Sometimes big ideas start in small, unexpected places. You might be surprised to know that speech-generating devices (SGDs) began in a basement in rural Ohio. Two engineers, Ed Prentke and Barry Romich, connected over a mutual passion to help individuals with disabilities. In 1966, they launched their incredible work to give a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. PRC-Saltillo …
parenting
How Do You Know Which Resources To Trust?
I am always happy to sit down and chat with parents and caregivers about anything related to Autism or children with special needs. I enjoy learning about the new things they are able to do because of research and technology, and am mesmerized by their passion and commitment to their children. I often sound like a broken record saying ‘wow, back when my kids were little we didn’t have anything …
Benefactor Spotlight: GIE Media
I asked one of our longest supporters, Chris Foster of GIE Media, to share his story about raising a special needs child as well as why he chooses to support The Orange Effect Foundation. A true shout out to Chris for all he does. ~ Pam Chris Foster: We have three children. Our daughter, 28, is a registered dietician living in Cincinnati with her husband. Our oldest son, 26, is a Chemical …
Remember, You are Just ONE Person
I love the holidays. I love everything about it. I love how my house changes with the decorations, I love trying to find just the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. I love baking as much as I can find plastic containers for and I love seeing everyone at parties and meals. It really is a wonderful time of the year. What’s the catch? Well, let’s be honest. It can be REALLY stressful. There …
A Focus On Parents of Special Needs Children
I recently had an “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that” moment. Okay, so I actually have many of those, but this one in particular almost concerned me. I got so focused on one aspect of the care of special needs children I completely forgot about the most important people in the scenario. The PARENTS! I owe a thank you to my friend Sydni Craig Hart who brought this to my …
Orange Effect Board Member Spotlight: Kristin Erbacher
Today’s spotlight is on Orange Effect Foundation Board Chair Kristin Erbacher. What do you do for your day job? I have been lucky to have an amazing career in the Cleveland insurance industry for the past 30 years. I’ve spent the past nine years as a Commercial Property & Casualty Insurance Broker for Aon, a professional services firm providing risk, health, wealth & investment, …
Happy Mother’s Day to Nikki Chimo, an Unsung Hero
Motherhood to most means being a mom, or as defined by www.dictionary.com, as “the state of being a mother.” While Mother’s Day is recognized as a U.S. holiday honoring motherhood and celebrated for those that are mothers, there are many women who fill the shoes of motherhood. These individuals are so very often the unsung heroes in our lives. This Mother’s Day, I am …
Growing Up Without Technology
I’m a Gen Xer. Darn proud of it too. I am one of those who feel that we had the best childhood growing up. I’ll save that tirade for another post though. What I do appreciate, is that there wasn’t any social media when I was growing up. I was reminded of this yesterday, when I got to see a major league baseball game. It was my first time back in a really large crowd since the pandemic hit …
“Symptoms” of Autism – A Focus on the Positive
I was writing a blog post about how autism is never cured. People with autism learn to adjust to societal norms and they learn, in a way, how to rewire their brain for themselves so that they can be successful. But they are never cured. In doing that research, I came across this image, one I had never seen before, and it blew me away. What a wonderful truth to be put into words. …
It’s Gonna Be All Right
I seem to be having a recurring conversation this month. Parents are concerned that their child is “falling behind.” At first, I spent most of the conversations reassuring parents that we are all trying to float on the same ocean during this pandemic. Then I realized that I didn’t have enough information. I really didn’t know what people were talking about when they were sharing their concerns. I …
iso·la·tion. It’s a sad, sad word.
How to know if it is affecting your child. According to Merriam Webster, the definition of isolate (verb) is “to set apart from others; also : quarantine.” or as a noun, “an individual socially withdrawn or removed from society,” or as an adjective, “being alone.” I remember about 15 years ago. I was a stay at home mom with two boys, one of whom was special needs, and my husband traveled a …
6 Ways to Support Kids’ Mental Health Right Now
I am a big fan of Common Sense Media. I have always found it to be an incredibly useful tool when deciding which family movie to choose. Truth be told, I also use it to read the synopsis of a film I'm too much of a wimp to actually watch. (One word: It.) Commonsense Media is wonderful at providing realistic reviews of movies and other media. Though my kids my groan when they see me researching …