P2P Groups and Events

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 18th for the excellent time with Func Pro Tunc at the 4th Avenue Tavern.  What a great time dancing the night away!  

Thanks to the band for your generosity and fun performance.

Thanks to the 4th Ave for donating the space and sound system!

We appreciate our community so much and we are excited for the next time (be on the lookout for late winter/early spring)! 

Parent to Parent News

 Parent to Parent and the ARC of Washington

Parent to Parent is very excited to be working with the ARC of Washington on a new project.  The ARC is contracting with Parent to Parent for Transition Support for students moving from high school into the community, whether that be work, continuing education, or accessing community resources. 

Karen Huggins will be trained in information related to the IEP process for students who are in transition and will be able to assist families with support and resources.  

If you have any questions, please contact Karen at 352-1126 ext. 111 or khuggins@ssp2p.org.  She will be in the office on Wednesdays beginning July 1st and will check email and voice mail during the rest of the week.

Lending Program Updates!

The Lending Program is GROWING!!!  We have ordered a LOT of new books.  Here is a list of a variety of books regarding ASD:

*The Boy Who Loved Windows:  Opening the Heart and Mind of a Child Threatened with Autism

*Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome:  A User Guide to Adolescence

*Voices for the Spectrum:  Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People with Autism and Professionals Share their Wisdom

*Taking Care of Myself:  A Hygiene, Puberty and Personal Curriculum for Young People with Autism

*Power Cards:  Using Special Interests to Motivate Children and Youth with Asperger Syndrome and Autism

*Girls Under the Umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder:  Practical Solutions for Addressing Everyday Challenges

*Finding our Way:  Practical Solutions for Creating a Supportive Home and Community for the Asperger Syndrome Family

*Life and Love:  Positive Strategies for Autistic Adults

*Just this Side of Normal:  Glimpses into Life with Autism

*Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or other Developmental Issues

Please visit and "check out" some new reading material! 

Fundraisers/Donations

ANNUAL P2P YARD SALE 

P2P is joining with Kokua for our first annual Sensational Saturday fund raiser to be held on September 17th!

Sensational Saturday will be a family fun event with

Free Entertainment

Fantastic Food

Fabulous Prizes

Family Games and Activities

Fun Local Crafters, Artists and More

Please save the date on your calendars for HUGE fun! Ticket sales will begin in August! 

For details on how you can be involved, click here

     What's in a Label?

Hello Everyone,

     Over the past eight years I have learned quite a bit about topics I never had any real desire to learn about.  The path to serve, or advocate for children with special needs, was something I just never expected would be my life's work. The thoughts never really crossed my mind when I was a young man. I was taught as a child to always be respectful of those less fortunate than me and lend a hand when needed, but that was really about it. I probably avoided the "special needs" conversations because it was a very uncomfortable topic for all involved, especially the parents of the disabled child.

     I grew up in the early 70's on Long Island, NY were I was exposed to the most relevant social and cultural topics of the times.  That included exposure to all walks of life in school and disabled children were among them. But it was very different with those children.  Sure those kids were at school, but they were in some secluded wing and very rarely seen. They had the "R word label" and that was that. Basically we were taught indirectly that if you had that label you pretty much would wear your label for life.  There were no real expectations for them and, oh well. That label was a bad one to have. Soon I would be faced with that situation in my own life.

     In 2003 when my oldest son was having developmental issues and being evaluated by doctors, everyone from family to friends was telling me, "DO NOT let them label him because that will stay with him for life!"  This was very difficult for me because I was caught in the middle of social pressures and the medical diagnosis. I did think back to the days when I was in school and my perceptions of what that was like for those labeled. I was confused and really being driven by fear more than anything else and justifiably so.

      Eventually after many sleepless and grief stricken nights, I went with the medical diagnosis. I knew that in the end it didn't matter because I was going to love my kid no matter what and I wanted him to get whatever help was available. After all, it wasn't about me or my feelings; it was about what was best for my child, and the willingness of my family to accept additional services.  I had to let go of my perception of what that label meant.  But as we began to navigate through the different agencies, that label began to be more and more important. It was kind of like a blueprint for care and services to be outlined.

        I learned that the label of special needs did just that; identified the specific "needs" that my child or any child has, and the areas where they will require additional help. Soon my child's needs were being met because of it. Plus, the progress that was being made, however big or small was a step in the right direction for my healing process.  Sure it was hard to accept, and at times it still is. I come to grips with new things always. I still struggle and get sad about the "what if's" and work through those days.

      Really, there is no right or wrong in these situations and how to face them. It's what works best for each family. I'm just trying to show some of the situations that I faced, and stories I've heard others struggle with. For me, being able to accept the situation allowed me to heal and move into a better place. I've been both places, and where I'm at now is much more satisfying and stable. Most of the same people who initially told me to avoid that label stigma were scared too but they now support us fully.  They just wanted what was best for my family.

      Times are different than they were thirty years ago. There are a lot of positive changes.  The "R Word" for the most part has given way to "special needs."  Early intervention has become more main-stream, birth to three and other specialized education programs are addressing needs of children more efficiently than before.  Positive changes with education and medical professionals, as well as a more educated demographic, has led to this. Children with special needs are much more a part of the other school children's routines, included and not excluded from activities. Plus don't we all have labels anyway?  Think about how we describe things and each other. We've all got one!

     So what does a label mean for me these days?  It means hope and that my kids are getting services to help them better prepare for their journey through life.

Matt Graffagnino

Volunteers

Volunteer Needs

Please call (360) 352-1126 and speak with Kim or Sheila if you can help!

Community Events and Activities

News from the Board 

Partnership

Recently Parent to Parent and Kokua have begun collaborating on informational workshops and innovative fund-raising efforts.  We are delighted with the partnership as it strengthens our joint commitment to provide supportive services to individuals with special needs and their families throughout their lives.  The Board sincerely appreciates the effort the Executive Directors, Kim Smith (P2P) and Chris Rasmussen-Barsanti (Kokua,) have dedicated to building this relationship.   Be sure to join in the fun at our first big event:  Sensational Saturday in September.

Erika Krupp, Board President 

Legislative Corner  

Legislative Victories

~ A Timeline ~

1945 - National "Employ the Handicapped Week" was created and signed by President Harry Truman as Public Law 176.  The week was established to create more awareness of the possibilities available to employ the physically handicapped.  In 1962, "Employ the Handicapped Week" expanded to include all disabilities and was later changed from just one week to a full month in 1988. 

1968 - Congress passed the Architectural Barriers Act in 1968. This act declared that any building receiving federal funding from 1969 onward had to be accessible for the disabled. The Architecture Barriers Act is considered one of the first pieces of federal legislation supporting the rights of the disabled.

1975 - The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Public Law 94-142, was passed in 1975. This act mandated that the states, with the assistance of the federal government, provide a free and proper education for disabled children regardless of the seriousness of their disability. Included in the act were provisions for a free and appropriate education, individualized education programs with parental involvement, establishment of due process proceedings, and to provide an education in the least restrictive environment.

1990 - President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The ADA provides civil rights protection to disabled American's. Under this legislation, equal opportunity was established for employment, transportation, telecommunications, public accommodations and the state and federal government's services. This act is considered the most wide-sweeping civil rights bill for individuals with disabilities.

1990 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act passed in 1990. Known as the IDEA, the act was an extension of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Through the IDEA the federal government provides monetary assistance to state and local governments for the education of children with disabilities. A right to a free and appropriate education, in the least restrictive environment is again included in this legislation.

Source: Museum of Disability History, www.museumofdisability.org