August 5, 2015
Growing and learning with ‘Love’
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By Dr. Charles Pearson
From left, Collin Matlock, Joe McCarthy and Bella McCarthy play together at a LoveU2Pieces playgroup. LoveU2Pieces Social Connections groups often group children on the autism spectrum with typically developing peers.
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LoveU2Pieces provides support for children and families living with autism
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The Golden Years
By Sara Hardin LoveU2Pieces is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which aims to provide enriching educational and social experiences for children and families living with autism. “LoveU2Pieces is committed to giving families living with autism spectrum disorders the time, support and opportunities they need to raise healthy, successful children in a strong, supportive environment,” said Leigh Rolnicki, Executive Director of LoveU2Pieces. “We’re really trying to allow the families to be the best that they can be.” After moving into its own space in Brentwood earlier this year, LoveU2Pieces is equipped to provide children with a community-like environment where kids can practice social skills and social learning opportunities to carry with them into day-to-day life and, eventually, the workplace. “Under the LoveU2Pieces Social Connections Program, we work with kids in building their social skills so that they can get to a place where they’re not just living with autism, but they’re thriving with autism,” explained Rolnicki. Colleen Matlock, LoveU2Pieces Lead Therapist, explained why she makes social interaction amongst the kids a prior-
ity when she designs the program’s content. “Kids with autism have a tendency to interact more with adults than with peers, so one of my main goals is having them learn from each other,” said Matlock. “My goal was to make it different from the everyday school environment for these kids, where they have a therapist with them all the time, and they’re having to listen to the teacher and having to listen to their helper who’s following them around. The exact same setting can be exhausting, so it’s a different format here. We’re playing games and they’re learning things without really realizing it. I’m always kind of in the background; instead of looking to me for guidance, I’ll prompt them to look towards each other.” To keep parents up-to-date on their child’s experiences working in his or her LoveU2Pieces group, Matlock provides handwritten feedback sheets with a brief overview of each child’s struggles and accomplishments. Along with helping children develop their skills, LoveU2Pieces aims to keep parents involved and informed to further ensure the success of each child. “We support families on a number of levels just in terms of providing educa-
tional opportunities for their children to learn and grow, but we also work with the parents and try to make communication as effective as possible,” said Rolnicki. “We also try to do this at a reasonable rate that people can afford.” While working in their LoveU2Pieces group, children make friends with their See GROWING AND LEARNING page 2
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Homes for Furry Friends
Movie: “Vacation”
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