Part 2 of the story of one father's journey to reach an appropriate diagnosis for his son. Ages 11-12 By the time TQ turned 11, his academic progress had ceased. My wife valiantly kept trying, she wasn’t about to throw in the towel yet. But he just wasn’t retaining anything long enough to build on. He’s a very bright kid, so learning the concepts themselves wasn’t the problem. But without …
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“You’re Going to End Up Alone, Probably in a Jail Cell, and it’s All Your Fault.”
I clearly remember saying those exact words to my then-11-year-old son who I’ll call TQ. Cruel? Absolutely. Disgusting even? For a father to say something like that to his pre-adolescent son while they sit together in the car in a Wal-Mart parking lot… it’s unconscionable. You’re right. But don’t judge me just yet. Let me tell you our story. Routine Beginnings TQ is our firstborn. …
The Power to Communicate
The Power to Communicate In addition to speech therapy, the Orange Effect Foundation funds Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. These extraordinary devices give nonverbal individuals the power to communicate. Watch this video to see how one device, the Dynavox T-10, enables one teen to share his feelings about having autism. …
Giving Wisely
Ten Things to Consider When Deciding Where to Donate Chances are you’ve had someone reach out and pull you up when you were down at some point in your life. That hand up helped set you on a course that led you to the successful, happy life you lead today. Now you want to return the favor and donate to a non-profit, but you’re not sure how to choose one. Here are ten things you should consider …
That Magic Moment
Communicating with Your Nonverbal Autistic Child for the First Time Seasoned parents know that their tone can significantly affect the way a child responds. This can have profound implications for the parent of a nonverbal child. Autism specialist and HuffPost author Marci Lebowitz writes about that "magic moment," the first time one mother became aware that her autistic child was trying to …
How Brands Give Back
Pam Kozelka, Founder and Executive Director of the Orange Effect Foundation, shares her thoughts on the importance of giving back and the wonderful benefits it can have for a corporate team. Listen to her conversation with Lush Digital in this special podcast. Originally posted on Lush Digital on December 23rd, 2015. …
History of The Orange Effect Foundation
The following is an excerpt from a blog originally posted on The Content Standard. View the full post here. The Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) officially launched last spring, but its story began more than a decade ago, when Joe and Pam’s first-born son, Joshua, was diagnosed with autism. In those days, Pam was a stay-at-home mom with a healthy baby boy. But by the time her son was 18 …
