Autism Journeys: From the President’s Desk

Thursday, August 19, 2010

From the President’s Desk

As we approach the 2-year anniversary of opening Autism Journeys Treatment Center, the AJ team is proud of what we’ve accomplished and looking forward to embarking on new adventures in the future. Just as individuals reach developmental milestones, so too does an organization. First, we must find ways to meet our survival needs. Second, we must learn to communicate and work together. Third we must evolve and adapt as we develop the skills to better understand our needs, goals and how we affect those around us.

The development of Autism Journeys over the last couple years has been remarkable. We’ve expanded our intervention knowledge, our service options, and more than tripled the number of families we collaborate with each day. Some of our more obvious developments have been in the expansion of the treatment center, the ever-increasing team members and the creation of the IDP scholarship fund. Never could I have imagined we’d accomplish so much in so little time.

Our greatest accomplishment however, is seen in the eyes of our clients. The Autism Journeys team is privy to witnessing hard-work, immense dedication and amazing accomplishments each and every day. We are so honored to play a role in the journeys of our clients and their families.

Reaching our goals has been wonderful. Of course, not unlike human development, we haven’t been without our setbacks. We teach our clients to learn from their experiences, and we, too, must continue to learn and grow throughout the development of our program. Our board of directors, team members, clients and families, and community supporters continue to provide me with positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. I am extremely grateful to all of you who’ve offered your support and advice. Each of you has a unique perspective, allowing me to view Autism Journeys from various angles. I’m looking forward to the future of Autism Journeys and the continued input from the community.

In the near future, one of our primary objectives is to increase parent support. At the heart of our IDP program is our parent-coaching component. Educating parents on intervention techniques, and supporting the family at home and in the community have been key factors in the success of so many of our clients. So, it’s logical that we’d continue to make improvements to one of the most critical components of our program.

Throughout the next contract period (October 2010-April 2011), clients receiving IDP packages will begin to notice an increase in the amount of written documentation. Our team is developing a home-based written curriculum, aimed at helping parents throughout the implementation of programs. In combination, we’re also developing additional home tracking procedures, thus allowing us to better monitor the generalization of skills outside of the Center. I appreciate your support and look forward to your continued feedback.

Finally, it is with both joy and sadness that Autism Journeys bids farewell to Rachelle Blair-Thatcher. Rachelle has served as our Early Childhood Director for the last 16 months. Her amazing energy and knowledge have been a fabulous addition to our program. While it’s difficult to see her leave, we’re excited for Rachelle and her family to begin their new adventure. She will continue to extend her energy and knowledge in the rural Utah autism community. We look forward to crossing paths with her for many years to come. Thanks for everything Chelle, and best wishes!

Enjoy the last bit of summer. The falling leaves will be here before we know it.

Kate Andersen
President & Founder

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Ms. Gamee goes to the Dentist

A client at Autism Journeys has a difficult time at the dentist. My co-workers thought maybe having me by her side would ease a bit of the anxiety. Since I’ve never been to a dentist’s office, Mom thought it best to test my skills out with her own children first.

Jordan, Carter, Mom and I went to the dentist on Wednesday. Jordan has always struggled to remain calm at the dentist. Usually, he needs laughing gas just to get his teeth cleaned. This was to be Carter’s first “real” visit. This was my chance to show Mom how I can help.

Jordan and Carter were nervous when we arrived at the dentist. But once we walked through the doors everyone in the lobby was ooing and awing over me and how adorable I am. When it was our turn, Jordan and Carter were both eager to take me to meet the rest of the dentist’s team.

Mom had me get up in the chair with Jordan. Jordan was still nervous, but was very preoccupied by me. He played with my ears and rubbed my head throughout the entire cleaning. I rested on his chest to provide him some deep pressure comfort. No tears and no laughing gas! It was over very quickly. Mom and the dentist were so proud of Jordan. Most importantly, Jordan was really proud of himself.

After Jordan, it was Carter’s turn. After seeing me with Jordan, Carter decided he wanted me on the chair with him too. At first, Carter was nervous when the instruments made those high pitch sounds. I could sense he was starting to wiggle, so I gently crept up a little higher on his chest to help hold him steady. It worked. He relaxed, opened his mouth and was able to tune out the remaining sound with headphones.

As for me, I quite enjoyed all the attention. The noises didn’t bother me a bit. The yummy smells of bubblegum and strawberries were quite interesting, but I think I’ll stick to my poultry flavored toothpaste at home. When we were all finished, the dentist offered me a job. Mom said I passed the test with flying colors. I am now available to accompany any clients to the dentist. If you want me to join you at your next visit talk to my Mom, Kate.

Here’s to a healthy and happy smile.

Woof Woof,

Ms. Gamee

Ms. Gamee's Gab

Holy cow! Or in my case, holy dog! What a crazy couple weeks I’ve had. Life in the spotlight is ruff. Each week I’ve been able to meet more of the families who visit Autism Journeys. It’s been fun to try new things with each of them. One of my favorites is playing fetch. Sometimes the kids are learning to take turns, and other times they’re working on speech and communication. Mom says I’m doing a wonderful job being patient and waiting for the kids to give me commands. One of my other favorites has been going on walks. It’s been so nice to get outside and take in the fresh air. Being traced with sidewalk chalk was fun too.

BBQ GAMES

That said, it was the older, more mature (aka trained) dogs like myself that won all the games. I came in second in the musical hula-hoops. It’s musical chairs but with hula-hoops. When the music stopped the dogs had to sit in the hoop. After musical hula-hoops we played wet t-shirt relay races. I must say I don’t really understand what the point of the race was, other then to embarrass all the dogs. Personally, I don’t get it, but Mom and my brothers, along with all the other people sure got a big kick out of it. Apparently dogs in wet t-shirts are adorable.