SPRING 2019 VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1
The PCCD Your Child - Your Family - Our Mission 32 Osgood Street Andover, MA 01810
439 S. Union Street, Building 1 Suite 110 Lawrence, MA 01843
A SCHOOL FOR DREW Our son Drew is a student at the PCCD Developmental Day School. Drew is a cute and lovable 6 year old. He has a rare genetic disorder called GRIN2A. Drew also is challenged with epilepsy, as well as visual, physical and intellectual impairments. Like most families, we searched for the perfect school for Drew. We knew he would “age out” of the Early Intervention program (EI) at age three, and we were worried about finding a school where he would be able to continue receiving all the therapies provided in EI. Additionally, we wanted to ensure there was a safe and supportive environment with a loving staff to care for Drew.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
3 Early Intervention & RCP 4 Toddler Groups 5 Preschool 6 Day School 7 Upcoming Events
Lucky for us, we found The Professional Center for Child Development! After attending an open house, we knew this was the place for Drew. He has an amazing team of teachers, nurses, and therapists who provide him with a quality education. Now in his third year at this extraordinary school Drew is doing things beyond our dreams. He has cooking and art classes and does science experiments with the other students. He comes home with paint on his hands (just like our older son Dominic did at his age). His teachers and therapists use switch adapted toys to allow Drew the opportunity to play and learn as independent as possible. Drew is also learning how to communicate his needs through looks and expressions. When I ask him “did the therapy dog “Sunday” visit you and your friends today”… Drew smiles and we know he had a special day at school. We had never felt at ease leaving Drew, but now feel a sense of comfort knowing that each day he is at school Drew is getting love, care, and the tools he needs to help him succeed. Erin and Jason with Dominic (age 7) and Drew (age 6) ~ From Tewksbury
www.theprofessionalcenter.org Andover 978.475.3806 Lawrence 978.688.5070
Partnering with Your Family
In December, we published our first impact report which highlights the hard work that our team performs on a daily basis. If you haven’t had the chance to view it, please check it out. https://issuu.com/thepccd/docs/pccdimpactreport2018 In January, we welcomed in the new year and our new Chief Program Officer, Marianne Racioppi. Marianne comes to us with thirty years of experience in Early Childhood Education. She began her career by founding Learn to Grow in Arlington which expanded to 4 additional locations in Massachusetts. She also took her after school programs national, after a merger with Springboard which now operates 80 different programs in seven states. In her new role Marianne will focus on developing new programs for the organization; initially focusing on expanding our preschool program, developing our therapeutic groups and enhancing PCCD consultation services. We would like to thank everyone who gave during our annual fall fundraising appeal. Thanks to your generosity, we met our goal! Donor support helps PCCD to provide services to over 1,800 children annually. If you have not made a gift this year, please consider participating in our first-ever Giving Day which will take place on June 14! Or purchase a ticket to our Passport To Possibilities Gala on May 10th, where you can have a fun night out all while supporting a great cause! Executive Director - Chris Hunt | chunt@thepccd.org
Regional Consultation Program (RCP) Director - RACHEL DANIELS, MS, OTR/L, ATP rdaniels@thepccd.org
RCP families enjoy a night out at Jordan’s Furniture in Reading
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Early Intervention (EI) Director - CHERYL BRUK, MS, CCC-SLP, CEIS | cbruk@thepccd.org
“MY TODDLER EATS ANYTHING I PUT IN FRONT OF THEM” ...SAID BY ALMOST NO PARENT - EVER! “You can’t be neat when you’re learning to eat” is the motto of our Tuesday morning Food Fun group. This Early Intervention Parent/Child group, held at our Lawrence office, brings together toddlers who are facing challenges with accepting and eating a variety of foods, accompanied by their parents and caregivers. In our next newsletter, I will go into more detail about the Food Group. First I wanted to talk about typical toddler eating. Those of us who spend any amount of time with toddlers know that they are notorious for being picky eaters. I don’t often hear “my toddler eats anything I put in front of them”! Toddlers are at a stage where their growth levels off. Look at a growth chart and see when the line of typical growth goes from nearly straight up to a gentler rise. Toddlers have also figured out that there are some things in life that parents cannot make them do and swallowing food is one of them! They have the ultimate control. Add that to parents’ emotions, social pressure and everything else tied up in getting our children to eat and the battle ensues!! Kids quickly learn that this really pushes buttons! Most often, if given a reasonable range of foods, and a good routine, toddlers do end up getting what they need for nutrition, just maybe not in one day. It may be three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches one day, nothing but applesauce the next, or they want the same breakfast, lunch and dinner 5 days in a row. These “food jags” are totally normal, even though it’s very frustrating for a parent! As difficult as it seems, try not to get too focused on what they aren’t eating. Offer a reasonable range of foods, including at least one or two that you know they accept, with a no-pressure attitude. (Yes, I know, easier said than done!) Focus on enjoying your food or talk about things that have nothing to do with what you are eating. This may help take away the power struggle – it’s not your responsibility to make them eat. If you are enrolled in our Early Intervention program and think your child needs more support, or you would like help with using these ideas, talk with your Service Coordinator about your concerns. They may bring out other therapists or nutritionist to give additional ideas and guidance. They may also recommend that your child participate in our Food Fun Group. This group will be featured in our next newsletter. BethAnne Magnuson, OTR/L CEIS (EI Team Leader)
“Food jags”: A food jag is when a child will only eat one food item, or a very small group of food items, meal after meal.
Additional resources include “YourKidsTable.com” and Ellyn Satter’s “Division of Responsibility in Eating”.
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Toddler Groups Coordinator - AIMEE PHLEGER, BS, SPED, CEIS | aphleger@thepccd.org
COME PLAY, LEARN & EXPLORE AT PCCD PLAYGROUPS PCCD has a wide variety of playgroups at both our Andover and Lawrence locations. Our groups offer opportunities for children to meet new friends and explore an environment that is thoughtfully organized for ideal play experiences and creativity. At the Andover site we have drop-off Two-by-Two Play Groups (2x2), for 2 and 3 year olds. Our toddler play groups provide parents an opportunity to drop children off for a play experience and pick them up later in the morning. Even though this opportunity is independent of parents, they can choose to stay in our comfortable parent room while their child participates in the playgroup. Teaching staff is made up of caring, educated, and attentive individuals who implement developmentally appropriate activities for 2 and 3 year olds. Children can explore in a dramatic play area, practice fine motor skills with puzzles, peg boards and arts and crafts. Children learn to follow routines and take turns. They explore with water, foam and sand in sensory tables. Circle time is a favorite for many children. Often children can be seen engaging with puppets, musical instruments and singing along to familiar nursery rhymes. Our indoor motor rooms provide safe gross motor opportunity for children of all abilities to run, swing, jump, slide and climb on structures that are perfect for toddlers (especially during this time of year when the weather is too cold to be outside). In addition to our 2x2 toddler playgroups we have parent child groups at both our Andover and Lawrence locations. Some of the parent groups we offer are: Fun Food Group - facilitated by trained occupational therapists using Kay Toomey’s SOS approach and Bilingual Buddies Parent Group - lead by an experienced speech therapist. Parents and grandparents come to this group with their child and explore English and other languages through songs, rhymes, stories and games. Another group offered is Infant Massage Group - one of the most rewarding ways to bond with your baby. These parent child groups provide a place for parents and children to come together and begin to learn to socialize, build friendships and learn new skills. Check out our Facebook page and “LIKE” our PCCD GROUP PAGE!! This page shows pictures of children in the groups and shares information about our monthly themes and daily happenings at PCCD. Feel free to email Aimee Phleger PCCD Educational/Group Coordinator for further information or to schedule a tour of PCCD Groups.
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Preschool & Pediatric Therapy Director - KIM BRIGGS, M.ED., CCC-SLP | briggs@thepccd.org
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMING EXPANSION The Preschool is expanding its programming. Currently, we have extended our day to 2:00pm. Options are still available for a half-day program to 12:00pm. We are operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but come the Fall we will be 5 days. The Great Summer Preschool Adventure is also expanding. We will be operating 5 days from 9:00am-12:30pm. The program runs for 6 weeks: July 8th – Aug. 16th. Enrollment is flexible. Children can be signed up for 2- 5 days and 2-6 weeks. Some of the themes we will be exploring and learning are; under the sea, Chef week and Dinosaur week to name a few. The Saturday Play Pals Group (social skills group) has very limited slots available. This group meets on Saturdays from 10:00am-11:30am. For more information on these programs and to schedule a tour of the Preschool, please contact Kim Briggs, Pediatric Therapy Program Director.
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Developmental Day school Director - CHRISTY MURRAY, MSED, CEIS, ATP | cmurray@thepccd.org
100TH DAY OF SCHOOL! Time flies when you are having fun! The Day School students have been having a fantastic winter of learning together and celebrated our 100th day of school on February 11th. We have been working hard at numbers using manipulatives and AAC devices. We were so excited to finally hit number 100 on our chart! Come visit us and we will “Steal a Pizza Your Heart” too! This spring is tour season around here as families and school systems are preparing for the 2019-2020 school year. Please reach out to Christy Murray to schedule a visit in the morning or afternoon. Some families bring their children with them to visit the classrooms and meet with our amazing team of special educators, nurses, therapists, and classroom assistants.
PCCD Day School Program Highlights • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6
Low student-teacher ratio Nurses in classrooms Individualized instruction Curriculum aligned with MA Common Core Standards Augmentative & alternative communication Certified assistive technology professionals Feeding specialists Vision accommodations Integrated therapies Social work Opportunities for on-site inclusion On-site equipment, Orthotics, & assistive technology clinics
CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
We are ready for spring and our annual fundraiser, Passport to Possibilities Gala, which will be held on Friday May 10 at 6:30pm at the Andover Country Club! With your support, we are able to ensure that each child benefitting from our programs is able to achieve their full potential! Proceeds from the event will help to expand access to therapeutic equipment, make enhancements in our classrooms, and invest in additional professional development for our staff. To attend the event, donate an auction item or make a donation, please visit: www.theprofessionalcenter.org/spring-gala.html Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Vogel Vending!
UPCOMING EVENTS Passport to Possibilities Gala May 10, 2019 RCP Sign Language Workshop May 13, 2019 For more information visit us on: www.theprofessionalcenter.org Don’t forget to follow us on!
Touch A Truck June 9, 2019 Trot for Special Tots Road Race October 6, 2019
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Celebrating Your Child’s Success
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD! Submit your family’s PCCD story for us to share with staff and the community. It may even be featured in our next newsletter!!! • something good about your family’s PCCD experience • something good about your child’s progress • something good about connections you have made Send story to: events@thepccd.org We look forward to hearing from you!
PCCD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OUR MISSION
OFFICERS
Eliminate Barriers to Growth and Development for Children ages birth to 10.
BRIAN LATINA Chairman
Our Mission is to provide educational and therapeutic services for children of all abilities and their families, working with each child to develop to his or her full potential. We strive to eliminate barriers to growth and development for children with disabilities and families coping with health issues and challenges. The Professional Center for Child Development places children on a path leading to achievement by providing support services so that children of all abilities may remain in a secure environment, teaching parents and caregivers to be successful advocates for children, working to transition children into settings beyond our classrooms and educating public organizations on how to provide continued community-based support for children with and without special needs.
NEAL BESWICK Vice Chairman JOHN DECOURCY Treasurer MARK PASCARELLA Clerk MEMBER JULIE PALMACCIO