AUGUST 3, 2010
GABLES GREAT Jeannett Slesnick succeeds with her work ethic, tireless service BY GLORIA BURNS
J
eannett Slesnick is one of those self-motivated forces of nature whose work ethic and tireless efforts make her title of “First Lady” seem redundant. A mother, grandmother, businesswoman and civic leader, Jeannett Slesnick’s impact on the organizations in which she is involved are mammoth. Now a top Realtor in Miami-Dade County with her own real estate company, Slesnick graduated from the University of Florida in 1972. It was in Gainesville that she met her husband, now Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, who was there attending law school. They married and settled in Coral Gables where they raised their daughter, Kathleen, and son, Donald, both of whom follow their parents’ leads in giving back to their community JEANNETT SLESNICK through service. For 19 of the 22 years Slesnick worked with EWM Realtors before founding her own firm,
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City program helps toddlers with developmental delays
Fanning the Fires! BY MARK TROWBRIDGE President & CEO of Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
Cecilia AlvarezTabio works with a 3-year-old student during a one-on-one session.
BY BELKYS PEREZ
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arents with young children who have autism or related developmental delays find it challenging and frustrating to find quality educational programs specific to their child’s condition. In August, the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center is offering a preschool preparatory program for toddlers (18-48 months) who demonstrate delays in language and social skills, or those who have been diagnosed with autism. The program, called Stepping-In 2 Learn, is an early intervention program that helps to increase a child’s communication and social skills, and provides oneon-one therapy sessions. Instructor Cecilia Alvarez-Tabio, a Board Certified Associate Behavioral Analyst and former preschool teacher, will guide youngsters through a structured curriculum in a classroom setting with various stations that provide visual cues. “Because the children have a hard time communicating, visual cues are used for anything from requesting items to fol-
lowing a classroom schedule,” AlvarezTabio said. Parents or caretakers must participate with the child to ensure they also learn how to apply these new concepts to everyday life. Alvarez-Tabio will provide parents with behavioral techniques. “It’s important to help parents understand some of the behavioral characteristics their child is demonstrating, and give the parents the tools they need to so they can help their child become more functional,” she said. “By giving parents those tools, they’ll feel confident in their ability to help their child.” No parent ever is prepared for the unique challenges that autism presents, but early intervention gives families a chance to lead a normal and functional life. Stepping-In 2 Learn is being offered Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Youth Center, 405 University Dr. For more information on the program, visit online at <www.SteppingIn2Learn. com>. To register, visit <www. gablesrecreation.com> or call the Youth Center at 305-460-5600.
Are you a fan of something? I mean, truly a fan? Not someone who jumps on a bandwagon as it is about to head out for glory, but the type of person who has been there all along – from day one. Through thick and thin. The good times and the bad. The ups and the downs. Are you a real fan? In our community, as you might suspect, we have seen some shifting loyalties over the years in the world of sports, politics, and even fads and trends. Our fans are tough on their teams. We are a fickle populace and demand that our heroes be perfect and without a flaw. Plus, many of us arrive on the scene a fan of someplace else. But we live in a complicated world filled with complex issues and real people, so this ideal is not always a reality. In truth, our heroes are just ordinary people who
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