April is Autism Awareness Month and since so many children are impacted by this lifelong condition, Stars Within Reach wanted to do something to help. We heard about the Center for Autism and all that is does to help provide medical treatment for children living with autism. They also told us about an after-school program that they offer called the Social Competency Program AND we knew immediately that Stars Within Reach wanted to help!
This program helps provide educational assistance to children living with autism! Below you will find just one of the many stories that touched us as we learned more about this program.This is why we support efforts to help those living with Autism and this is why our Star Partner Jrue Holiday is asking you to help him in his RACE for children living with autism!
Children like Pierce are enjoying meaningful progress due to the dedicated folks at the Center for Autism’s Social Competency Program. Here’s what Pierce’s mom, Cathy, had to say:
My son Pierce was a wonderful baby. He cried little, smiled often and slept well. His big personality and determination to succeed was evident from early on. When he began rolling over, you could see the resolve on his face to push his little body ahead of its time. When he turned six months old and was given a baby walker, he quickly learned to glide across the floor to reach his destination. Of course, this willfulness was also evident when he began having temper tantrums, often for no apparent reason. We began to notice that Pierce was different from other children. He only used a few words to communicate and swiftly dismantled any object in our house that he could get his hands on. Though it took some time and the right person to suggest autism to us, once he received a diagnosis, Pierce went on into early intervention services and the world of education.
Pierce was fortunate to be placed in a fantastic program, with wonderful teachers and support staff. He made gains academically and developed more language. However, Pierce’s ability to interact with others was limited and unusual. He could talk, but lacked conversation skills and the desire to play with other children. He chose only to direct activities and when someone didn’t follow his rules, including scripts he expected all to use, the tantrums were monumental. We realized that something was missing.
That missing piece was found when we enrolled Pierce in the Social Competency Program at the Center for Autism. To read more about Pierce’s Story CLICK HERE
Help NBA Player (and one of our favorite Philadelphia Sixers) Jrue Holiday WIN his race for autism, please DONATE $10 today. Stars Within Reach and our Partners are matching the Race for Promise donations up to $5,000, so donate today and tell a friend.
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The issue of bullying jumped to the top of our cultural radar screen with a series of tragic events in October 2010 and it hasn’t gone away. In a culture where we suffer from “National A.D.D.”; where stories drift away in a news cycle that is always scooping the next big issue before wrapping up the last; what is it about the age old topic of bullying that has kept us talking for months?
It appears to be a combination of something familiar and tangible; childhood memories of being on one side or the other of bullying, but with a new twist that has changed the game. Advances in technology have made “cyberbullying” an unavoidable new reality.
Cyberbullying allows the bully to act faster and easier with the potential for humiliation exponentially higher. In the not too distant past, publicly embarrassing a classmate would entail writing something incendiary on a bathroom wall. Today, classmates record physical abuse and upload it to YouTube for the entire world to see. Derogatory remarks can be posted on Facebook and Twitter for thousands of friends to see in an instant. A student who could once escape a bully when the school bell rang can now be harassed 24/7 with hurtful text messages.
The new role of parents is also touching a nerve. Technology has finally given adults the extra set of eyes they never had access to once the school bus drove away. Parents have traditionally had to trust that when children recount the highlights of their day at the dinner table, that they are indeed providing an accurate picture; the good, bad and in between.
Today, cruel acts of aggression that would have previously gone unreported are now on the permanent record; in text messages, on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and social media platforms that parents do not even know exist; parents are beginning to actually see what bullying in 2011 means. Cyberbulling has taken this problem from the schoolyard and put it in front of our faces, in our homes.
But how do we move forward? Closing this technological gap will be a matter of pro-active parenting. Children will not take the initiative to educate their parents on social media because they are inherently secretive and protective of their ability to communicate freely and candidly with friends. We as parents and educators will have to educate ourselves.
Here are some facts to consider:
¨ 93% of teens ages 12-17 go online
¨ 63% are online every day
¨ Cell phone ownership is up from 45% in 2004 to 71% in 2008
¨ Between 20-25% of students have been the victim of Cyber Bullying
¨ Victims of Cyber Bullying are more likely to suffer from low self esteem and suicidal thoughts
¨ 1/3 of teens reported being bullied at school
¨ Only 1/3 of bully victims reported the bullying to someone at school
¨ 44% of middle schools reported bullying problems, compared to just over 20% in elementary and high schools
The facts help us develop an action plan. For parents and school administrators to get a firmer handle on this new frontier, it will be necessary for all of us to re-train ourselves to:
¨ look for problems in different places;
¨ ask different questions;
¨ be in the trenches by learning the communication tools of children;
¨ resist the urge to simply pull the technological plug on children out of frustration;
¨ understand that the same social media tools that seem to be the problem today, will be the same tools that allow them to flourish in the new and evolving workforce tomorrow
¨ acknowledge the obvious: these tools will be available to children whether you want them to or not
Many of us are behind the learning curve. It is a high speed rail train that has left the station. It is difficult, at best, to slow it down. Slowing down forward progress will always be a losing battle. With initiative, collaboration, communication and commitment among parents, teachers and our children, we have a unique opportunity. The responsibility to catch up is not an option. If we love our children, it is required.
Councilwoman Blondel Reynolds Brown http://www.blondellonline.com/
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