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discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway
No pessimist ever
for the human spirit. - Helen Keller
Featuring:
Disability Awareness
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Disability Awareness 2011
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Inside this issue: 7 | Source of inspiration:
12 | Exceptional opportunities:
8 | My friend Sue:
13 | Empathy and compassion:
10 | ‘A Closer Walk with Thee’:
14 | Emmaus Community:
11 | Mother’s heart:
16 | Dealing with hearing loss:
‘Differently abled,’ hardly disabled.
Sharing the light of Christ.
A college student’s story.
Daughter has a special place.
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Disability Awareness 2011
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 3
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17 | Father Tom Coughlin:
First deaf man to be ordained a priest.
18 | The pager goes off:
With a different kind of call.
20 | Home for the hurting:
Sisters Place offers a loving transition.
22 | Alzheimer’s:
The slow, quiet thief.
26 | Mental illness:
Publisher | Bishop David A. Zubik General Manager | Robert P. Lockwood Editor | William Cone Operations Manager | Carmella Weismantle Disability Awareness Project Editor Patricia Bartos Associate Editors Phil Taylor (Special Projects) Chuck Moody (News) Senior Staff Writer | Patricia Bartos Staff Writer | John W. Franko Graphic Designers David Pagesh | Debbie Skatell-Wehner
28 | Making inroads:
Director of Advertising | John Connolly
29 | Dyslexia:
Not just simply reading backwards.
On the cover... RGH
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Vol. 3, No. 3
Church and society must respond.
The National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped.
Featuring
135 First Ave. • Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 1-800-392-4670 www.pittsburghcatholic.org
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Prayer for Inclusion Creator God, we are your people. We look to the future with optimism and with faith in you, as we pursue our call to provide justice and fullness of life for all people with disabilities. We pray that every man, woman and child may develop their potential and meet you in themselves and in one another. May we enjoy a totally welcoming community, with you as our center, joined hand in hand with our sisters and brothers. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen Based on the Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities Cover design by Debbie Skatell-Wehner
Account Executives Michael A. Check | Paul Crowe Michael Wire Circulation Mgr./Parish News Coord. Peggy Zezza Administrative Assistant | Amanda Wahlen
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine is a complimentary publication of the Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates, available at all 208 Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Advertising: ads@pittsburghcatholic.org Editorial: editor@pittsburghcatholic.org
Disability Awareness 2011
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 5
Blest are they, blest are we
Photo by Pam Gianoglio Members of the Catholic Deaf Choir sign music for the community’s 50th anniversary Mass at St. Justin Church in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood in June.
By LORIE UHLMANN
THREE RIVERS CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING 900 Rebecca Avenue Pittsburgh Ć’ 3$ Ć’ -2938 412.371.7700 Ć’ TTY 412.371.6230 Fax 412.371.9430 www.trcil.org With satellite offices in Erie, Greensburg, Washington and New Castle Celebrating 30 Years of Empowerment in 2010
6 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
What a season of blessing this has been. As we look at the new catechetical year we should take a moment to pause and reflect on how God has touched all of us in the everyday celebration of sacramental living. The catechetical theme for this year, “Do This in Memory of Me,� reminds us that we are all living members of the body of Christ, no matter who we are or how we are “abled.� We are all called by our loving God to live in response to our own gift of faith. The source and summit of our true identity is brought together in the Mass, which celebrates our uniqueness and wonder as created beings in the image and likeness of God. In the diocesan Department for Persons with Disabilities, we get to celebrate this reality in worship over and over again, as we gather for our Awareness Masses. These liturgies offer us an opportunity to come together just as we are, but also to highlight the special gifts and abilities of so many different people among us. Often we are too busy and rushed in this “everydayness� of life that we forget to step back and really take in the wonder of our God
and all of our faith family. Disability Awareness Masses enable us first of all to welcome people with disabilities to participate fully in the life of the church. The liturgies also celebrate the gifts that people with disabilities bring to the parish, as well as highlight the efforts of groups working with them. Many of our parishes offer these Masses as annual events, complete with dinners, singing, dancing and sharing to follow. The Department for Persons with Disabilities has a planning guide for any parish that would like to offer this liturgy. Parish advocates may help with the planning and preparation for these as well. It is amazing that when we become aware and familiar with the gifts and needs of our individual faith community members, such opportunities can and should offer full integration into the Christian community. For, once we experience this total embrace of Christ’s love through all others, we realize that in fact we are the ones who are truly blessed by their gifts and presence. Uhlmann is director of the diocesan Department for Persons with Disabilities.
Disability Awareness 2011
‘I can, and I will’ By JUDY KIRK I am constantly in awe of the creative abilities of those who teach the faith, especially when it involves children with disabilities. I am reminded of Terri, a wonderful young lady who I was introduced to years ago when I was director for religious education in my home parish. My pastor asked if I would work with 9-year-old Terri, who was preparing for her first Communion. He said she was in a wheelchair and unable to speak or control her movements. Of course, I said “yes.” I was always up for a challenge. But my immediate thoughts were, how will I get her into the school building and who will I ask to teach her? When I met Terri and her grandfather, who brought her to class each week, I was struck by her beautiful smile and bright, shining eyes. I fast realized that Terri was by no means disabled — differently abled for sure, but there was a determination in her eyes that said, “I can, and I will.” I asked my staff for advice on how we might include Terri in our classes.
She was very intelligent and working at a thirdgrade level at her special school. My third-grade catechists asked if Terri could be in their classroom, which was on the second floor. Not sure how we would accomplish that “small” feat, yet not wanting to discourage their eagerness, I agreed, praying that the Holy Spirit would help us. Our prayers were answered and Terri became part of our family. Her grandfather carried her into the building each week with the help of some strong dads. When Terri got tired, Grandpa would simply lift her out of the wheelchair and place her on the floor. The first time this occurred, all of the other children got out of their seats and joined Terri. It became a weekly ritual. The children were also amazed at the “squawk-box” — their term — that Terri used to “talk.” Each child had to try it out, at the suggestion of Terri’s grandfather, and Terri was thrilled with the attention. That year our third-grade catechists did the Christmas program. I knew Terri was going to have a part in the play and both catechists just said, “you’ll be surprised.”
The day finally arrived, the stage was beautifully decorated and I was holding my breath. The scene began with the narrator telling the story of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The curtains opened and there was Terri in her wheelchair, which had been camouflaged as a donkey, with Joseph following behind, slowly pushing the wheelchair. The beautiful vision of Terri as Mary brought tears to many eyes. When she completed eighth grade, Terri became a catechist helper and used her “squawk box” to help the first-graders learn their prayers, delighting and amazing them as she pushed the buttons to pray the Our Father or Hail Mary and then let them take a turn. As one little guy put it, “This is cool.” Terri was an inspiration to many throughout her years with us. I think of her often and realize that God brought Terri to us, a very special child with that beautiful smile and those bright, determined eyes saying, “I can and I will.” Kirk is director of the diocesan Department for Religious Education.
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Disability Awareness 2011
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 7
Let go and let God be your light By LORIE UHLMANN St. Lucy, a holy woman of the early church whose name means “light,” is the patron saint of people with vision loss and blindness. When I think about this saint, Susan Etters comes to mind. I met Sue more than a year ago, and she is a truly committed woman of faith. She shares the light of Christ through her caring smile
and witness wherever she goes. Sue was the older daughter of Lucille and the late Melvin Etters, members of St. Catherine of Siena in Crescent. She was born premature and had RLF, a condition common in the 1950s among babies who received too much oxygen, resulting in total vision loss. Susan was embraced by her family as an equal
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and was part of everyday family life. She prayed the Mass propers with the congregation and her favorite memories were of attending CCD classes at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. In her later school years, Sue and her classmates walked to Central Catholic High School for religious education. She participated in church festivals and was included in the faith community. With the support of her wonderful mother, Sue grew up as a typical child. By 1982, she moved to Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood and lived an independent life at the Morewood Apartments. She wanted to become more involved in her faith and met Sister Connie Bahl. In 1988, they attended classes to prepare for the ministry of lector. Sue loved the experience, and later that year was commissioned by then-Bishop Donald Wuerl to serve as a lector at weekend liturgies. She proclaimed God’s holy word at St. Margaret of Scotland in Green Tree and St. Agnes in Oakland. Currently, she lectors at St. James in Sewickley and St. Margaret Mary in Moon Township every weekend. Sue feels it is important for people to truly listen and hear God speaking in our hearts. This is a ministry she really reverences and enjoys. She also serves on the bishop’s Advisory Board for Persons with Disabilities. Sharing the Good News can happen in many ways, and Sue believes it is so critical that the message of Jesus be shared with young children as well as adults. She volunteers with the diocesan Opening Doors Program, enabling people to ask questions, gain awareness and grow in understanding that God calls all of us in so many ways. At these workshops, Sue reads Scripture from Braille and answers questions from the children. She says that often she is the first blind person they have met. Sue is joy-filled and her disposition is infectious. She is excited by the new Roman Missal changes in our liturgy and encourages all to continue to share the light of Christ wherever they are. Uhlmann is director of the diocesan Department for Persons with Disabilities.
8 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Disability Awareness 2011
Celebrating 60 Years of Empowering People. Creating Communities.
Through Community Living and Support Services (CLASS), UCP/CLASS serves more than 4,000 individuals, with all types of disabiliƟes, including but not limited to brain injury, mental retardaƟon, spina biĮda, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and mulƟple sclerosis. UCP/CLASS is driven by organizaƟonal values that foster inclusion of people with disabiliƟes. UCP/CLASS oīers an array of services from independent skills training in the classroom, to community-based case management for social/recreaƟonal and residenƟal supports. At the heart of UCP/CLASS’s support services is its mission, working toward a community where each belongs. Services Include: AƩendant Care ResidenƟal Support Children/Family Services Consumer Employer Resources Community Skill Building VocaƟonal Services InformaƟon and Referral Legal Services MulƟple Sclerosis Service Society Alliance for Community Respite Care
Disability Awareness 2011
UCP/CLASS, a successful nonproĮt, serving 4,000 people daily creates opportuniƟes for people with and without disabiliƟes to live, work, and play in their community. In short, Empowering People. CreaƟng CommuniƟes. For more informaƟon Visit our website www.ucpclass.org 412.683.7100 or toll-free 1.888.954.2424
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 9
Journeying with the Lord By HOLLY JOY PENZENSTADLER In my years in youth ministry, I’ve encountered many inspiring young people, but meeting Claire Senita was a truly divine appointment. Claire, an active gymnast and student at Pine Richland High School, sustained an injury in an accident on May 9, 2006, that changed her life and set her on a course for a closer walk with God. Before the accident, she said, “I believed in God, but I never really had a close relationship with him. I wanted one, but I didn’t know how to build a solid relationship.” Later, “I believed in him even more
The author, left, with Claire Senita.
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10 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
because I wanted him to do a miraculous healing on me so I could walk again,” she said. For awhile that’s all she and others prayed for. But after weeks in the hospital, she knew. “It hit me that my accident was the way I could have a close relationship with him, being paralyzed was the cross I would bear maybe for the rest of my life.” She added, “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t still angry with him or didn’t still pray hard or didn’t work my butt off at physical therapy. It just meant I tried my best to live a pure life and understand God’s plans for me.” Now a student at Curry College in Boston, she plans to one day open a rehab center specifically for spinal cord injury patients that specializes in helping people walk again. “I want to share my story with patients and help them in their journey so they understand that even though it may sometimes seem like it, their life isn’t over.” She also wants to help young people. “I want them to feel the fire and passion for the Lord that can be so life-changing.” Soon after her accident, she began to seek the Lord in the church. She had been baptized Catholic, so she naturally came to ask questions. Over the next six months, I visited Claire in her home as she began to explore the faith. Her walk with the Lord was challenging her as much as her various physical therapies were, and she had an ardent desire to stand up for her faith. Two summers ago Claire received the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist, and her life has not been the same. She has been an incredible inspiration and role model for her peers and adults alike. A member of St. Richard in Richland Township, she continues to seek truth and pursue holiness in the church, lead others in youth ministry and share her story. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “One of the most beautiful experiences a person can have in the church is that of being able to see and touch the work of the Lord in people’s lives, of experiencing the fact that God is not some abstract entity, but a reality so great and strong as to fill man’s heart to overflowing; a living person who is close to us, who loves us and asks to be loved.”
Penzenstadler is former youth minister at St. Richard in Richland Township and currently diocesan director for elementary school catechesis and faith formation.
Disability Awareness 2011
The
gift ofAbby
By JENNIFER SHUCKROW
Disability Awareness 2011
have continually propped us up. Strangers have been kinder than we expected. Abby appears to beckon to the deepest part of people’s souls and makes a connection that is hard to define in words. Yet, several times each week she is the beneficiary of touching comments that cannot deny this reality. Because of Abby, children of our friends have become volunteers at her school and are making an important difference in the lives of a small population of children who are profoundly disabled. Organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Make-aWish have provided us with incredible opportunities, ensuring that we have special family memories to treasure. And, of course, Abby has brought many amazing people into our lives — teachers, therapists and other children with disabilities. Without uttering even a single word, Abby inspires our family and those around us to be better people. And without taking even a single step, Abby leads us to live more Christlike lives. Abby’s middle name is Grace, and when she does these things we believe she radiates God’s grace. The Shuckrows are members of St. John Neumann Parish in Franklin Park, where Abby participates in the Good Shepherd Catechesis Program.
The author holds her 7-year-old daughter Abby.
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 11
St. Anthony School Programs keeps opportunity knocking By MARK SIEG and KAREN BABEJI
and feel part of their respective school community. Many of our students are involved in various acSt. Anthony School Programs’ tagline is “Excep- tivities including athletics, band and school plays and can be altar servers as well as lectors. tional Opportunities for A Lifetime.” With the support of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, St. Anthony’s continues its mission of 55 years to serve students between the ages of 5-21 with local churches and schools, administrators, teachers intellectual disabilities and/or autism. For the 110 and school families, our students can now feel like students who attend one of our nine resource rooms, they belong in the community. Our post-secondary students, ages 18-21, attend opportunities come in a variety of ways. The inclusive model allows our students to attend Duquesne University and the University of PittsA student in the St. Anthony School Programs local Catholic schools with their same-age peers and burgh, where they get to experience college life on works independently during class. campus. siblings. With the support of Carlow University, one of our age peers. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity in the This model has given our students many wonderful opportunities to participate in school functions students takes a college course with his or her same- country. The business community has also provided more than 20 job sites throughout Downtown Pittsburgh for vocational training. Fourteen years ago, St. Anthony’s began its Opportunity Award Dinner. This fund-raiser was designed to recognize individuals and organizations that provided opportunities for our students with special needs. The idea was born from the necessity to raise money to offset the constantly rising costs associated with our education program and the desire to raise awareness of All cemeteries aren’t created equal. our program throughout the community. A Catholic cemetery is a very special place, Each year, a dedicated dinner committee identifies a sacred resting place, set aside by the businesses and individuals who have followed the church for the burial of the faithful. We example of Jesus by giving hope, friendship and opbelieve the body is sacred, even after death, that it will rise again on the last day to be portunities to children and adults with special needs. reunited with its soul. Learn more about Because of their efforts, opportunities exist where the advantages of pre-planning in a there once were none. Catholic cemetery. This year’s Opportunity Award Dinner will be held the evening of Friday, Nov. 4, in the East Club Lounge THE WISER CHOICE at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Pre-planning for funeral and burial needs It will bring together our families, board members, removes the burden from your family. staff and supporters for an evening of celebration. At this year’s event, St. Anthony’s will present WE CAN HELP Opportunity Awards to Carlow University, to Kurt Kondrich, director of Family/Community Outreach Call or visit us online at www.ccapgh.org Early Intervention Specialists, and to the Pittsburgh to receive your free pre-planning guide Pirates. St. Anthony’s is proud to be able to publicly recognize the work that each of these awardees has done to Mail to: The Catholic Cemeteries Association, 718 Hazelwood Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 support our program and/or the issues that affect the Yes....with no obligation, I would like to receive information about pre-planning and students and families we serve. receive my free copy of the new Catholic Emergency Record File The event will be chaired by Eric and Jennifer Soller and Jeffrey and Susan Jackson. Name ____________________________________ Phone ____________________________ For additional information regarding St. Anthony School Programs or how you can sponsor or attend Street ______________________________________________________________________ the Opportunity Award Dinner, contact our office at City __________________________________ State ________ Zip ____________________ 724-940-9020, ext. 104, or visit our website at www. stanthonyschoolprograms.com. Email ______________________________________________________________________
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12 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Sieg is executive director of the St. Anthony School Programs and Babeji is development director.
Disability Awareness 2011
Lifting limbs and spirits
Dr. DiBartola, assistant professor and director of clinical education in Duquesne University’s Department of Physical Therapy, leads students through a therapy session.
By DR. LEESA M. DiBARTOLA At Duquesne University’s Department of Physical Therapy, our vision is to foster and develop physical therapists who are lauded for dramatically improving the quality of life of the patients they serve. Our graduates are scholarly and effective, yet ethical and compassionate. The faculty is dedicated to creating a learning environment that instills in physical therapists outstanding knowledge, clinical skills, compassion and professionalism. Research indicates that patients value strong interpersonal skills and professional behavior more than any other characteristics. When asked in a Harris poll what qualities are most important in a health care provider, patients’ most frequent answers were being treated with “dignity and respect,” “listens to my questions and concerns” and “is easy to talk with.” This may be a surprise to some, but it isn’t to us. Providing students with the education to master these very skills is a hallmark of Duquesne’s physical therapy program. We develop graduates who care deeply for the patients they serve and who wish to improve themselves for the betterment of people in need of physical therapy.
Disability Awareness 2011
Our students learn about the psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and communication issues relevant to the patient. They explore family and caretaker issues that are critical to compassionate patient care. Students learn the importance of respect for all patients and how to exhibit their sincere empathy and compassion. In addition, they learn how socioeconomics, gender and age can affect patient care. They are expected to excel in the care of patients with chronic illness and disability, while respecting human differences and attending to the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs. Duquesne physical therapy students even attend 12-step meetings to better learn about treating patients who suffer from addiction. They meet people who have experienced trauma, prejudice and other social issues. Our classes include real patients with real problems, including physical disability or brain injury, and the students learn from them. A popular assignment requires students to personally experience what it is like to have a disability. They are assigned a disability such as a stroke, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, while other students are assigned as their caretaker. They spend 24 hours with a disability or as
the caretaker, which might include helping the patient dress, bathe, eat and get to class on time. We then discuss what it was like to be the patient or caretaker for a day. Students soon begin to recognize, though on a much smaller scale, what it is like for patients who have a disability and to be a caretaker. They frequently say, “I never realized how difficult hills are while in a wheelchair,” or “Now I can begin to empathize with someone who is caring for a loved one with a disability.” Students agree this experience heightens their awareness of disability and how to care for patients and families. At Duquesne, our students learn and practice these skills while in school and then refine them during their clinical education in hospitals and clinics. The physical therapists who work with our students frequently tell us that they are exceptionally skilled in professionalism and communication, and that they truly “care” for the patient. We strive to serve God by preparing students to serve patients. DiBartola is assistant professor and director of clinical education in Duquesne University’s Department of Physical Therapy.
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 13
The Emmaus experience By TIFFANY MERRIMAN PRESTON
vidual could flourish when given love and support. In the beginning, they called together friends, rela“Every child, every person needs to know that they tives, families and individuals to discern how to best are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs serve the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. to be celebrated,” wrote Jean Vanier in “Becoming They discovered that there was a great need for Human.” quality care, as well as a place where people with disWhen Ken and Lorraine Wagner set out to found abilities would be supported in expressing their faith. the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh more than 20 There were few resources for starting a new organiyears ago, those words were not lost on them. zation, and many barriers, but with the help of passed They believed that if people came together and hats and prayers, they went on to found the Emmaus truly embraced community, the gifts of all members Community on Pittsburgh’s South Side. — those with disabilities and those without — would Today, we see the fruits of this labor. shine. The community has grown from one home, where Having raised four children, including a daughter Ken and Lorraine lived with three individuals with with a developmental disability, they understood the intellectual disabilities for more than 10 years, to challenges that people with disabilities face. five permanent homes, two supervised apartments, They had also witnessed firsthand how an indi- a short-term respite center and an outreach program.
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14 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
CNS photo Abbe Pierre, founder of the Emmaus Community, is shown at his 90th birthday party. He died in 2007.
When a person comes to live at Emmaus, they come for life. Emmaus provides support and care 24 hours a day. Our staff brings a high level of professionalism and training to their jobs, but they also bring their hearts. We seek to live out our original philosophy of celebrating every person by sharing our lives. A day at Emmaus might include sitting down to share a family-style meal, heading out to community events, celebrating holidays and successes, or supporting each other through times of grief and struggle. Some of our support staff live in our homes with the people they serve, as did both our founders and our current executive director. Some of our residents no longer have living relatives, and we are truly their family. Our respite center provides short-term care to people in need of temporary care while a family member is unable to provide it. Some are living with elderly parents and have never been away from home. Respite provides families with the comfort of knowing there is a place where their loved one will be treated with care and respect while they are unable to be with them. It also helps prepare the individual for a time when their parent will no longer be around and instills them with new confidence and hope for the future. Providing support for people 24 hours a day is no easy task, but with each day that we spend with the residents of Emmaus, it becomes even more clear why we believe so wholeheartedly in our mission. For further information about Emmaus, call 412-381-0277 or 412-381-2102 or e-mail www.EmmausPgh.org. Preston is director of fund-raising and special events for the Emmaus Community.
Disability Awareness 2011
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Disability Awareness 2011
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 15
From Chicago to
DePaul A mother reflects on her two sons’ journey with hearing loss By HADLEY B. HAAS It was baseball all summer at our house, starting in the spring when my sons, Declan, 7, and Bennett, 5, played baseball and T-ball, respectively. They practiced hitting every night and made everyone pitch to them for hours at a time. My favorite part was during the seventhinning stretch when they would stand up, put their arms around each other’s shoulders, sway and sing every word to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” This might seem like typical behavior, but Declan and Bennett are a little different. Without their cochlear implants, they are deaf. In many ways, this summer felt like the end of a journey that my husband, Scott, and I embarked on in Chicago in 2005. Declan, our first child, was nearly 2 years old and wasn’t talking. We had met with a speech therapist and waited six months for our son to have a “language explosion.” It never happened. He had passed his newborn hearing screen, but this time a comprehensive battery of tests showed a moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss. Declan was fitted with hearing aids, and a new speech therapist told us he could learn to speak and wouldn’t need sign language to communicate. He began making some progress. Six months later, results of genetic testing showed Declan’s hearing loss was the result of Connexin 26, a recessive genetic mutation that causes damage to the hair cells inside the cochlea. A week later, Bennett was born. We knew almost immediately that he had a severe-
16 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Declan Haas, left, and his brother, Bennett, play outside the entrance to DePaul School for Hearing and Speech in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood.
profound bilateral hearing loss. He was fitted with hearing aids, but due to the extent of his loss he was a cochlear implant candidate. We worked with our doctor in Chicago to see how soon he could have the surgery. We didn’t want him to miss out on any of the critical time we’d lost with Declan. By 2006, Declan’s progress in speech therapy had plateaued. Additional tests showed his hearing loss had progressed. He was considered a cochlear implant candidate as well. That summer was full of audiology appointments, CT scans and MRIs. In early November, Bennett became the youngest child in Illinois to receive simultaneous, bilateral cochlear implants. Three weeks later, Declan received a cochlear implant in his left ear. With the surgeries behind us, we could focus on schools for Declan. We had toured DePaul School for Hearing and Speech in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood while visiting my family for Thanksgiving. We were impressed, and began to talk about moving to Pittsburgh to be close to my family and enable our sons to get the best in Listening and Spoken Language education. We did so just before Christmas in 2007. Declan started in the DePaul preschool in January and blossomed. A speech therapist worked with him every day. An on-site audiologist monitored his cochlear implant and hearing aid. Finally, he was closing the gap on his hearing peers.
Bennett started in DePaul’s toddler program that spring. His teacher also spent time with me, talking about his progress and sharing ideas for activities at home. Declan spent two more years at DePaul. He received his second cochlear implant at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC just after his 5th birthday. He learned to read fluently during kindergarten, and last fall mainstreamed into first grade at Osborne Elementary in the Quaker Valley School District. He has excelled academically there, made great friends and just started second grade. After completing DePaul School’s toddler program, Bennett transitioned to a part-time placement at the Village Preschool at the Laughlin Center in Sewickley. This fall, he started kindergarten in the Quaker Valley School District. In addition to baseball, both boys play soccer and basketball and will attend CCD at St. James in Sewickley. We feel so blessed that our children could attend DePaul School for Hearing and Speech. The staff is dedicated and compassionate and the support and expertise they have provided has been invaluable to our boys. I marvel every day at how far Declan and Bennett have come. People regularly say that they wouldn’t know the boys were deaf if they didn’t see their cochlear implants. There is nothing disabled about them today. There is nothing they can’t do.
Disability Awareness 2011
‘One of their own’ Deaf priest uses gifts to reach others Father Thomas Coughlin made a return visit to Pittsburgh recently to lead a retreat at St. Justin in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood, home to the Catholic deaf community. Father Tom, who is deaf himself, travels widely in his ministry to people who are deaf. In childhood he attended Rochester School for the Deaf in New York and graduated from St. Mary School for the Deaf. He felt a call to the priesthood since the eighth grade. For him that ministry is working with people who are deaf. After being denied acceptance at a number of seminaries, he attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and in 1972, after graduating, he was accepted into the Trinitarian order. He continued his studies at Catholic University of America, earning a master’s degree in religious studies, and
Father Tom Coughlin
in 1980 he became the first deaf man to be ordained a priest. Following ordination, Father Tom focused his ministry on people who are deaf. Concerned about evangelization of the deaf communities, he worked to keep people
Women bring prayers, laptops to hospitalized military personnel Women bring prayers, laptops to hospitalized military personnel SAN ANTONIO (CNS) — Two “angels,” one from the East Coast, one from the West, flew into San Antonio together four years ago bearing gifts to boost the morale of hospitalized military personnel and their families at Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Medical Center and the Audie Murphy Veterans Memorial Hospital. Patricia Gallagher of Royersford, Pa., creator of the Team of Angels project, brought with her a thousand angel pins attached to messages of hope and gratitude. Laura Brown of Cody, Wyo., organizer of Laptops for the Wounded, came with four laptop computers with webcams to enable those who have been hospitalized to stay in touch with their families and others. Both were clearly moved by their visit. “I had to step away several times and ‘regroup,’” Brown said. “I would start crying.” They spoke of a young soldier suffering thirddegree burns, who had lost both arms and legs, his ears and his eyelids. Another young veteran of Iraq was totally paralyzed below his neck and in an induced coma while recuperating from surgery; his sister confided her fears of what would happen when he learned of his state.
Disability Awareness 2011
“To everybody we saw,” said Gallagher, “we kept saying, ‘We just want to thank you — from our family, from everybody.’” Brown and Gallagher met via the Internet. Both had plans to visit military hospitals in San Antonio, so they teamed up to make the trip. “I’ve lost all the things that I loved to do most of my life,” said Brown, who herself is disabled. “My laptop is like my window to the world. It keeps me in contact with family and friends. But these guys’ world has been shrunken so far down — a room, a few hallways.” Gallagher’s Team of Angels came out of the tough times she was facing. With her marriage falling apart and her father dying from throat cancer, and with four kids to raise, she felt overwhelmed. She eventually found herself making daily visits to a nearby church. In a year, Gallagher estimates she wrote about 300 different poems that called on angels. Gallagher and her children began leaving the cards with golden angel pins at various locations. She began filling requests for them, including one from a prisoner on death row. Soon she began to hear that they were popping up in other locales, as people passed them on to others. “My neighbors lost their child in a fire. Someone gave them your pin,” said one letter writer. “My
participating in worship and connected with the life of the church. Father Tom believes that, with encouragement, people who are deaf will respond to God’s call and that they can relate more to a priest who is “one of their own.” He does not see deafness as a handicap, but as a gift, and so, after his ordination, he completed studies for a nursing degree to fill a need at a camp he formed for youth who are deaf. In 1993, Father Tom joined the Dominican order and became immersed in working with seminarians. He was granted permission to form the Dominican Missionaries of the Deaf Apostolate and travels widely to promote vocations and ministry with the Catholic deaf. The apostolate is based in San Antonio, where Father Tom also serves as director of the Deaf Apostolate for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The ministry’s website is www. dominicanmissionaries.org. friend is the victim of domestic abuse. I gave her the pin and it has helped her endure as she plans to leave,” said another. Researching more about depression, something her husband had dealt with, Gallagher strengthened her faith. After five years of separation, she and her husband reunited when one of their children went through a bout of depression. She decided to give out the pins at military hospitals. She has given out more than 100,000 angel pins in a project she has been financing herself. She has used money from the sale of her house and van. Like Gallagher, Brown decided to begin her own organization at a time of reflection. Having a disability that hinders her own mobility and a son serving in Iraq sparked Brown to establish Laptops for the Wounded. “I started thinking about injuries, death and things like that, because when they’re (on) active duty, you can’t let yourself think about the risks,” Brown said. In 2005 she learned of a young soldier who had been hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington for a year and a half. He had told his mother the one thing he wanted most was a laptop, so he could stay in contact. “My goodness,” said Brown to herself, “if everybody on my address book on my computer sent me five dollars, we could buy this guy a laptop easy.” The project got a boost from publicity in Stars and Stripes daily newspaper, a magazine and postings on various Web sites. She has picked up the help of Internet technicians and a webmaster. More information about the angels and laptop projects are available online at: www.teamofangels. com and www.laptopsforthewounded.com.
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 17
A different kind of call
By LARRY BADACZEWSKI
able an idea it is these days to go to counseling, it’s still not an easy call The pager goes off. “Please call. Twelve-year-old daughter experienc- to make. It’s difficult to admit to ouring anxiety regarding school.” selves, let alone to another, that Or, “Single mother struggling with teenage son.” some part of our life is not in control. Or, “Husband died suddenly.” Some people have told me that strugOr, “Spouse having affair.” gling with depression or anxiety feels like a weakPeople call when their lives are thrown into some ness of faith, that if their faith were stronger they unmanageable pain, looking for relief and hope. would be struggling in such a mighty way. Yes, there’s a part of us that knows all of these are This is why when a message comes across my pager a part of life. Yet, we find ourselves unprepared and of someone asking for help, one part of me winces sometimes embarrassed at this loss of stability in our that someone is in pain and the other is thankful they lives, the loss of control. had the courage to call. The expression “No one said it would be easy” is I think, OK, they’re ready to face things. Maybe hardly a comfort in the midst of what we’re experithey’re ready to make changes, they want to do someencing as a breakdown in our ability to function. thing about this. We say, “Not me, not now!” If I do my job well, people will leave a session with Henry Kissinger once said, “We cannot have a crisis the sense that they are not so much defective as this week. My schedule is already full.” smart to be looking for ways to grow, learn, change So, is this disrupted stability a failure on our part? and be better. A weakness? Or something better? And isn’t this We like stability — emotional, relational, spiritual. about the time we call out to God, “Where are you?” What we get is a constant shifting. Where is God? He It can seem awfully dark and we can feel very alone. is right there in the shifting, inviting us to trust him. As enlightened a culture we may be and as accept-
Of course, the greatest example of this is in the paschal mystery, where there is lots of shifting going on in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. I have always found it interesting that we as Catholics worship an incarnate God who was thrust into a world of chaos, darkness and pain and then celebrate his re-emergence into a higher order of light and love. Can it get clearer than that for us, that we are called to follow Christ believing and experiencing the same love and grace at work within us? Prayer is remembering this truth, that the pain is not the end of the story. The church community is there to proclaim that Good News with and for us. I will help you remember if you help me. God is at work in love, and in that is relief and hope. The pager goes off ... Badaczewski is a licensed social worker and member of St. Teresa of Avila in Perrysville.
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 19
Home for the hurting Sisters Place offers a loving transition for homeless families By SISTER MARY PARKS When I answered the phone, she was crying and nearly incoherent. “Where are you?” I asked. “Sister Mary, I’m trying to see my counselor but I don’t know where I am.” After some minutes I came to understand that she had gotten off her bus at the wrong stop in Oakland. She had her 5-year-old son with her, and both of them were distraught. Thank God for the Cathedral of Learning! I helped her to orient herself by using that unique landmark and within minutes she announced, “I see my street. I know where I am!”
PRESSLEY RIDGE SCHOOL FOR AUTISM
Pressley Ridge Expanding Its Autism Services As the region’s most experienced provider of special education, Pressley Ridge is extending its autism services in a new home that is designed to help each child reach his or her full potential in school and in life. The new facility will allow for expansion of the school, extended school year and therapeutic social groups programs. The following will be provided at this new site: ❂ Social skills instruction ❂ Vocational training (horticulture, retail, office support and culinary) ❂ State-of-the art sensory room ❂ Sensory friendly classrooms ❂ Anger/stress management counseling ❂ After school social groups and ESY (Extended School Year)
For more information: 1-877-905-4291 or www.pressleyridge.org/school-for-autism/
20 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
I could hear such joy in her voice. This story reflects well the journey our homeless families at Sisters Place in Clairton are on. Many of them, like the mom I just mentioned, struggle with mental health and other disabilities that severely impact their lives. Founded by 14 congregations of Catholic women religious, Sisters Place is a supportive housing community serving 32 homeless families at a time. Since 1997 more than 200 families have moved into independent housing after participating in Sisters Place programs. In order to qualify for a HUD (federal Department of Housing and Urban Development)-supported permanent housing program, the adult head of household must have a documented disability. That might be a mental or physical health diagnosis, HIV or AIDS, or they might also be in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. Our experience has shown us that the vast majority of our disabled mothers have also experienced childhood abuse, domestic violence and other trauma over the course of their lives. One of our mothers suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and had a very difficult time walking. Steps were nearly impossible for her, and she had to go up and down the stairs in her unit on her bottom. She did this carrying her 16-month-old son. Architect Louis Astorino heard about her struggle and sent several of his staff out to assess the unit. They drew up plans to move her washer and dryer under the stairs and convert her utility room into a downstairs bathroom. Then Sisters Place Board President Jeff Anderson gathered several contractors to make those plans a reality and suddenly life got better for our disabled mom. She now only had to traverse her stairs once or twice a day. All of this work was a gift to us. But the most grateful person involved was our young mom who was saved many harrowing trips every day. It’s important to remember that neither their disabilities nor their poverty or even their painful life experiences render our homeless moms helpless or hopeless. Once they move into their Sisters Place housing, most of them start to make immediate progress. Like our lost mom in Oakland, they come to know where they are. They have new stability and structure from which to grow strong. A young boy in our program expressed it this way: “This is not our forever home, it is just our first home.” We provide a step on the road to a more secure life for disabled, homeless parents and their children. St. Joseph Sister Mary Parks is executive director of Sisters Place in Clairton.
Disability Awareness 2011
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 21
Alzheimer’s:
Alzheimer’s:
The slow, quiet thief
Every 70 seconds someone in America develops the disease By TONI WILLIAMS
More than 10,000 baby boomers a day will turn 65 this year. As they age, one of out of eight of them will develop Alzheimer’s — a devastating, costly, heartbreaking disease. Increasingly for these baby boomers, it will no longer be their grandparents and parents who have Alzheimer’s — it will be them. “Alzheimer’s is a tragic epidemic that has no survivors,” said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. “It is as much a thief as a killer,” he said. “Those who will care for these loved ones will witness, day by day, the progressive and relentless realities of this fatal disease. But we can still change that if we act now.” According to the new Alzheimer’s Association report, “Generation Alzheimer’s,” some 10 million baby boomers are expected to either die with or from Alzheimer’s. It is the only one of the top 10 causes of death in America without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression. But, while Alzheimer’s kills, it does so only after taking everything away, slowly stripping an individual’s autonomy and independence. Even beyond the cruel impact Alzheimer’s has on the individuals with the disease, “Generation Alzheimer’s” also details the negative cascading effects the disease places on millions of caregivers. Caregivers and families go through the agony of losing a loved one twice: first to the ravaging effects of the disease and then, ultimately, to actual death. While most people survive an average of four to six years after a diagnosis,
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Caregivers and families go through the agony of losing a loved one twice: first to the ravaging effects of the disease and then, ultimately, to actual death.
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What are the warning signs Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s, a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor. Here are 10 warning signs:
• Memory loss that disrupts daily life
One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking for the same information over and over, relying on memory aids such as reminder notes or electronic devices or on family members for things they used to handle on their own. What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
22 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. What’s a typical age-related change? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game. What’s a typical age-related change? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.
• Confusion with time or place
People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They
may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. What’s a typical age-related change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror. What’s a typical age-related change? Vision changes related to cataracts.
• New problems with words in speaking or writing
People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They
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Signs on Page 24
Disability Awareness 2011
Diocese of Pittsburgh Secretariat for Catholic Education
Persons with Disabilities
Department for
Awareness + Advocacy + Accessibility + Acceptance = INCLUSION â&#x20AC;&#x153;Called and sustained by God, and commissioned by the Bishop, the Department for Persons with Disabilities, within the Secretariat for Catholic Education of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, is committed to making it possible for persons
with disabilities to fully participate in the life of the Church. Our vision of a Church, where all people can worship together, inspires us to offer educational and catechetical services, and resources for ALL.â&#x20AC;?
Department Offerings Ministry for Persons with Cognitive Disabilities Ministry for Persons with Hearing Loss or Deafness
Ministry Resources, Newsletters, Podcasts, Books
Network of Special Religious Education
Ministry for Persons with Physical Disabilities Ministry for Persons with Vision Loss or Blindness
Disability Awareness Masses Formation/Education Workshops and Courses
Facilitators
Opening Doors Awareness Education Programs
Parish Advocacy Training and Ministry Resting in God Programs/Retreats
DEPARTMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Secretariat for Catholic Education
Diocese of Pittsburgh
111 Boulevard of Allies | Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-456-3119 (Voice) | 412-456-3122 (TTY) disabilities@diopitt.org
Disability Awareness 2011
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 23
signs from page 22 may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name, such as calling a watch a hand-clock. What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.
What’s a typical age-related change? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.
• Decreased or poor judgment
People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. What’s a typical age-related change? Making a bad decision once in a while.
• Withdrawal from work or social activities
A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how
to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced. What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.
• Changes in mood and personality
The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. What’s a typical age-related change? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted. Copyright © 2009 Alzheimer’s Association®. All rights reserved.
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412.471.1253 24 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
many can live as long as 20 years. “As the disease progresses, the person with dementia requires more and more assistance with everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, eating and household activities,” said Beth Kallmyer, senior director of constituent relations for the Alzheimer’s Association. “This long duration often places increasingly intensive care demands on 11 million family members and friends who provide unpaid care, and it negatively affects their health, employment, income and financial security.” In addition to the human toll, over the next 40 years Alzheimer’s will cost the nation $20 trillion. And while every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease, by 2050 someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds. “Alzheimer’s, with its broad-ranging impact on individuals, families, Medicare and Medicaid, has the power to bring the country to its financial knees,” said Robert Egge, vice president of public policy for the Alzheimer’s Association. “But when the federal government has been focused, committed and willing to put the necessary resources to work to confront a disease that poses a real public health threat to the nation — there has been great success,” he said. “We need to see that type of commitment with Alzheimer’s.” The full text of “Generation Alzheimer’s” is available at www.alz.org/boomers. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The agency’s website is www.alz.org and it operates a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-272-3900. Williams is associate director of public relations for the Alzheimer’s Association Public Policy Office in Chicago.
Disability Awareness 2011
E
EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH A Community that Serves Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism and Promotes Public Awareness of Their Needs
Residence. Respite. Advocacy. MISSION STATEMENT The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is a community that serves persons with Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities and promotes public awareness of their needs It is a Community inspired by the Beatitudes and the Spirit of the Gospel. In living an working together, all persons help one another grow and become whole. The Community fosters a simple way of life and shares who they are with each other. Strengthened by its spirituality and prayerful direction the Community strives to understand its role in the kingdom.
CONTACT: Karen D. Jacobsen, Executive Director 2821 Sarah Street, Pgh PA 15203 412-381-0277 kdjacobsen@emmauspgh.org www.emmauspgh.org
Disability Awareness 2011
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 25
The stigma of mental illness Church, society must find ways to respond
Deacon Lambert calls mental illness a “nocasserole disease.” When his wife had openheart surgery 25 years ago, “the doorbell never stopped ringing” and he discovered more ways By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN to cook chicken than he ever knew existed. But WASHINGTON (CNS) — Deacon Tom when his daughter was hospitalized for mental Lambert wants people to know that Jared Lee illness 20 years ago, he said, “no one came to Loughner, charged with killing six people and the door.” wounding 13 others in Tucson, Ariz., in January, He also found during those dark days two “is not the face of mental illness in this country.” decades ago that “the church leadership knew Those with mental illness are much more very little about mental illness” and there was likely to be the victims of violence than its nothing in place to help. So he and his wife perpetrators, and the vast majority live and began a Commission on Mental Illness in the work quietly in their communities, trained by Archdiocese of Chicago, which eventually society not to share too much information became part of the archdiocesan Office for about their struggles. Persons with Disabilities, albeit without any
A logo for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s initiative to raise awareness of mental illness uses the symbolism of a stained-glass window to show the importance of every member of the church.
church funding. “And that’s the way it exists to this day,” he said from his office at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Chicago. “I call it an unfunded Gospel mandate.” At the national level, Deacon Lambert co-chairs the National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s Council on Mental Illness, which has developed resources to help parish leaders and individual Catholics assist those with mental illness in their congregations. He also heads Faith and Fellowship, a Chicagobased outreach to people with severe mental illnesses. The shootings in Tucson brought to the forefront many problems facing those with mental illness, including a decline in funding in most states and a lack of knowledge among the church’s “first responders” about what might be available to help. In 2009, the year for which the most recent statistics are available, Catholic Charities agencies in the United States provided behavioral health services and counseling to 419,222 individuals. That ran the gamut from those with “temporary, situational” depression that
26 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Disability Awareness 2011
requires only short-term counseling to treatment of those with persistent and severe mental illness requiring a complex and sometimes changing combination of medication and counseling, said Jean Beil, senior vice president for programs and services for Catholic Charities USA. “There is a system to maneuver and sometimes it is difficult to manage that system,” Beil said, noting that Catholic Charities caseworkers can help clients and their families figure out the best type of treatment and find those resources. Catholic hospitals play a key role as well, often providing behavioral health services that are not available through other local hospitals because they are not profitable. Even though the 636 Catholic hospitals make up less than 13 percent of all community-based hospitals in the United States, they provided 18 percent of the child and adolescent psychiatric services in this country, 20 percent of alcohol and drug abuse treatment, 22 percent of crisis prevention services and nearly 30 percent of geriatric psychiatric services, according to figures compiled by the American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association for 2009. At a time when health care in general is facing many financial challenges, however, mental health services can have even greater problems. In New York as recently as 2009, St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers had a 97 percent occupancy rate for its 212 inpatient beds for those with psychiatric or addiction-related illnesses. Its two outpatient facilities had 250,000 visits each year. Unable to sustain a series of financial losses, St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan closed its doors in 2010. It was the flagship of the St. Vincent system, which was sponsored by the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Sisters of Charity. Brian Fitzsimmons, who served as executive director of behavioral health services for St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers until the end, said some patients were able to find help at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers or at other facilities in the New York area. But there was a loss of about 79 inpatient beds available for behavioral health services to “a very, very ill population,” including 16 beds for children. Many outpatient slots for psychiatric and addiction services also are gone. “I’ve heard that a number of emergency rooms have become increasingly busy,” he said. “Let’s put it this way — there have been complaints about the type of patient they are getting.”
Disability Awareness 2011
MENTAL DISORDERS affect one in every four adults in a given year. Many suffer from more than one disorder at a given time. affected adults
18% 10%
common disorders anxiety disorders Includes panic, obsessive compulsive, post-traumatic stress, general anxiety disorders and phobias mood disorders Includes bipolar, major depressive, persistent mild depressive disorders
9%
personality disorders Includes anti-social, avoidance and border-line personality disorders
1%
schizophrenia Involves breakdown in thought, emotion and behavior; some indicators are withdrawal from reality, inappropriate action and feelings, fantasy and delusion
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
©2011 CNS
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Workshop teaches performing and baking arts NEW YORK (CNS) — The life of the imagination has no physical boundaries, and people with physical disabilities can use their imagination to face life’s difficulties. That is the enduring message of Jesuit Father Rick Curry and the organization he founded 34 years ago, the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped in New York. The message is taught in classes and demonstrated by the example of Father Curry and those who work with him. He said about 15,000 people have participated in the group’s programs since its 1977 debut. The New York-based organization provides theatrical training and seeks to create a safe haven in which artists with physical disabilities qualify for and obtain work in the performing and baking arts. It integrates the able-bodied and the disabled in its
Father Rick Curry
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programs. Father Curry, 68, is a native Philadelphian who was born with one arm. He laughed as he described trying to convince his first-grade teacher that he should be eligible to take piano lessons because he had the only requirement she stipulated: a permission note from his mother. He joined the Jesuits in 1961 and served as a baker, tailor and high school English teacher and founded the theater program at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, a Jesuit university. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in theater and formulated the idea for the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped while he was a graduate student at New York University. In a fitting evolution to his work, he was ordained to the priesthood in 2009 at age 66 and began work with wounded veterans. “Disability is a gift,” said Father Curry. “I truly believe that my arm is a blessing. It’s demeaning to think that the Lord would place us in a situation where there is not a great blessing.” Classes and workshops are conducted in New York except for summer, when the program relocates to Belfast, Maine, for classes in theater, a writer’s workshop for wounded veterans and a year-round bakery program. The Writer’s Program for Wounded Warriors is the organization’s newest program. Father Curry said that he was invited to meet with recent war amputees five years ago. “It deeply troubled me,” he said. “Every single one of them desperately wanted to tell me their story.” The program is a 10-day opportunity for combat veterans to reflect on their experience, write their story with the help of professional playwrights and perform it as a dramatic monologue. “We’re enhancing their reading and writing skills, giving them two more branches on the tree of knowledge,” said Father Curry. “We’re also giving them an audience and a chance to interact with others and begin their healing.” Father Curry said veterans get the opportunity to interact with other people living with disabilities and see their “lives beyond the disability,” in the structured and informal parts of the residential experience. The staff and the participants are chosen to complement one another. The disabled population is a “huge patchwork quilt,” he said. “Able-bodied people clump the disabled into one group, but there are myriad shades and needs. The best folks to help the disabled are other disabled folks. We can get together and celebrate being disabled and then go back into the real world.”
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28 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Disability Awareness 2011
Dyslexia: It’s not just ‘reading backwards’
By STEVEN PEREGOY
Watching a child struggle with reading, writing and other academic areas can be heartbreaking for parents and other family members. The International Dyslexia Association strives to help parents of dyslexic children as well as those with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences overcome these challenges. The organization estimates that 1 in 10 people has dyslexia, and a recent study revealed that as many as 35 percent of entrepreneurs may be dyslexic. In celebration of October as National Dyslexia Awareness Month, we would like to raise awareness of dyslexia and identify warning signs for which parents and individuals can be on the lookout. The IDA defines dyslexia as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Disability Awareness 2011
Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence, birth defects, mental illness, level of education or economic status. It is important to understand that dyslexia is not simply “reading backwards.” Some of the problems experienced by dyslexics include the following: '' Difficulty learning to speak. '' Trouble learning letters and their sounds. '' Difficulty organizing written and spoken language. '' Trouble memorizing number facts. '' Difficulty reading quickly enough to comprehend. '' Trouble persisting with and comprehending longer reading assignments. '' Difficulty spelling. '' Trouble learning a foreign language. '' Difficulty correctly doing math operations.
While a dyslexia diagnosis is usually obtained through testing completed by a specially trained professional, new research is showing physical markers that may help medical experts better understand dyslexia. IDA President and dyslexia expert Dr. Guinevere Eden uses brain imaging technology to visualize how reading pathways of the brain are impacted by instruction, mode of communication and writing systems. MRI scans conducted by Eden and her team show that learning areas activated in the brain of a dyslexic are different from those of “typical readers.” Eden said, “This organization is sincerely dedicated to helping those with dyslexia and with other reading and writing difficulties. The IDA believes that every individual has the ability to learn, some just learn in different ways than others.” If you would like to find an IDA member professional in your area, become a member of the IDA or the Pilot Parent Program, or find out more information about dyslexia and the organization, visit the website at www. interdys.org.
Not all students who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. Formal testing of reading, language and writing skills is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected Peregoy is executive director of the International Dyslexia Association in Baltimore. dyslexia.
Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 29
Can you find the 10 differences?
autumn scram bl e 1. paer
————
6. ireofbn
———————
2. suiqelrr — — — — — — — — 3. plpae ————— 4. nrgaeo — — — — — — 5. rde ———
7. oacnr
8. allf
9. verahst
10. eeavsl
—————
————
———————
—————— 11. crewsrcao — — — — — — — — — 12. rnwb ————— 13. rkae ———— 14. ewloyl —————— Answers:
1. pear 2. squirrel 3. apple 4. orange 5. red 6. bonfire 7. acorn 8. fall 9. harvest 10. leaves 11. scarecrow 12. brown 13. rake 14. yellow
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30 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine
Disability Awareness 2011
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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 31
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