On a lovely summer day in August, The Renaissance Program artists and staff went to a nearby Park to create art in the style of Andrew Goldsworthy. We collected anything beautiful that we could find in nature: flowers, stones, twigs, leaves, berries… in glorious colors to create our artworks. A bit of artful arranging and we had these beautiful sculptures.
After photographing, we left our art behind for visitors to discover on their way. As you can see from these pictures, a good time was had by all.
A special and important message from Special Olympics
Across the United States, people on college campuses, in high school cafeterias and workaday offices have launched the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign. The goal: make people stop and think about their hurtful and disparaging use of the word “retard.”
Visit http://www.specialolympics.org/03-31-09_Spread_the_Word.aspx or www.r-word.org to take the pledge and for more details.
What It's All About
Spread the Word to End the Word is raising the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R-word and urging people to resolve to stop using it as an insult, casual or intended.
How It Started
Created by young people with and without intellectual disabilities, Spread the Word to End the Word is one element of Special Olympics’ vision of a world where everyone matters, where everyone is accepted and, most importantly, where everyone is valued. Leading the way in promoting acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics opposes prejudice and discrimination, continuously working to dispel the negative stereotypes associated with this population — the use of the R-word being one such stereotype. In a world that has worked to eliminate pejorative racial and ethnic language such as the “N word,” among others, the R-word is gaining popularity.
How To Take Action
Take the R-word pledge
Order a Spread The Word T-shirt
Get Spread the Word Resources
Read John C. McGinley's R-word message
R-word Research
Spread the Word Channel on YouTube
Special Olympics Fan Community
Special Olympics on Facebook
Special Olympics e-newsletter
http://www.specialolympics.org/03-31-09_Spread_the_Word.aspx or www.r-word.org
For parents who want to become more successful at managing difficult behavior.
Join us for this Free Parent-Training Forum
Tuesday June 16, 2009, Ulster-Greene ARC, 471 Albany Avenue Kingston, New York
Come and be part of what we hope to be an enlightening and productive forum!
Please let us know if you need family care for the evening. We will provide Respite Services on site. However, your RSVP for this care is required ahead of time.
RSVP by June 5, 2009
Phone: 845-331-4300 x259
E-Mail:
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Training Information
Parenting, under any circumstances, can be a challenge, as children and young adults often present behaviors that are difficult to manage. These challenges can be particularly difficult when the child or young adult also has an intellectual or other developmental disability, such as autism.
As part of our effort to support families, Ulster-Greene ARC is conducting a training session for families who want to achieve a higher level of success in coping with and managing difficult behaviors. This training will be aimed at providing practical, concrete, and clear advice on how you can be all that you want to be – a highly effective parent.
Our skilled Psychology Department professionals will be leading this training. They will present principles of behavior management and address specific questions and problems offered by those who attend. (In order to preserve privacy, questions and problem situations can be submitted anonymously prior to the start of the session.)
A light supper will be provided, as well as an opportunity for networking with other families and learning about relevant services and supports offered by Ulster-Greene ARC.
Trainer Information
Sudi Kash earned her PhD in psychology from Alient International University, San Diego, CA in 1992. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of NY. Currently, she is the Director of Behavioral Health at Ulster-Greene ARC, which serves nearly 1200 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has been an adjunct professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz since 2005 and various other universities. She previously worked as senior outreach consultant for the State of Kansas through Parsons State Hospital for 4 years. Her experience in program development dates back to 1988. Two of her most recent accomplishments include leading teams to create controlled multi-sensory stimulation rooms and a specialized ASD Program, The Renaissance Program. Sudi has worked exclusively with children and adults with developmental disabilities since 1997 and was trained at the University of Michigan to conduct diagnostic evaluations.
Nancy Dib holds two Master’s degrees (MA and MPhil), both in Psychology, with a specialization in developmental disabilities from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and Queens College, where she is currently working on her dissertation research. Nancy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has extensive experience working with adults and children with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, and running Applied Behavior Analysis programs. She has a strong research background, primarily in applied settings, and has published two manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. She has experience developing staff-training procedures based on student behavior, as demonstrated in her published research on children with autism. Nancy also has much experience teaching at the college level and has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate psychology courses at both Queens and Marist Colleges. She currently works as an Applied Behavioral Science Specialist at Ulster-Greene ARC.
WHO?
Parents/Guardians/Families of individuals with developmental disabilities, aged 9 to adult.
WHAT?
A Parent’s Forum/Training to help families cope with difficult behavior.
A light dinner will be served.
WHERE?
Ulster-Greene ARC
471 Albany Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
WHEN?
Tuesday June 16, 2009
6:30pm to 8:30pm
WHY?
To become a more effective parent, to network with other families, and to learn about relevant services offered by Ulster-Greene ARC.
