The Butterfly Effect

Changing Lives One Person At A Time

2nd Quarter 2014

In This Issue

In Action

Private School to Open

Why The Butterfly?

We chose the butterfly for our logo because of "The Butterfly Effect." The meaning comes from a 1972 talk given by Edward Lorenz to the American Association for the Advancement of Science describing the chaos theory titled, "Does The Flap
Of A Butterfly's Wings In Brazil Set Off A Tornado In Texas." In other words, the ripples of a very small change can make a huge difference down the road.

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The year is still young and already it's turning out to be one of great opportunities! We'll be opening two Free 2 Be Me after-school Jacksonville locations along with expanding the Orange Park location into a full private school! Our adult day program continues to grow and community services are helping people live real lives of choice and inclusion. Oh, and don't forget camp!

Our mission is really starting to spread in the minds of those we serve and their families. We're showing that with a little faith in the ability of others - a real belief that everyone deserves a chance to try, and a willingness to think outside the box - we can make a difference in the lives of those in our community.

July 7th through August 1st, 2014

Butterfly Effect in Action

A F2BM staff member works with Emily to help her learn to read braille

All of the services of Henderson Haven have one goal in common: To help insure the lives of those we serve are as close to the lives we all take for granted as possible. There are so many choices and experiences we get to make and have every day. Why should a developmental disability keep anyone from having those same choices and experiences?

One of the ways we work to make sure we achieve this goal is to never place our own restrictions on others' abilities. We don't believe in the words "they can't". A perfect example of how this attitude can help others reach success is Emily.

Emily is a young lady in our after school program that happens to be autistic as well as blind. This presents additional challenges that have to be faced. One of these challenges is communication. The lack of communication only leads to frustration which in turn can manifest in behavioral issues. When it came to Emily, we immediately turned to a traditional communication tool for the bind; braille.

Because of our philosophy, staff never even questioned whether Emily would be able to learn braille, they just went to work on some simple alphabet cards and started the learning process. When they asked Emily's mother if anyone had ever tried this before, she responded that she had always wanted the school to, but was told it would be a waste of time.

Emily is already picking up on the relationship between the braille letters and the spoken alphabet. The next step will be to customize one of our communication devices with some braille letters to represent common phrases, and Emily will have a real voice.

Emily's mother writes:

I wish I had decided to send Emily to Free 2 Be Me sooner. I love that they keep her engaged. At home Emily is quite content just playing in her bed doing nothing. I love that she has somewhere to go after school that will keep her busy and engaged learning new things. I also like that the people there see the potential of Emily and see that she is much smarter than she lets on. It's great to have a place where everyone believes in your child and pushes them to their full ability.

Private School to Open in Clay County

The success of our after-school program led us to ask a question: Are those individuals with special needs getting the skills they need for a self-determined life in public school? For some, the answer to that questions is a resounding yes! But for others, the answer can be devastating.

Families using our after-school program, and then those using our new Adult Day Program, began asking: Why is my child making more progress here in just a few weeks than they do in years at school? We've worked hard over the past 10 years to help teach parents and schools how our techniques can make a difference. While we will never stop doing this, we've also decided to take it to the next level and offer a private school option for those with special needs. The earlier we can start working on the real life skills these individuals need to lead a successful life after school services end, the better our chances are of helping that individual lead a life of true choice and inclusion.

While we may be creative and successful in working with those who need a little creativity to help them achieve their goals, we knew nothing about the administration of operating a private school, especially if we were going to be able to accept the McKay Scholarship to make this a possible choice for families. But we knew someone who does.

The Broach Schools have been providing specialized education options for families for over 40 years. When we approached them with the opportunity to partner to provide this option for families of those with more challenging mental, physical, or behavioral issues, they were more than enthusiastic about the idea. So together we will be expanding the Free 2 Be Me program next school year to include a full private school option.

We're having a parent information meeting on Saturday, May 17th at 2:00 PM. We'll be there to explain the Henderson Haven difference and vision, and Broach representatives will be there to help you navigate the McKay Scholarship waters and help make sure it's the right program for you. We hope you'll take the time to come and learn more about this opportunity for your child.

RSVP for Parent Meeting here

Thank you for your continued support of our programs. All of us at Henderson Haven appreciate your belief in our vision of everyone living the life they have chosen for themselves regardless of their perceived abilities.

It takes all of our business partners, volunteers, family members, directors, and of course, our dedicated staff working together to make this vision a reality for everyone in North Florida. It's because of people like you that it's working, and it is.

We're proving that our system can work for anyone and we're even showing that in the long run, our way is cheaper. We can see a future for Florida where segregation is a thing of the past and everyone is able to be a contributing member to their communities.

Sincerely,

Lee Henderson
Henderson Haven, Inc.