SPECIAL EDITION
NC J
W
BROUGHT TO YOU BY ®
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 —
FREE
A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES
ource a res
with iduals indiv e for Guid
es Famili their and eeds ial n spec
A Ride for All
Nominate YOUR
CHAMPION
AREA TRANSPORT OPTIONS
iCes Chorowr fo ring toHeG lp ca ne with o s
SOUR CE GU for with Individu IDE als Spec and ial Ne Their eds Fami lies
) bout T own David
NEW Issue of
TO SHOW SO STYL ME E
1000 +
LIVING LIKE
A CHAMPION
PRO V & SE IDERS TO ENRVICES YOU HANCE R CA PL A RE N
FOOTBALL PLAYER GARY BARNIDGE AND THESE SPECIAL ATHLETES REDEFINE SUCCESS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
NC J
ND LA EVE CL
®
FE
Senso EL THE FU N ry Activit -Friendly ies for All R Tips foNEEDS NEX T r SelfCare
YOU
BRO
NC
UGH
T TO
J
YOU
BY
®
CL EVE LA ND
CLEVELAND
To reserve your copy or request distribution of LiveSpecial.com Resource Guides for your business, please email info@livespecial.com
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.
LIVESPECIAL.COM MAGAZINE
7 Ways
W
W
COMING THIS FALL!
Rabin sky a H Make is Guide K nd od a Perf ect Pa y ir
lan are P our C nce Y you by Enha ght to Brou es to ic rv e J and S NC iders 1,000 PLUS Northeast Ohio Providers and Resources Prov 900+ ®
FREE
Ma A n (and Dog
d har ork at wd and Fin eep K a Job
ning d Sitio oo tran adultH into
—
A RE
l nCia Finan Pla re
ool sCh ols to r Fo ss e suCC
hio Ed ition
DETAILS P. 35
ed ed a lov ecial ne sp
Secur You d’S cHilure Fut
— 20 16 N orth east O
W
— ition o ed st ohi orthea 15 n — 20
Free
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