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National Autism Awareness Month has been celebrated each April since the 1970s. On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to shine a bright light on autism, increase world knowledge and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. World Autism Awareness Day also celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism, brings together autism organizations all around the world, and gives a voice to the million worldwide affected by autism spectrum disorders. Recently, World Autism Day has been linked to Autism Speaks “Light It Up Blue,” campaign intended to raise international autism awareness and support of both World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness month in the United States.

During the month of April, Bridgeway Academy will participate in and/or host several events in conjunction with National Autism Awareness Month. In partnership with Autism Speaks Columbus, we’ll host a kid’s activity at the Columbus Blue Jackets game on Sunday, April 2^nd; and, we’ll purchase and enjoy delicious puzzle-piece cookies from Panera.

The weekend of April 6 – 9^th, Bridgeway Academy with partner with Jazz Arts Group (JAG) to commemorate National Autism Awareness Month and Jazz Appreciation Month. The Columbus Jazz Orchestra will perform, “Soul Session: From Ray Charles to Whitney Houston,” in the Southern Theatre and Bridgeway Academy will be present in the theatre lobby to share information about the organization and autism awareness. On Friday, April 7, 2017, Bridgeway Academy’s Co-Founder’s will join JAG Artistic Director Byron Stripling on stage for a brief discussion around autism and the programs of Bridgeway Academy. Listen to Co-Founder Erin Nealy and Byron Stripling as they discussed this partnership opportunity on All Sides Weekend with Christopher Purdy. Discounted tickets are available for Bridgeway Academy’s friends and family  using the discount code SOUL5.

Finally, the month conclude with Bridgeway Academy’s premier fundraising event, “Raise Your Glass to Raise Awareness,” on Friday, April 21 at the Ohio History Center. This event, raising important funds for the children, families, staff and programs of Bridgeway Academy, features delicious wines selected by Vintage Wines, craft beers from MadTree Brewing, cocktails with Watershed Distillery including a special Bridgeway Bourbon Mule, wonderful food from local restaurants and great entertainment from Colin Lazarksi and POPGUN. More information and tickets are available on Bridgeway Academy’s website or by calling 614-262-7520. Special thanks to our Signature Sponsors, Huntington and Resch, Root & Philipps, and to everyone who has already purchased their tickets for this wonderful event.

From your Family Partnership Services team

With a little bit of planning and preparation and the strategies below, you and your child(ren) can have a more fun and relaxed Spring Break!

Social Stories: Social Stories are a fun and easy way to let your child know what to expect! They are written from your child’s perspective and use positive and simple language.

Here is an example of a social story about Spring Break. Customize it to make it your own! http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/SpringBreakSocialStory.pdf

First/Then Boards: First/Then Boards teach a two-step sequence of events in a clear and simple way. The “first” picture is an activity you want your child to engage in. The “then” picture reinforces the “first” activity by being an activity or item your child enjoys.

*You can take actual pictures of activities and items, use google images to represent activities and items, or write words if your child is able to read.

Visual Schedules: Visual Schedules teach a long sequence in a clear and simple way. The events of the day are listed in order so your child knows what to expect. Schedules can be created for an entire day or broken up into smaller amounts of time (i.e. morning and afternoon).

*You can take actual pictures of activities and items, use google images to represent activities and items, or write words if your child is able to read.

Plan Activities Around Columbus:
http://columbusoh.about.com/od/oldactvitiesarticles/a/15-Places-For-Kids-In-Central-Ohio.htm
http://www.scarymommy.com/10-things-to-do-with-kids-in-columbus/
Bridgeway Academy’s PTA has some planned events happening over Spring Break! Please email PTA@bridgewayohio.org for information on how to register for these events.

• March 26^th from 5:30-7:30pm- Private swim at Westerville Community Center
• March 29^th at 11:00am- Private showing of Rock Dog movie (AMC Dublin)
• March 31^st  11:00-12:00pm- Private hour at The Bounce Club

Additional Resources:

• http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/examples-of-autism-social-stories.html
• https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/using-visual-schedules-a-guide-for-parents
• http://www.behaviorbabe.com

Bridgeway Academy’s Family Partnership Consultants will be leading a Parent Training on how to use Visual Support Strategies in the home and community on May 9^th from 6:00-7:30pm. They’ll also offer a hands-on Parent Workshop on Visual Support Strategies on May 15^th from 4:00-5:00pm at Bridgeway Academy.
https://bridgewayohio.org/programs-services/education-center/family-partnership-services/

On Thursday, February 9, 2017, Bridgeway Academy hosted its very first after-school dance, due in large part to the hard work of ten young female students and four women community mentors, all who participate in the program, “ABILITY.”

Thanks to the generosity of our funding partner, Huntington, Bridgeway Academy was able to spend some dedicated time with these ten girls, grades 4 – 10, working on social, communication and daily living skills – skills they will need as they transition into adulthood. “ABILITY,” included a mentorship program that connected the girls with professional women from the community. Four women mentors agreed to be a part of the program and worked with the girls once a month to conceive of, plan and implement the school dance, themed “Winter Wonderland.” In these last few weeks before the dance, the girls and their mentors shopped for decorations, prepared refreshments and designed and sent invitations to their classmates.

In addition to the mentorship program, the girls participated in a variety of vocational and daily skill building sessions, including identifying and applying methods of payment such as debit/credit cards, cash, gift cards and check writing. Other areas of instruction included budgeting, social and communication skills. The girls put all of these lessons to work in real life as they have planned their dance, “Winter Wonderland.” The program was implemented by Bridgeway Academy’s Community Resource Consultant, Tiffany Landefeld-Mostafa who states about the program, “The financial literacy lessons made an impact on the girls. They had fun, were eager to see each other and to work as a team on group activities. The group bonded, empowered each other and demonstrated respect for one another. I look forward to future opportunities for these girls to continue to meet and participate while developing independence and self-advocacy.”

All of the hard work came together on February 9^th, when thirty-five (35) Bridgeway Academy students remained after school to participate in “Winter Wonderland.” The girls and their mentors spent the afternoon decorating the gym, laying out refreshments and preparing for the dance. A former Bridgeway Academy student returned to be the dance DJ and Bridgeway Academy’s teaching and therapy staff watched in proud amazement as their students danced, sang and engaged with each other in this social setting. Erin Nealy, Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of Bridgeway Academy states, “What a joy it was to see female students plan and produce our first dance, and then watch all of the students enjoy their time together, some who have been with us since elementary school. It was a proud moment for all of us at Bridgeway Academy.”

Sheri Weithman, Director of Field Development-Columbus, OH for Autism Speaks and program mentor, states about this opportunity, “I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to see first-hand what our service providers, teachers and teens on the spectrum face every day. It has opened my eyes to how hard these teens work to develop the skills necessary to contribute in today’s society. I am beyond impressed with the dedication, passion and professionalism of the staff at Bridgeway Academy and I hope that my participation had a positive impact on these amazing young women.”

According to the Autism Society, 3.5+ million Americans live with autism and nationally, 35% of young adults with autism have hot had a job or received any education after learning high school. In June 2014, only 16.8% of the population with disabilities was employed. Further, a report in the Equity Resource Center’s Gender & Disability Digest reports, “Women and girls with disabilities … are subjected to double discrimination: sexism as well as disability bias … women with disabilities are significantly poorer than men and women without disabilities: they are more likely to be unemployed and if employed, receive lower wages than men with disabilities.” Bridgeway Academy is working hard to ensure a positive and productive future for all of its students and is grateful to Huntington for its support of this program.

By: The Psychology Department

The term “mindfulness” has gotten a lot of media buzz lately. Mindfulness has shown a range of benefits for adults and kids such as improved sleep, focus, concentration, anxiety management, emotion regulation, and quality of relationships (e.g., Burdick, 2014). It is also becoming a widely accepted part of therapy to address conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

However, what does mindfulness actually mean and how do you do it?  Many people automatically associate mindfulness with yoga and meditation, but it’s actually much more.  Mindfulness can be described as anything that helps you to live in the present moment and approach situations with curiosity instead of judgment. Mindfulness can take the form of a dedicated yoga or meditation practice, or specific mindfulness exercises, but it also represents a lifestyle choice.

You may have already been practicing mindfulness without even knowing it!

Have you ever caught yourself bombarded by negative thoughts or bogged down in negativity and reminded yourself to take a step back, so you could think about think about the situation more objectively and with a level head?  You were being mindful.

Have you ever been in a relaxing atmosphere (e.g., the beach or a massage) and still had a million thoughts racing through your mind? Have you then reminded yourself to put those thoughts aside and focus on enjoying the atmosphere or experience? You were being mindful.

Have you ever been overwhelmed with tasks to the point of it affecting your concentration or performance, so you forced yourself to focus on one task at a time?  You were being mindful.

Have you ever encouraged your child to sit down and take a break when they were getting overly rambunctious or worked up? You were encouraging your child to be mindful.

Any time you are taking a conscious approach to your work, parenting, emotions, or relationships, you are living mindfully. 

How Do We Explain Mindfulness to Children?

We like the concept of clear brain vs. cloudy brain for explaining mindfulness to children. When you are in clear brain, you are focused, calm, and in control of your thoughts and feelings. When you are in cloudy brain, there is a lot of noise in your brain. You may be upset, distracted, worried, or not thinking clearly. This concept could be further illustrated with glitter bottles or snow globes. When the bottle is shook up, it’s hard to see through the bottle (cloudy brain). When the contents have settled, you can see clearly (clear brain). Have the child physically look at objects through the bottle when it is shook up and settled and notice the differences. The concept of clear and cloudy brain could also be extended to the Zones of Regulation, an intervention program used throughout Bridgeway Academy. Cloudy brain represents blue, yellow, or red zones. Mindfulness techniques are a tool to help get oneself back to the green zone.

 Incorporating Mindfulness into Daily Life:

There are simple exercises that you can do with your child and steps you can take to help your child and family adopt a more mindful lifestyle. As with most things, children learn best when you participate with them and model the behavior you want them to cultivate. 

Simple Mindfulness Exercises:

• Being a Detective: Guide your child in noticing things in their environment. Encourage them to engage each of their senses by noticing things that they see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. You can also turn this into an I Spy game where one person give clues about sensations in their environment, and the other guesses what they are observing.
• Candle Breathing: Have your child pretend to blow out candles on their fingers by taking slow, deep breaths. Each finger represents one candle.
• Happy Place: Guide your child in visualizing their “happy place,” which is a place, activity, or memory that brings up feelings of wellbeing (e.g. going to the park or opening up presents). Help your child to draw and/or verbally describe their happy place, by relating it back to each of their senses (e.g., “I hear other kids laughing while playing and feel the swing on my legs”).
• Glitter Bottle: Create a glitter bottle with your child (e.g., see http://blog.theautismsite.com/diy-sensory-bottles/). Have your child shake it up and then focus their attention on watching the glitter settle.

Mindful Living:

• Minimize Distractions: As a family, put aside distractions and practice focusing on one task at a time. For example, when eating dinner, don’t multi-task or use electronics. When playing, engage in one activity or play with one toy at a time.
• Practice Patience and Acceptance: Work on accepting the idea that problems sometimes take some time to resolve, no one is perfect, and difficult feelings are a normal part of life. Give yourself and your kids grace in your everyday experiences and accept imperfection. Model this internal dialogue for your child by talking out kid-friendly problems. Show that you can bounce back from problems and that tricky feelings will eventually pass.
• Create Breathing Space: When you feel like your emotions are in control (i.e., cloudy brain), or when you observe this happening with your child, take a break by taking some breaths or by temporarily engaging in another activity. When you or your child has regained composure (i.e., returned to clear brain), then you can deal with the problem at hand with a more level-headed perspective. It’s okay to say to your child, “My feelings are in control or I’m in cloudy brain right now, so let’s go do something else and work this out later.”
• Pay Attention to your Body: Emotions and behavior are easily influenced by physiological needs. When your child is upset or unfocused, guide him or her in noticing basic sensations such as whether their body is hungry, tired, too hot/cold, uncomfortable from something they are wearing, hurt/not feeling well, or if they need to take a break from what they are doing to use the bathroom.

ABA principles, such as modeling, prompting, and reinforcement can be used to encourage children to be more mindful of their thoughts and behaviors on a daily basis.  Additionally, many mindfulness strategies can be adapted to children with more limited language skills through methods such as visual prompts and schedules.  Talk to your child’s psychologist or program and behavior specialist for ideas on how to teach and reinforce these skills. Your child’s OT may also advise on sensory strategies that can be incorporated into a mindfulness practice.

 RESOURCES:

• mindful.org
• pocketmindfulness.com
• Mindfulness Skills for Kids and Teens (Burdick)

The new year brings with it cold weather and long, dark nights. But at Bridgeway Academy, we feel the warmth and light of our community on “Spruce it Up Day,” which occurs annually on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Central Ohio is designed to empower volunteers, strengthen communities, bridge barriers and create solutions to social problems. Volunteers are encouraged to share their time and talents in support of local charitable organizations such as Bridgeway Academy.

This year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 16, 2017 and Bridgeway Academy will welcome community volunteers to paint, deep clean and participate in light construction activities throughout the facility.  “We love Spruce it Up Day,” states Bridgeway Academy Co-Founder Erin Nealy. “We meet many new people while welcoming back old friends who are truly interested in making a difference for Bridgeway Academy, its students, staff and programs.”

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“We meet so many new people and welcome back old friends who are truly interested in making a difference for Bridgeway Academy, its students, staff and programs”, states Bridgeway Academy Co-Founder Erin Nealy.

Bridgeway Academy welcomes individuals or groups of volunteers, but asks that volunteers be ages 14 and above. To sign-up for Spruce it Up Day, visit our listing on Volunteer Match, http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp2544489.jsp. We have already heard from our friends at DSW and Americorps. We hope that you’ll spend the morning with us too, and make areal  difference for the students and staff of Bridgeway Academy.