(Okay, okay, there really isn't a medical one.) “I would have never guessed he had autism.” “How long has he had autism?” “Is he cured?” I have talked with other parents a lot about these questions. They are a compliment mostly. If someone meets my son for the first time and can’t ‘tell’ he’s autistic that’s good, right? The whole goal since he was two years old was to provide …
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Why I Am Grateful for Famous People Who Speak Out
I was recently sent this Yahoo article in which actress Holly Robinson Peete shares that her 19-year-old son is autistic. The article focuses on her advocacy which is so important in our society. It’s an unfair pressure to put on a celebrity, but one that, in this case, Holly has taken in stride. She talks in the article about the impact of the pandemic. Specifically, that her autistic …
“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. …
Raising An Autistic Son: Four Things I’d Change
This post was originally published on the Orange Effect blog on August 17, 2017. Due to its popularity, we are reposting it here for you. My son is a successful sophomore in high school and I wouldn’t change a single thing about him now. He was diagnosed with Autism at age two and received countless hours of speech and occupational therapy to get where we are today. Often as he goes …
Finding the Strengths in Special Needs
A friend shared a great article from the Washington Post with me today. It was one of those articles that as a mom, had me tearing up a bit. Additionally as a person who is on social media (at least reading, not necessarily posting) I was so surprised not to hear about this sooner. A young man, with the help of his Dad, created a profile on LinkedIn and after several drafts, posted a …
49 Reasons For Speech Therapy
I didn’t know, until my son needed speech therapy, that a speech therapist has to have a master’s degree and a state certification. Just last year, the rigorous 2020 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence were implemented. These eight steps required to maintain certification include 36 graduate semester hours, a minimum of 400 hours of supervised …
Creative Fundraising in 2020 Helps Fund Orange Effect Foundation Grant Recipients
CLEVELAND - March 22, 2021 - PRLog -- 2020 challenged us all. Faced with an unexpected economic constriction, the Orange Effect Foundation took the opportunity to try something new. By adding two new fundraisers, the 100 Holes of Golf Marathon and Silence For Speech Therapy, this grant making organization was able once again to meet the needs of children with speech …
100 Holes of Golf Marathon
Last year, it was desperate times in the fundraising space. Of course, this was not only for Orange Effect Foundation, but for almost every not-for-profit organization who survived on in-person fundraisers. During and after the lockdowns, we were unsure whether we'd be able to run our biggest fundraiser in August, our annual OEF Golf for Autism. In addition, donations were harder to come by …
Finding the Right Words
The Orange Effect Foundation supports early speech therapy—and for one family, helps a child find words to express her delight. This post originally published on the OEF blog on August 4, 2016. Due to its popularity and valuable information we are reposting it here for you. At two years old, Bridey loves to paint and get messy playing outside. Her mom describes her as a free spirit with …
A Personalized Approach to Fundraising
I had the opportunity to participate in a study regarding making large contributions to non-profits and foundations. During the study, I found out that a lot of donors feel the same way I do...they just want to know that what they give is making an impact and is used for how it was intended. From that study, I received a call from the New York Times for an interview. During the interview, I …
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 …
Can You Understand Your Child’s Speech?
This post originally published on the OEF blog on March 21,2019. Due to it's popularity and valuable information we are reposting it here for you. It’s common for most children to make some mistakes as they learn to say new words. Different sounds are mastered at different ages. Consistent, correct sound production will vary from child to child. When mistakes continue past a certain age, …
