Weekly Update...On The Road to Emmaus Home

 A Week in the Life of Emmaus Home....

                                                       Is pretty amazing!

Our core members and participants have truly been "out and about", as per usual this week.

I thought it would be nice for you to see a sample of our schedule... What's it like to be a core member at Emmaus Home?

Monday:
Our core team visited ShopRite so they could buy food for lunch, then they came back to the Day Program in Aston to prepare something delicious in our kitchenette.

Tuesday:
Dance therapy is a favorite for everyone!

Wednesday:
In the morning we visit out music therapist, and then hand out food at Anna's Place in Delaware County. Anna's place is a Fransiscan organization in Chester that ministers to people down on their luck. They serve meals, teach classes, and help people mind, body and spirit.

Our Emmaus Home core members go there weekly to volunteer and give back to the community.

Learn more about Anna's Place here.

After that we all went to The Ritz 5 Theater in Philadelphia to see the long-awaited documentary about L'Arche founder, Jean Vanier, and his communities all over the world.

This was a deeply moving and beautiful film, and everyone should see it. I can only describe it as a slow journey through life with Jean and his friends. It doesn't have suspense, action, or much drama, just beauty and love.

If you have a loved one with a disability and you'd like to give family or friends a glimpse into your world, please share it.
Watch the trailer, then go see for yourself!

Thursday:

Thursdays are spent at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, not a bad place to be in this beautiful springtime!

Friday:
Art therapy begins the day, followed by a trip to the mall to practice our shopping skills, followed by lunch at a restaurant.

It's a beautiful life at Emmaus Home!

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. 

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

 

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.)

Social Anxiety and Performance Fears in ASD

From Medical Research:

Approximately 40 percent of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are diagnosed with a co-occurring anxiety disorder.  Social anxiety is a common presenting problem for these youth. Youth with ASD and increased social anxiety have heightened threat sensitivity, particularly in relation to performance fears, as measured by a brain signal response called the error-related negativity (ERN), which measures response to errors. The threat sensitivity-performance fears association remained even after controlling for anxiety symptoms other than social fearfulness. (Read more.)

"I Will Sit With You In The Dark"

From Finding Cooper's Voice:

And then we had the piece of paper. The spoken words from the Psychologist. Our child was autistic. And at the time, my world stopped. In an instant my world changed forever. Or at least it felt that way. I immediately wanted to fix everything and do nothing all at once. I felt the weight of his diagnosis on my shoulders and still to this day, almost four years later, it is still securely on my back.

I have a hard time looking back at pictures from when Cooper was three. Which makes me so sad because I have two beautiful boys. Look at this picture. If you live autism you probably notice that Cooper is in motion. Always in motion. You also most definitely notice that he is pushing away from me. I have a smile on my face. What you can’t tell is that I’m covered in sweat. I am dying inside because we were at a public event and there was no denying that my child was different. My child didn’t speak. He didn’t play. He didn’t sit or even walk. He ran. He screamed. He was full of anxiety.

I spent days crying after this picture was taken. This was one of those moments that you hear about. And I’ll never forget it as long as I live. (Read more.)

Establishing Autism Diagnosis in Young Children

From EmaxHealth:

Parents and close family members tend to be the first people to notice behavioral differences and developmental delays in children. However, teachers, babysitters, doctors and others can also notice the symptoms that indicate autism and suggest testing. The first step is to pay attention to the behavior and development of the child, so this information can be shared with a professional. Parents are hesitant to consider that their child may have autism, yet it is important not to wait too long for testing because delays in diagnosis should be avoided. If the child is diagnosed at an early age, many symptoms could be mitigated with behavioral therapies.

There are several tests available to help diagnose autism. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers Revised (M-CHAT-R), Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers & Young Children (STAT) and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) are several examples of the tools available to professionals. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Tali Shenfield, testing for autism can reveal other psychological conditions, so parents should not hesitate to do the evaluations.

Researchers have not reached the point that allows a doctor to use a blood test or another type of physical examination to detect autism in a young child. This is why it is important to take advantage of the existing psychological tests and find a qualified professional to conduct the assessment. The tests are not invasive and do not require a great amount of time to be spent in a medical office. They generally consist of multiple questions that are used by a psychologist, psychiatrist or other qualified medical professional to evaluate the likelihood of an autism disorder in the child. (Read more.)

Why the Narrative Needs to Change

From Without a Crystal Ball:

Every single child that is born comes with a personality, skill set, and development. Biology determines most of this before they even enter the world, and we as parents are required to navigate raising the child and all of their DNA. There are children that are spirited, defiant, angry, sad, clingy, picky eaters, suffer from separation anxiety, have colic, and the list can go on and on. Every child is unique and parenting any being from birth until they reach adulthood is hard. I refuse to sit on a pedestal and say that because my child has diseases or developmental delays that my situation is any harder than any other parent in the world. Our set of circumstances are unique, and we are presented with making choices I never dreamed of making, but at the core I am still raising a little boy that loves dinosaurs, monster trucks, coins, animals, swinging, jumping and playing in his sandbox. When I list that out, it sounds like a 3 year old. It’s funny because…he is 3! He doesn’t know he’s sick. He has no idea he’s delayed, and none of the children around him seem to pay any attention to his differences or what we face.

I got caught up in the fact that he was different not realizing that every single child that surrounds us is different. I watch my friends struggle to parent their healthy children, and face making decisions they also never dreamed they would have to make. There is no preparation for parenthood. Once you have a child, it’s all a process of learning on the job. I have friends that have had to learn to parent strong willed children, ones that have had to learn to parent very sensitive children, and others that have had to learn to parent children that have separation anxiety that leaves them with no time alone. When I started to surround myself with other parents, I began to realize that every person faces challenges and adversity every single day. What I was doing was getting caught up in what he could not do, and getting engulfed in a disease I was afraid that would take him too young. I was not living in the moment and enjoying who he as becoming as a person. (Read more.)