|
|
|
|
|
|
Lions and Tiger and Pirates, Oh my!
 |
| | Daniel (left) strikes a pose. |
Summertime is in full swing and Avondale students are immersed in the arts! Throughout the months of June and July, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) has welcomed many of the day school students to participate in week- long fine arts camps. The focus of TUTS The River Performing and Visual Arts Center is to administer fun, art and music-filled summer camps to children of all abilities. |
| | |
Brittany's elephant mask.
| |
Avondale House students from four different classes are enjoying exciting camps with themes from Call of the Wild to Pirates, AARGH! So far they have enjoyed making crafts to fit their camp's theme and practicing songs and scripts all week. At the end of the week, the students participated in a performance to showcase the culmination of their hard work.
|
| |
Noah performs in
Pirates, AARGH!
|
Noah, from the Mystery Men class, shined during his class's Pirate performance. "My favorite song was about a pirate flag," Noah signed. Noah's teacher Melissa Graham echoed his enthusiasm about the pirate camp. "All of the students really seemed to be enjoying themselves," said Melissa. "They made crafts like pirate booty, and their costumes included eye patches and pirate bandannas. They recited individual lines, sang, and many of them danced. I'm so proud!" |
| | |
Lupita and Sam model costumes.
| |
Two more classes will be attending TUTS The River camps this month. Avondale House will continue to buzz with excitement from all of the musical activities our students have been delighting in!
|
|
.Learn About SPARK, a Landmark National Autism Research Project
If you or your child has a professional diagnosis of autism, the Texas Children's Hospital Autism Center invites you to learn more about SPARK, a new online research study sponsored by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. The mission of SPARK is clear: speed up research and advance understanding of autism by creating the nation's largest autism study.
Joining SPARK is simple - register online and provide a DNA sample via a saliva collection kit in the comfort of your own home. Register online here or in person by contacting Andrea Simon, Research Coordinator at Baylor College of Medicine, andrea.simon@bcm.edu, 832-824-3624. Together, we can help spark a better future for all individuals and families affected by autism.
|
|
Summer Volunteers Make A Splash!
Yesterday we stayed cool with volunteers from Vivint Home Security who hosted a splash day.
|
|
More splash day pictures, here. |
In June volunteers from Quest IRA created special crafts with our classes. Young men from St. John's High School gave one of our group homes a landscape makeover.
Want to join in the fun? Volunteers may contact Carrianna Werner, Development Assistant at carriannaw@avondalehouse.org.
|
|
Then and Now: Residential Services
At present, Avondale House owns and operates three residential group homes in southwest Houston, all within a four-mile drive of the main facility on O'Meara Drive. Each home serves six residents, each of whom participates in daily activities designed to meet their developmental, behavioral and social needs.
|
| |
The original Avondale House.
|
Before our agency was founded in 1976, many individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Houston area lived at home in the care of family members or in large state-run residential institutions, such as the Richmond State Supported Living Center, which opened in April 1968 on a 242-acre site in Fort Bend County as the Richmond State School. Seeking lifelong supports for their young children with autism and following the trend of deinstitutionalization and expansion of community services, the founders of Avondale House began considering local residential services to accompany its weekend respite and limited after-school services. Our early residential services were funded through a grant from what is now known as the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), a contract with MHMRA of Harris County, and through contracts for individual students through their independent school districts. At that time, our homes were licensed by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. The residential program was geared for children and the funding was intended for individuals 22 and younger.
|
| | |
Robert, now in his 30's, came to live at Avondale House in 1986.
| |
As some of our children aged and we recognized the dearth of options for them as adults, we began to investigate options that might allow us to continue to serve them. With the support of our families and through an extensive letter-writing campaign by our families and their friends, we persuaded our state and local funders to allow us to "refinance" or reclassify their funds to serve individuals above and below the 22-year threshold. The refinancing process was gradual, beginning in 1999 with our first home, followed by our second home in 2000 and our third home in 2006. Since 2006 all of our homes have been licensed by DADS, and receive funding through Medicaid's program as Intermediate Care Facilities for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. |
| |
Marshall has celebrated many birthdays with his Avondale House family.
|
Currently fifteen of our eighteen residential clients are over the age of 22. Some of our clients have lived with us since the 80's when they first came to Avondale House as children. Our houses have become homes; and we are so grateful to be able to provide continuity of care for our residents as they learn and grow and peace of mind to their families, that their child will be cared for after they are gone. Please give us a call if you would like to tour our group homes or learn more about our residential services for children and young adults with autism.
|
|
|
|
|
