L IFELONG LEARNERSM
L I F E L O N G L E A R N I N GTM
Fall 2010
ACA CELEBRATES 9TH ANNUAL GALA “WE ARE THE WORLD”
· Executive Director’s Message 2
· Family Corner 3
· Fundraising Highlights 5
· Notes and Notables 6-7
WHAT’S INSIDE
Anderson Center for Autism (ACA) proudly hosted its
9th Annual Gala on October 2, 2010, at the Grandview in
Poughkeepsie. Assemblyman Marcus Molinaro and Darin
and Jason Page from Page Park Associates were presented
with the V.V. Anderson Community Service Award. The
Award recognizes a person and a business/organization who
has demonstrated continued commitment and dedication
to furthering autism awareness in our community, as well
as their outstanding leadership and strong desire to make
this world a better place to live, work and play. Both
Assemblyman Molinaro and the Page brothers have been
strong advocates for ACA and autism in the community.
Marc Molinaro continues his legacy of strong leadership
and advocacy for those who need a voice within our community. He has hosted a series of special education rights workshops for parents,
educators and human service professionals. In his role as Assemblyman, he participates in Assembly Minority Regional Forums on Autism
Awareness, which seek input from families, educators and other professionals to help develop policies that support research and assist
communities/families dealing with autism. As a direct result of the regional forums, legislation (A8828) was introduced calling for the
creation of a state Autism Advisory Board that makes recommendations for comprehensive and consistent criteria/regulations for New York
State. He continues to work with Assemblyman Joel Miller and local advocacy organizations to improve the services and quality of life for
individuals with autism and their families; including hosting their first annual movie day suitable for special needs persons.
“The challenges of raising a child on the spectrum can seem so overwhelming – Christy, my wife, and I know this firsthand,” said Assemblyman
Molinaro. “With one in 110 of our children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, the Anderson Center does such wonderful work
for these special individuals and their families. I am immensely grateful to the Center and Foundation and sharing this recognition with the
Page Family and Page Park Associates is a true honor. They are a great and generous business and family. I am humbled to be honored in
this way.”
This year’s business/organization award was presented to Page Park Associates,
who are reliable, efficient, creative, consistent, determined, and caring. As a
well-respected business within our community, their strong commitment to
hard work and family values makes them a valued advocate for us. We
appreciate their advocacy, volunteerism and support, which range from
hosting an introductory party for us last year to helping us spread the word
about Anderson and autism; to the attentiveness and sensitivity to our needs
and the individual needs of our constituents. (Continued on page 3)
Michael Keegan, Neil Pollack, Marc Molinaro, Margaret Cusumano, David Melby, Jason Page, Darin Page, Joseph Kirchhoff enjoy the Gala
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a u t i s m t o d a y
Thoughts from the
desk of Neil J. Pollack,
Executive Director/C.E.O.
Our 9th Annual Gala was another tremendous success. We had
more than 300 people attend and I am happy to say that more
parents than ever enjoyed the evening with us. The Children’s
Program organized and worked with the students to provide the
evening’s highlight. The Unity Drummers and Dancers entertained
the crowd with their energetic singing, dancing and drumming –
truly a touching moment for the audience.
At the Gala, parents of students stood up to be recognized. I was
thrilled to see so many parents around the room. These are the
people that ACA has a direct, profound impact on every day. Our
parents are ambassadors for Anderson every day as they share their
stories of parenting a child with autism.
Every member of the audience watching the students perform is now
an ambassador for Anderson. The Unity Drummers and Dancers
performance was about the joy of life, the celebration of the moment
and, especially for the parents in the audience, a testament to what can
be achieved with help from Anderson. Together we can make a
difference in people’s lives in our communities, our region, our country,
our world.
With one in 110 children being diagnosed with autism spectrum
disorder, now more than ever we need to be talking about ways to help
our children grow and learn, how families can help their children and
how our communities can build advocacy for those who need help.
Stand up for autism. Become an ambassador for ACA and help have
an impact on your world.
To support the important work of ACA, I also urge you to visit our website www.AndersonCenterforAutism.org and consider a contribution. Your support helps us to develop these very pioneering programs.
b o a r d s o f t r u s t e e sAnderson Center for Autism operates under the guidance of our exceptional Boards of Trustees.
We appreciate the contributions that each of these talented and generous individuals makes towards the achievement of our goals.
David W. Melby, Chair
Francis M. Synan, 1st Vice Chair
Sarah E. Sholes, 2nd Vice Chair
Peter M. Olympia, Jr., Treasurer
Neeraj Alimchandani, Secretary
ANDERSON CENTER FOR AUTISM*
Elinor B. E. Arnold, Trustee
Justin L. Cole, Trustee
Elizabeth Corcoran, Trustee
Pompey H. Delafield, Trustee
Eric D. Gorman, Trustee
Joe Lepore, Trustee
Richard Lewis, Trustee
Jeanne R. Raichle, Trustee
John A. Scileppi, Trustee
*Trustees for Anderson Center for Autism are also trustees for Anderson Center Services, Inc.
ANDERSON FOUNDATION FOR AUTISM, INC.Margaret Cusumano, Chair
John Maserjian, Vice Chair
Robert Shoemaker, Treasurer
Rebecca A. Valk, Secretary
Susan Angeles, Trustee
Ellen L. Baker, Trustee
Barry R. Feirstein, Trustee
Vance A. Gage, Trustee
Joseph T. Kirchhoff, Trustee
Tondra Lynford, Trustee
LIFETIME HONORARY TRUSTEES
Harold L. Mangold, Trustee
William F. Melcher, Trustee
Marisa Perez-Rogers, Trustee
Ellen L. Baker Michael McNaughton Jaime Rodriguez-Tellez Fritz SonnenschmidtWilfred Rohde
A SON’S JOURNEY TO ADULTHOODWhen Roger D. was 12 years old, he came to live at ACA after his family’s
lengthy search for the right residential program. “We looked all over but
found that the best fit for Roger was right in our own backyard,” explains Mr.
D., his proud dad. “Living nearby, we were thrilled that we could visit with
Roger whenever we wanted.”
That was more than 15 years ago, and Roger, now 28 and a resident of the
Allen Road IRA, continued to develop at ACA throughout the years. “When
he aged out of the ACA campus, he went through an extremely efficient
transition to his new setting - a lovely home with five residents. The continuity
of care was exceptional from a staff that directly and indirectly helps to foster
each individual’s independence. And, of course, it’s the best that he’s still so close by,” says Dad.
Roger enjoys eating and being around food in the kitchen. He loves animals and going on rides and smiles when the wind
blows on his face. “ACA sees each resident as an individual person and is dedicated to developing their interests and skills
to their full potential,” says Mr. D.
“Sometimes people are not accepting of someone with challenges – they don’t have the patience. But that’s not the way
it is at ACA. I’ve gotten to know the staff so well over the years and I couldn’t rate them any higher than I do. They do a
tremendous job dealing with the varied needs of individuals and I’m grateful that, as an adult, Roger can still benefit from
their care.”
f a m i l y c o r n e r
(“Gala” continued from page 1) “Page Park Associates is thrilled to be
honored by Anderson Center,” said Jason Page, Managing Partner, Page Park
Associates. “Anderson Center, often silently, provides a remarkable service to
the community, helping so many of those with special needs function in the
often difficult world that we live in. Their mission is endless and their legacy
will be known to many for years to come. They touch the lives of children and
adults through their caring efforts. We are always excited to be a part of their
events and value the recognition that they provided Page Park Associates with
this award.”
The highlight of the evening was a special performance by The Unity Drummers
and Dancers. ACA’s Children’s Program students worked hard on their
performance, which entertained Gala attendees with their lively, inspiring
presentation. Through music, dance, singing, and drumming, 15 incredible
individuals came together to share a celebration of unity.
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Harold L. Mangold, Trustee
William F. Melcher, Trustee
Marisa Perez-Rogers, Trustee
The Unity Drummers and Dancers
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s t a f f k u d o s
Congratulations goes out to Cindy Robinson (Children’s Program - AEC & Residential) and Teresa Josiah (Enderkill IRA) who are recipients of the NYSACRA Regional Conference Awards in Excellence.
The Children’s Residential Program congratulates Joseph Mendez for being accepted into the Extraordinary Caregiver Recognition Program. Sponsored by the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook University, the program recognizes and supports those who provide hands-on care to individuals with developmental disabilities. Joe will attend a two-day conference and will receive a Certificate of Recognition from Stony Brook’s School of Social Welfare.
Great job, everyone!
STAFF APPRECIATION PARTY
CONGRATULATIONS
It was time to celebrate as everyone enjoyed the festivities at the annual Staff Appreciation Party on
September 10, 2010, at The Poughkeepsie Grand.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE CELEBRATING
MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES WITH ACA
5 YEARSRobert AllenDelrene AndersonVeronie AndersonJana BlazicekFiona BrownKisha BrownAlbert CheversKathleen ChurchillDonna ComoCharles CurnellKimberly DoeringEdmond EtienneSybil FosterSherry FrankoSharline GiffTracey GregoryBrandy HaightA. J. JohnsonRashide JohnsonRowan JohnsonDale Larsen Andrea LynchPatricia Lucio-PennMark MilroySteven MulveyPeter NackPaul NorthCarolyne OndengeKevin OrendeCasper OwuorJustin PadenJennifer Parsons
Janelle OrrTina PayeurAshok RameshVivian RansomDeron RossMary StormerMaurice ThomasOlevene ThompsonRalph Vanvlack James WhiteheadColleen Young
15 YEARSJeffrey A. MahoneySilka L. Benz
20 YEARSCynthia H. MowrisLarry D. RileySharon E. Scafe
25 YEARSNerio H. CalleGail GrahamJames KaelinSteve SchallenkampDonna M. SzelowskiSylvia M. Taylor-HinesMary D. Weissmann
30 YEARSChristine M. ChodanMaria A. Espie
Jean Pierre-LouisDara PizarroClaude PorterMark RakchevLatoya RansomMarie RodeznoKelly SilkworthShella St. CroixRajher Thomas
10 YEARSRebecca AppolloniaChristine BakerAnthony BattistaMarilyn R. BennettJanet J. BrissettCarlene BrownPatricia CummingsAdrienne N. DelorenzoJennifer EichhornElizabeth K. FosterTracy GardnerRaymond J. GermannSusan GermannEfren Gonzalez Jr.Jennifer LealeSheila MccoyGregoria MercadoJane MiskovitzMagdalene NakakawaMaria NelsonStephanie NoonanCarren Oloo
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING MERITORIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS
ADULT SERVICESNichol Woolcock
ANCILLARY Rebecca Stanmyer
ADMINISTRATIVE & SUPPORTJennifer Leale
CHILDREN’S SERVICESRenita Falvo
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIPMertlyn Tomlinson
FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS The Hudson Valley Autism Society awarded a grant to the Good Dog Foundation to continue the beneficial work they do. We offer our congratulations to them and are happy to share in the benefits as they are a constant presence in many of our programs.
We are happy to thank Justin and Carol Cole for hosting a wonderful evening House Party on August 7, 2010. This was a great opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and introduce ACA. Thank you for opening your home!
The 2010 Gala raised over $80,000, which directly supports the fundraising efforts of Anderson Foundation for Autism, providing assistance to all of our programs and services. Thank you to all our supporters, sponsors and attendees for joining us.
IMMEDIATE FUNDING NEEDED FOR “ACTIVE LEARNING WITH ACTIVBOARDS”Students with Autism benefit from multi-sensory learning opportunities. ActivBoards provide teachers with visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic tools that motivate and engage students in ways never before possible. Traditional paper and pencil academic tasks are difficult for our students given their visual discrimination, scanning and fine motor difficulties. Use of the ActivBoard negates these issues as the student can work directly on the board using a “wand”, which requires less fine motor ability. Working directly on the board maintains student attention in one area - no need to look back and forth between a white board and their desk.
With ActivBoards, our classroom teachers begin lessons by having students identify their motivators –“What are you working for?” Students benefit from the enhanced, motivating lesson, as well as the delivery of immediate and highly-preferred reinforcement. Given a choice, many students with autism show a preference for engaging with technology versus people. ActivBoard lessons can be also customized to integrate social learning opportunities and technology – two (or more) students can be simultaneously engaged in a common learning task.
One of the more challenging aspects of a teacher’s job at ACA is the amount of data capturing that must occur. Data-based decision making is an integral component of an ABA educational program and having reliable student-performance data is imperative. ActivBoards allow teachers to efficiently capture and monitor current student performance and progress data. With $12,000 from the Anderson Foundation Grants Committee, our ActiviBoards Pilot Program has shown us how valuable this technology can be. Our goal now is to equip all 23 classrooms and the Adult Program with ActivBoards. Total cost with current pricing is $78,600.
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITEwww.AndersonCenterforAutism.org
for details on program initiatives needing funding
and other ways you can support ACA
On September 1, 2010, our annual Art Show was again hosted by the Pavel Zoubok Gallery in Chelsea, NYC. More than 20 artists showcased their art; including the Adult Services Program’s collaborative pieces. The show was a smashing success and our Adult Services Program greatly appreciated the opportunity! A special thank you to Susan Angeles, Maureen Vincie and Tondra Lynford for spearheading this event and to Pavel for curative design and donating the gallery space.
At the Gala, the Rock with Me campaign raised over $3,000 to fund the purchase of rocking chairs for all homes on campus! Rocking chairs offer vestibular input that has a calming effect on our children and adults when they cannot go outside to play. A very special thank you to the Grants Committee for their energy and work on this initiative, which built momentum throughout the year and culminated in wonderful success.
We are about to launch our 2010 Annual Year-End Appeal and hope you will consider contributing. If you wish to make a donation or get more information on how your donation helps Anderson, please contact the Development office.
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIPMertlyn Tomlinson
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A C A n o t e s a n d n o t a b l e s
VILLAGE CENTER OPENSOn September 15, 2010, ACA opened its doors to the Village Center – an integral component of our Master Site Plan. The facility provides space for families to visit with their children and supports operations such as maintenance, security and transportation.
PLUTARCH OPEN HOUSEAfter months of hard work by the residents and staff, Plutarch IRA hosted an Open House on September 14, 2010. It was evident that the young men of Plutarch are settling into their new home with ease. While guests talked with ACA staff, the young men played badminton, kicked a soccer ball and/or listened to music in their rooms. Plutarch residents were also welcomed into the community by their new neighbors who warmly introduced themselves. Congratulations to the team of Plutarch IRA for making this a successful opening and more importantly, building the foundation of a home for our new residents!
HOGS COME ROLLING IN
Special thanks to Jane Gallo and Cindy Robinson for
making the 7th Annual Woodstock HOG T-Shirt
Give Away Ride on August 1, 2010, possible.
HARVEST FESTIVALOn October 16, 2010, a perfect breezy day, families,
friends and students gathered to celebrate the
splendors of autumn at ACA’s Harvest Festival. The
houses all decorated scarecrows to adorn the front
lawn and also made delicious apple desserts for our
guests to sample. Several compliments were paid to
the bakers!! Fun activities included hayrides, arts and
crafts, a bounce house, a ball pit, and a very special
performance by ACA’s Theatrical Productions
Drama / Puppet Club. The smiling faces of those
that attended echoed the great success of the day.
BOOK DELIVERYACA students showed their appreciation when Mrs. Spruyt delivered over 2,000 donated books she collected from schools including JFK/RCK, Timberpoint, Conntequot Elementary, and the Early Childhood
Center. East Islip U-Haul also donated 40 boxes for the
books. Thanks everyone – we can’t wait to read them all!
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SUMMER JOBSAt the suggestion of Nancy Amy, Executive Director
of the Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce, all summer
the residents of the Wurtemburg IRA participated
in community service jobs by watering flowers and
plants around Rhinebeck. The guys beamed with
pride while out in the community. Pedestrians said
hi when they walked by or smiled to thank them for
keeping the town beautiful. Isaac said that he really
liked taking care of the flowers and remembered
watering plants with his father while growing up in
Brooklyn. The staff was proud to help in this beneficial
relationship with the Rhinebeck community.
FAMILY GET TOGETHER
FESTIVAL OF FUN
On July 17, 2010, ACA celebrated diversity at the Cultural Festival. The staff and students represented a variety of countries and cultures through decorations, crafts and food. Adult Services treated everyone to a “Parade of Countries”. Ray, Karl and the whole Food Services team braved the heat to cook and serve the great food. Ellis W. kept the crowd moving to the beat by providing dance music. And, Cindy R., Anna L., Lori H., Jim W., and all the folks from Operations did an amazing job at set up and clean up.
Staff, from Recreation/Transition to Operations and Residential, spent hours working to make the Festival a success. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to everyone.
Families of our adult residents enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at our Annual Family
Get Together, held on September 25, 2010, at the Violet Avenue LifeLong Learning
Center in Poughkeepsie. Each year we look forward to this special time when we can
get together to share stories, learn about new initiatives and join in a delicious meal
prepared by the IRAs. We are so grateful that the parents, some of whom have been
with with ACA for more than 20 years, remain continuously involved in their sons’
and daughters’ lives. With the encouragement and guidance they graciously give to
our program and staff, we have been able to sustain tremendous growth and to offer
the best possible strategies for instructing and learning.
STAFF DEVELOPMENTOn September 27 & 28, 2010, Staff Development personnel (Cindy Mowris, Claude Porter & Jennifer Parsons) gave a presentation titled “Mentoring: Creating an Atmosphere of Excellence & Achievement”. The workshop was well received and conference participants were thankful for the information, structure and overall guidance. Also present at the event was Neil Pollack, ACA CEO, who provided a presentation titled “Thriving in the Face of Adversity”. Neil spoke about the trials and tribulations the organization has faced since he began with ACA in 2001 and shared our concept of continually striving for excellence.
FESTIVAL OF FUN
4885 Route 9 · P.O. Box 367
Staatsburg, NY 12580-0367
Ph: 845-889-4034
www.AndersonCenterforAutism.org
Save the Dates!
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 If you were unable to attend this year’s Gala, (see cover article) be sure to mark Saturday, October 1, 2011,
on your calendar!! We will be celebrating the 10th Annual Gala next year ~ an event that should not be missed!