windows of there home, Mimi told us there were very few families who were able to visit. We would have invited them to join our "Funny Bunny" game and to share cake (melted icing and all), but for understandable reasons, that was not an option.

Please read this thoughtful and balanced discussion of the current "reality" for those of our community who cannot advocate for themselves.

Coronavirus Mandate Stories: “There Are Worse Things Than Dying” | Texas Scorecard A family had the only help for their special-needs child ripped away by a government mandate issued in response to the Chinese coronavirus. Exhausted by the round-the-clock care she shoulders, a Texas mother pleads for help to pressure Gov. Greg Abbott to restore her family’s life-line.

When I was more active with the national Williams Syndrome (WS) Association (WSA), I worked closely with a family who had an older adolescent son who had WS. The young man had classic WS sensory/emotional/cognitive characteristics and was diligent student who dearly wanted to be as independent as possible. He was very good with animals, so his mother sought training for him in general domestic animal care. Her hopes were that he would be able to work at some capacity in a dog training and care business. Because of his hypersensitivity to sound (barking in a kennel environment in this case), any work in a dog kennel was not feasible and significantly restricted his ability to participate. I wish I had know about Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and the STEP program described in the attached article. I continue to work with many children having developmental challenges, who with the help of their families, would be so well suited to this program. These young people could use their skills to prepare these dogs for their future service, and who themselves would build their confidence and own sense of self reliance. Way to go CCI!

DOGS OF THE WEEK: The Puppies of STEP at UCF | KnightNews.com Home News DOGS OF THE WEEK: The Puppies of STEP at UCF NewsDOGS OF THE WEEK: The Puppies of STEP at UCF By Rahma Hassan - July 21, 2018 tweet The puppies of STEP at UCF. Photo by Rahma Hassan. Students have a fun and rewarding experience raising puppies through a UCF student organization that helps....