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October 27, 2016                                          
In This Issue
Thank You Boo-lers!
 
Wow! We are bowled over at the support our 2016 Boo-lathon received. Thanks to our generous supporters, over $25,000 was raised for Avondale House's specialized services for children and young adults with autism.
Alex's 5K Walk/Run




 
Are you running in the sixth annual Alex's 5K and want to show your Avondale House pride?
 

E-mail or call Alyssa Purcell at [email protected] or 713/993-9544 to get your Avondale House running singlet to wear on race day. Limited sizes available, hurry!


Haven't signed up yet? Join the Bayou City Road Runners on Saturday, November 5 at 8 a.m at McGregor Park to honor the life of former Avondale House student Alex, and raise funds for our agency.


Click here to register!





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Halloween Party at Avondale House


On  Monday, October 31, students and clients will participate in a Halloween party, sponsored by the Friends of Avondale House. There will be pizza, spooky temporary tattoos, a photo-booth, trick-or-treating for the day school students and treat bags for adult day hab participants. 


If you'd like to join your student, please see the following schedule:


Time
Class
12:00 - 12:20
123, 131 Avengers and Young & Restless
12:20 - 12:40
129, 136 Monarchs and Transformers
12:40 - 1:00
138 Mystery Men
1:00 - 1:20
143, 145 Angels and Incredibles
1:20 - 1:40
150, 151 Gladiators and Power Rangers
1:40 - 2:00
156 Knights


We want everyone to be able to participate! If your child has dietary concerns, a special pizza will be ordered for him or her. Please let the classroom or day-hab teacher know by this Friday, October 28. If your student requires special candy, please send enough for 7 trick-or-treat stations to the school, or if your child is in day-hab, enough for one treat bag (about 25 pieces) by Monday.

trick_or_treat.jpg

Helpful Hints for Halloween


Halloween is supposed to be a spooky time, but as a parent of a child with autism, things can become overwhelming. Here are some tips and tricks to help your child get the most out of the holiday.


1. On the days leading up to Halloween, make sure your child has an idea of what to expect. Prepare him or her by discussing trick-or-treating and what they might see the night of Halloween. Luckily for you, our teachers at Avondale House have done an excellent job ensuring that students are in the Halloween spirit!


2. Let your child have a say in their costume, and perhaps practice wearing it a few times before Halloween night.


3. If your child decides to reject the costume that they chose, do not fight it. Now is the time to improvise. Consider choosing costume pieces that can be worn in addition to your child's everyday clothing.


4. Practice trick-or-treating before Halloween! Encourage your child to knock on doors (we recommend those of family or friends who know you) and practice saying "trick-or-treat!" as well as "thank you" after receiving a treat. We will be doing plenty of trick-or-treat practicing around school on the day of Halloween, but too much practice never hurts.


5. On the day of Halloween, take note of your child's mood. If he or she starts exhibiting stimming behaviors or signs of being overwhelmed, know that there is always next year to trick-or-treat.


6. Consider trick-or-treating with other kids your child knows and feels comfortable around.


7. If your child decides that trick-or-treating might not be for them, offer to let them stay home with you and help hand out candy. Practice handing out candy in advance so they know what to expect.


8. If neither trick-or-treating nor handing out candy appeals to your child, remember that they attended Avondale's Halloween Party earlier in the day, so they didn't miss out on the Halloween spirit entirely!


9. Eating an entire jack-o-lantern pail full of candy in one sitting isn't in anyone's best interest (especially if your child has high energy levels and is sensitive to sugar). Make the candy last for longer by rationing out portions each day. Strike a balance between fun and practicality.


10. Last, but not least, enjoy your costume-clad kiddo, regardless of which traditions they decide to partake in!


Taking along a "cue card" like this one from Behavior Frontiers can help neighbors understand. 
Woohoo, The Zoo!




On Wednesday, October 19, Avondale House students joined the Kinkaid School 8th graders on a trip to the Houston Zoo. Twelve Kinkaid students paired off with Avondale students to enjoy the day and get to know each other. A day of animal-watching, chicken-chasing, and all around fun took place.


Travis makes a new friend.
The Kinkaid School hosts a Day of Caring each year, and as a result, Avondale House students have been accompanying Kinkaid to the zoo for the past few years. Kinkaid students enjoyed meeting our students and learning about life at Avondale. They did an excellent job of engaging our students in conversations about the zoo and all of the animals they were seeing. Kinkaid students practiced reading animal names with our students and discussed what types of things they expect to see those animals doing.


The day was a success. Hector, from the Mystery Men class, said he enjoyed the sea lions the most. The silly creatures are always a hit with our students. Many of our students also enjoyed the monkey exhibit, while others were more enthusiastic about displaying some of their drumming skills they have acquired during music class at Avondale.


Avondale House student Davis shows off his rhythm skills. 


"It's so important for us to encourage our students to get to know kids their age who experience life differently from them," said Alexis Reyes, Kinkaid's 8th grade social studies teacher. The day at the zoo helped Kinkaid students accomplish that, and it allowed Avondale students a day of fun interactions with animals and new friends. Thank you Kinkaid School, eighth grade students and parent chaperones for a wonderful experience!


Gymnastics Helps Build Strength, Flexibility, and Courage




Thanks to a generous grant provided by Discover Fitness Foundation, some of Avondale's students are participating in weekly fitness classes at a Heights-area gym. Currently, two day school classes attend 1-hour of class each week. Their exercises range from jumping on trampolines to walking the balance beam to playing in the foam pit.


Coach Cheznay and teacher Lucy help Joshua along the balance beam.


"I think staying active and exercising are great additions to occupational therapy," said Discover Gymnastics coach Cheznay Dones, who helps lead instruction of Avondale's classes at the gym. "Getting the opportunity to play in an environment like the gym is a fun for every child. It helps build strength, flexibility, and courage. We try to make the activities a little harder each time."


The foundation awards athletic scholarships to children fighting obesity, children with special needs, and children with financial need wishing to participate in recreational and competitive level gymnastics. For  individuals with autism, gymnastics provides a range of helpful skills, both physical and social. Not only do the activities hone balance, strength and flexibility, but the children must also practice patience, listening and following instructions while in class.


Cheznay said she has already seen improvement in the students' mobility and level of comfort with the equipment. In the future, she hopes Avondale's students will be able to perform the physical skills they are learning (like forward rolls) without assistance from staff.


"I really enjoy seeing the kids," says Carly Markesich, executive director of the foundation."It's an honor to have them as part of our program."




Avondale House | 3737 O'Meara Drive | Houston | TX | 77025