LiveSpecial - Summer 2018 Special Edition

SPECIAL EDITION

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CLEVELAND

SENSORY INCLUSIVE Regional Fun for All

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE MANAGE BEHAVIORS AT SCHOOL

Supportive

Surroundings EMPLOYEES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS RECEIVE JOB TRAINING AT PLACES SUCH AS DOGGIE DAY CARE AND MORE

Sensory-Friendly Places to Go!

People with sensory processing issues have plenty of places to enjoy.

Many Northeast Ohio attractions and organizations are providing adaptive programming and sensory inclusive tools.

ON THE COVER: Bridget, 35, works with dogs at Hattie’s Doggie Day Care & Boarding in Cleveland.

AKRON ZOO

First sensory inclusive zoo in Ohio 330-375-2550 akronzoo.org/accessibility

Photo by Kim Stahnke

ALL KIDS PLAYGROUND

Parma James Day Park, 11828 W. Pleasant Valley Road AMC THEATERS

amctheatres.com/programs/ sensory-friendly-films BEECH CREEK BOTANICAL GARDEN & NATURE PRESERVE

Surroundings

B

Helping people with disabilities transition into the workforce

BECK CENTER

Lakewood 216-521-2540 beckcenter.org

By Angela Gartner

ridget, an employee at Hattie’s Doggie Day Care & Boarding in Cleveland, could be considered a “dog whisperer.” The 35-year-old works at the enterprise, which provides supportive employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, and takes care of as many as 40 dogs who come daily or board while their owners are away on vacation. She says she hopes to continue to work with dogs in her next job.

“We hire people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who aspire to work in the community,” says Mike Sturdivant, regional manager at Hattie’s Doggie Day Care & Boarding, which is operated

by Hattie Larlham, a nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with developmental disabilities across Northeast Ohio.

The organization has work training services including three Doggie Day Care and Boarding locations: Twinsburg, Cleveland and Akron.

Judy Welsh, of Rocky River, has been taking her 3-year-old dog, Pinky, to the center in Cleveland for about a year when she and her husband travel out of town.

“They take wonderful care of my dog; she is always happy,” Welsh says. “(The mission of the facility) is amazing. This gives (the employees) so much purpose and they clearly love the animals. This is an incredible resource for Northeast Ohio.”

“The benefit of our program is teaching them all the skills they need to be successful in a community job setting,” Sturdivant says, adding that employees learn soft skills, such as showing up to work on time, adhering to a dress code, following directions, dealing with change and learning how to do the position independently.

Kayla Ferroni, facility manager at the Cleveland doggie day care, says some of the workers have not been exposed to what it means to have a job and the center can provide basic employment skills, but it’s also a safe space to make mistakes.

For parents who are looking to get their kids in the workforce, Sturdivant says to explore the resources that are available in the area.

“There are so many resources parents might not know about, such as job training programs,” he says. “Explore those and find the right fit for your son or daughter.”

“Give them independence and let them make their mistakes — step back a little bit,” Ferroni advises. “We are here to make sure this is a safe environment to support them to do that. This is a softer stepping stone to get them ready to work in the community.”

CAFE O’ PLAY

Stow 330-928-7517 cafeoplay.com CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF CLEVELAND

PHOTO BY LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS’

Supportive

Alliance Nature Playce sensory path and some components of the nature playground are specifically designed for ADA accessibility.

330-829-7050 beechcreekgardens.org

CONNECTING FOR KIDS

connectingforkids.org

FINE ARTS ASSOCIATION

Willoughby 440-951-7500 fineartsassociation.org

INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND AT LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS’ HOLLSTEIN RESERVATION

Amherst 47160 Hollstein Drive, 440-984-3470, metroparks.cc/ playground.php PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

Cleveland 216-771-4444 playhousesquare.org

PRESTON’S H.O.P.E. PLAYGROUND

Beachwood Located at the Mandel JCC, 26001 S. Woodland Road, prestonshope.com

S.O.A.R. PLAYGROUND

Stow Located at Silver Springs Park, 5027 Stow Road, stowohio.org/playgrounds

QUICKEN LOANS ARENA SENSORY ROOM

Sensory-friendly room cmcleveland.org/ sensory-friendly-room

theqarena.com/arena-info/ accessibility-info

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY cmnh.org/sensory-friendly-sunday

Visit livespecial.com for more sensory-friendly places and programming

Inclusive Playground at Lorain County Metro Parks’ Hollstein Reservation

Positive Discipline

O

ne of the issues presently facing school districts is providing an appropriate education for all students regardless of need.

Without appropriate behavior, students cannot and will not reach their true educational potential. Nowhere is this more apparent than in working with students with disabilities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act form the legal basis by which schools are permitted to discipline students with disabilities.

Both statutes protect students from excessive

discipline, including suspension and expulsion.

Often, school personnel have a narrow view of discipline and contend that only punishment will produce a change in behavior, forgetting the benefit of a positive approach to discipline.

A positive school climate helps to ensure that all administrators, teachers, students and parents will work together in a cohesive group to ensure student success. An overall school climate begins with administrators.

Change comes not only from good leadership, but from cooperation by all parties involved in a student’s performance.

by Nessa G. Siegel, Attorney at Law

CREATING A POSITIVE BEHAVIOR PLAN

1. For a student with disabilities, addressing behaviors begins in the

student’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or 504 Plan. Special education teachers, regular education teachers, school administrators, parents, and students (if age-appropriate) must all be involved in the development of the BIP (behavior intervention plan).

2. A BIP must be consistently implemented by all school personnel, in all environments.

3. Proper IEP development will assist in foreseeing potential negative

behavior. Consequences, a necessary component of positive behavior plans, should be logical and create a learning experience, not retaliatory.

4. P lans must include, but are not limited to, present levels of the

student’s behavior based on current data, appropriate goals, identification and training of key personnel, a structured schedule, correct classroom environment, data collection, supervision of staff, and continuous feedback to all school personnel and parents.

5. One or two review meetings a year will not suffice to produce success

for students with ever-changing growth and needs. The BIP must be reviewed and updated continuously during the school year and should be capable of being implemented on the first day of school.

6. If a student is not on an IEP or 504 Plan, and the school had

knowledge that they had behavior and/or emotional issues, they may be able to invoke the discipline protection accorded students identified as needing special education.

The above article is for general education purposes only and should not be construed as personal legal advice.

Anyone needing legal representation should seek legal advice from the attorney of his or her choice.

livespecial.com | Special Edition

— 2017 Northeast Ohio Edition —

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LIVESPECIAL.COM CELEBRATES INDIVIDUALS LIVING WELL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

What is LiveSpecial.com?

Families with children or adults with special needs in Northeast Ohio have a comprehensive website that identifies and defines resources to help them through their unique challenges. Founded in 2013, LiveSpecial.com is a free online directory of more than 1,000 local resources of medical personnel, therapists, rehabilitation services, respite care, camps, special needs products and so much more.

Learning that your loved one has a disability can be extremely traumatic and overwhelming.

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To celebrate the 5th anniversary of LiveSpecial.com a dinner was held to honor individuals with disabilities who demonstrate their ability to be successful and to make a difference in the community at large. The Celebration of Champions was held in November to honor the following individuals:

Congrats to all the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal Winners!

GENNY KANKA

KYLIE & KENDALL WEINMANN WITH ALANA GOHN

Finding the answers to these and many other questions can take days, weeks or even months of research and often results in confusion and frustration. The goal of LiveSpecial.com is to be a user-friendly, easy to use, online gateway to the Northeast Ohio special needs service providers.

PHOTOS: JOE APPLEBAUM

Many challenging questions arise: • Where do I go to get services?

• What services are available?

• Who can help me?

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS Mary Verdi-Fletcher, Christina Aitken, Kaela Jackson, Jessica Cobb, Kendall & Kylie Weinmann

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS Ashlei Collier-Amison, Todd Eisinger, Joan & Tauber Kornblut, Deborah Picker, Ashley Shagrin

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS Genny Kanka, Chayee Kottler, Chris Meyers, Skye Raftery, Hallie Solomon

LiveSpecial.com strives to be the most comprehensive source of current information for Northeast Ohio individuals with special needs.

LiveSpecial.com is a project of NCJW Cleveland ∙ (216) 378-2204 ∙ info@livespecial.com