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Message from the Director
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Throughout the winter we talk and laugh
about all of the special times we have with the children and families
and now, as the giggles come through the front door each day, we
are so excited to see everyone!
With the new center it seems as if anything is possible! (Maybe it’s
just our mindset, but wow!) The family resource room is really coming
together with catalogs, ideas, and technology to look at, read about
and try! This season we also added some terrific DVD’s.
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My personal
favorite is a CNN documentary on autism – this beautiful piece of work
follows one young girl’s journey. In this piece she learns
to type and communicate using a special device. Guess what? She
is now in college! And then there is Larry, shown in another DVD,
who is an accomplished artist with his own gallery in Vermont!
The stories are so inspiring. It makes you think out of the box-
and we all need to know that we CAN!
On Wednesdays, at our 11:30 barbecues, Pete puts on an incredible
feast for all! Wono (our resident sea lion) enjoys eating her lunch
at the same time and showing off her talents.
Parents find each other in conversations both so intense and fun
that they don’t want to leave even after the food is all
gone, Siblings find each other by the touch tank and I can hear
the ick and yuck’s and ew’s from afar! Jeff puts on
his magic hat and an old-fashioned magic show for the children,
which is adorable. I always dreamed of having a full house with
lots of noise, kids and fun - this is surely my dream come true!
Finally, I want to tell you about the garden. Recently, I was working
with a young adult who lives in a group home. Her parents noted
that it would be wonderful if we could find something that she
enjoyed doing that she could also do once she returned home.
We decided to plant some seeds and
watch them grow! We decided on pumpkins. (This way the children
would have pumpkins for Halloween –and
I already had the seeds) Well, in just a few days the seeds sprouted
and so did we all! This young woman took interest in picking up
the watering can and watering her seedlings! ? The idea came and
I said to Pete –“honey I’ve been thinking….” This
is when he usually takes a deep breath and a long pause before
he says – “go ahead, what are you thinking…..” and
so the beginnings of a beautiful garden began to sprout at IDC!
The garden now has pumpkins, Mexican sunflowers, radishes, and
tomatoes. The children and families are delighting in the care
of the garden, spraying each other while watering, planting the
seeds and watching everything grow. What an incredible tactile
and sensory experience for all!
The next idea is ‘aroma’! As soon as I said it – I
realized how great it would be to have a sensory garden! Now we
have bigger plans to plant lavender, herbs and other fun, smelly
things - Do you have any gardening skills, great ideas? Bring them
on! We need volunteers. If you are looking for a project to get
involved in that gives back to the children and families this can
be it!
If you are nearby, think about visiting the center and seeing what
is happening! (You never know what you might find on a given day – the
giggles are a given)!
Until then - Celebrate the moment!
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