You may have seen a few new and familiar faces around the church during the week recently. Advocates for Special People provides a day camp program for adults with intellectual and/ or developmental disabilities at the church's house on North St. and in the church during the week. Find out more about this great program below. BY: KAY HALE Advocates for Special People
Advocates for Special People, Inc. (ASP) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that supports parents and families of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of intellectually disabled adults and their families by providing programs for socialization, recreation, and habilitation. Our vision for the future is to enrich the lives of intellectually disabled adults.
Center. Each location can serve approximately 25 clients per day with a 1:5 staff to client ratio. Each location is unique, with programs led by experienced and caring staff and volunteers.
ASP began in May 1997 as a small group of concerned parents who wanted their children to continue to be challenged mentally and physically and develop their daily living, socialization, and academic skills. The Special Connexion day camp pr ogram cr eated by ASP in 2003 pr ovides educational, recreational, social, and creative activities for our special population through fun and engaging programs. While most special needs programs end at age 21 and other adult programs focus on vocational options and daily living skills, Special Connexion focuses on enriching the lives of our participants. We are proud of our friendly and supportive staff and volunteers who work hard every day to build relationships with clients and make them feel valued. We also want families and caregivers to feel supported by the compassionate care provided to their loved ones at Special Connexions. ASP provides Special Connexion day camp programs at four different Arlington locations, not only at First UMC Arlington, but also Epworth UMC, St. Stephen UMC, and the Hugh Smith Recreation 8 • Spring 2020
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