Kevin at the YMCA

At Emmaus Home we try to make regular exercise a priority. According to the Autism Society, a program of exercise and fitness is important on so many levels. To quote:

From an educational and life skills perspective, our job as parents, teachers and professionals is to regularly identify an individual’s areas of need and address them in the most adaptive way possible. There is a reason so many students have difficulty in a standard classroom setting. The focus on taking tests rather than “learning how to learn” leads to skills that are not necessarily applicable to future needs and goals. For fitness programing, my hierarchy tends to look something like this (in order of importance):

1. Develop, maintain and enhance movement skills
2. Pair exercise and physical activity with reinforcement to ultimately make the activities themselves fun and part of a lifestyle
3. Increase initiation and creativity skills through exposure to various modalities of exercise (different equipment and activities)
4. Support socialization through small group activities that include elements of teamwork and helping behaviors

For those with autism who often have difficulty attending to a task for durations longer than 10 or 20 seconds, creativity and socialization behaviors are not an immediate goal. It is far more. (Read more.)

To help our work with God's children at Emmaus Home, please donate HERE. May the Lord reward with eternal life all who do good to us in His Name. 

Philadelphia Autism Project Art Exhibit

The art works have already been submitted but the show is open to the public. Emmaus Home will be there. From the Philadelphia Autism Project:

 In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, the Philadelphia Autism Project is launching the first collaborative art show Philadelphia: A Spectrum of Experiences.  Artists of all ages from the autism community in Philadelphia and surrounding counties are invited to submit for inclusion in the March – April 2018 exhibit.  This inaugural event is aimed at recognizing the talent of individuals with autism and increasing awareness of autism within the Philadelphia community. (Read more.)

Mass for Persons with Disabilities

From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia:

The Annual Archdiocesan Eucharistic Liturgy with Persons with Disabilities, The Deaf Community, Family, Friends and Caregivers: This annual Liturgy is held once a year at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul at 18th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia. Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia is the principal celebrant and homilist.  A light reception is held following the Mass.  All are Welcome. Save the date. This coming year the Mass is scheduled for March 24, 2018.  We encourage parish participation and individuals/parish groups to volunteer in assisting with all aspects of the Mass and reception. (Read more.)

From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Office for Persons with Disabilities & the Deaf Apostolate

1. Please assist in inviting families and individuals to this annual Mass. Parish groups or individuals who wish to assist with the Mass or reception are asked to contact the Office for Persons with Disabilities.   For more details or to register go to www.opdarchphilly.org or click here.

The Annual Archdiocesan Mass Honoring the Gifts of Persons with Disabilities, The Deaf Community, Family, Friends and Caregivers is Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul at 18^th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia.  Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., will be the principal celebrant and homilist.  There will be a reception immediately following the Mass featuring entertainment by Santino Dragon New Year Brigade.  All are Welcome.  To RSVP go to www.opdarchphilly.org, or call the Office for Persons with Disabilities at 215-587-3530.

2.       Spring Contact Meeting for the Office for Persons with Disabilities, April 28, 2018: The workshop will consider how to foster active participation in worship for children with disabilities and their families.  The disability contact/advocate for each parish is asked to attend. Clergy, parish staff, parents and other parish volunteers are welcome to attend. For more details or to register go to www.opdarchphilly.org or click here.

You Belong - How to Foster Active Participation in Worship:   This workshop will be offered on April 28, 2018 from 9:30 am to noon at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. Parish Contacts for the Office for Persons with Disabilities and other parish leaders are encouraged to attend. The presenters are: Dr. Geralyn Anderson Arango from Holy Family University and  Gilian Lally, a Behavioral Specialist.  For the flyer or to RSVP go to www.opdarchphilly.org, email: opd@archphila.org or call 215-587-3530.

3.      Mothers of Children with Disabilities Retreat, May 1, 2018:  Click here for the online flyer and registration.

Mothers of Children with Disabilities Retreat:  Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at Malvern Retreat House, Sr. Suzanne Mayer, IHM will direct a retreat for mothers and grandmothers who are raising children with disabilities and also those who have adult children with disabilities.  Fr. Jim Olson will be the celebrant for Mass.  There will be time to pray, reflect, and chat with other mothers.  To register on line go to www.opdarchphilly.com. For more information please contact Malvern Retreat House at 610-644-0400 or the Office for Persons with Disabilities at 215-587-3530. 

Sr. Kathleen Schipani, IHM
Director, Office for Persons with Disabilities & Deaf Apostolate

Archdiocese of Philadelphia

222 N. 17^th Street, Philadelphia PA 19103
215.587.3913 phone /267.507.1215 video phone
sr.kschipani@archphila.org

www.opdarchphilly.org / www.deafcatholicphilly.org / www.religoiusASLapp.com

 

Summer in the Forest

We at Emmaus Home love the 2017 film Summer in the Forest. From the film's website:

Like countless others Philippe, Michel, Andre and Patrick were labeled 'idiots', locked away and forgotten in violent asylums, until the 1960s, when the young philosopher Jean Vanier took a stand and secured their release - the first time in history that anyone had beaten the system. Together they created L'Arche, a commune at the edge of a beautiful forest near Paris. A quiet revolution was born. Now in his 80s, and still at L'Arche, Jean has discovered something that most of us have forgotten - what it is to be human, to be foolish, and to be happy.

SUMMER IN THE FOREST invites us to abandon the rat race and forge new friendships. Amid the ancient trees, Philippe, Patrick, Jean and the others welcome us into their lives. If there are rules to break, they will be broken and if there is a truth to be told, they will tell it. Michel reveals his war torn past, Andre is desperate for a date, and young David will prove himself a hero in the fight against the forces of evil. (Read more.)

Cooking Class at Emmaus Home

Cooking class is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills, practice following directions, and other practical and necessary skills as well.

To help our work with God's children at Emmaus Home, please donate HERE. May the Lord reward with eternal life all who do good to us in His Name.

Opening Doors

From Tech Inclusion:

Another area is accuracy; accurate information is vital if you are a traveler with a disability. I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy and have very specific needs when it comes to traveling, which I communicate clearly. Yet it can still be incredibly difficult to find accessible places to stay you can trust. For example, property owners have told me their apartment is step-free, but forget about the small step up to the front door — which my wheelchair can’t ignore. My team will focus on developing new policies and features to ensure accessibility information is as accurate as possible.

And we won’t stop there. I want to make sure that accessibility is at the heart of every element of our company and our community, whether it’s accessible experiences or any other new specially adapted product.

Moreover, we’ll use our global resources to cater to people with disabilities beyond mobility, working closely with every community to ensure our platform is welcoming to as many people as possible. Lastly, we’re committed to making sure that Airbnb is a great place to work if you have a disability, and will be launching new initiatives to increase the number of applicants with disabilities.

It is a bold, ambitious agenda, and a necessary one. Even 25 years after the UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities was declared, we remain in the early stages of a tectonic shift in how people with disabilities are treated. We cannot allow another generation to pass without fundamental change. (Read more.)

Weight and Autism

From Spectrum:

The research so far hints that obesity in people with autism is different than in the general population. For one thing, weight problems in autism seem to follow a specific course: The pounds start to pile on at a younger age, and persist into adulthood more often. Many people on the spectrum have heightened senses, plus a fondness for routine, which makes them averse to new tastes and textures and susceptible to unhealthy eating patterns. And motor and social impairments, along with an affinity for screens, can limit physical activity.

Unfortunately for children like Nicholas, there is little appreciation of these differences as yet, and weight management programs are almost exclusively geared toward typical children. “If you have special education every day after school, how are you going to fit in sports?” asks Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, a pediatrician at Boston University. “If you have a kid who’s nonverbal, having a conversation about nutrition isn’t going to work.”

Some researchers are adapting programs to help children with autism expand their food choices and be less sedentary. The data trickling in suggest that these nascent programs offer benefits beyond physical health: In some young people with autism, they can also boost social functioning and self-esteem. (Read more.)

Learning to Thrive

From the News and Observer:

Had I known more about autism, I think I’d have recognized it earlier. The signals were all there from the beginning – the speech delay, the inarticulate moaning, the arm flapping hop-step he does when he’s happy. He could name every planet in our solar system and tell you what each one was like before he could respond to his name. He could tell me the difference between a meteorite, asteroid and comet before he could tell me what he wanted for lunch.

When he still wasn’t progressing typically by age 3, our pediatrician recommended screening him for learning disabilities. I was terrified, but I was also desperate. When it came to connecting with my kid, all my instincts were wrong. Kisses hurt. Hugs were OK, but only sometimes. A conversation was comically out of reach. I’ve always loved him. But I didn’t know him. I wanted to know my son.

After seven months of doctor’s visits, a panel of specialists came back with their verdict, and I hated every one of them for it. Of course I’d known a diagnosable problem was possible. Getting a diagnosis and getting help was the whole point. (Read more.)

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/article194143669.html?utm_content=bufferea680&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#storylink=cpy