Beyond the usual costs that exist with raising any child, raising a child with developmental differences comes with additional costs such as multiple specialists appointments, daily medicines, multiple therapies (Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis to name a few!) and more. Even if a family is fortunate enough to have insurance coverage the sheer cost of copays for various therapeutic interventions can be in the hundreds of dollars a month! Additionally, some therapies such as social skills groups are not covered by insurance no matter what the health insurance plan.

The One Child Scholarship Fund was created to provide financial relief to families struggling to meet the therapy needs of their child. One Child’s mission is not only to help the child but also the families- helping ease the financial strain that many of our families feel is our way of supporting the entire family and encouraging them along in their journey. The Scholarship Fund recognizes that not being able to afford services isn’t solely a function of total household income but other factors such as the total number of individuals living in the household, if any other members of the family have significant medical issues, does the family have health insurance coverage for therapy services, what other forms of therapies is the child receiving. Assessing these needs gives us a real snap shot of whether a financial need exists for a family.

In 2016, the One Child Scholarship Fund has awarded nearly $10,000 and today, we are seeking your help in surpassing this amount for 2017! So Today, on this Giving Tuesday, a global day where individuals are encouraged to support their charity of choice we hope you will choose to support the One Child Scholarship Fund.  #GivingTuesday #OneChildCenterforAutism

To Donate, please visit  https://onechildcenterforautism.org/donate/.

Thank you!

Julie Cullifer

Exciting things continue to happen at One Child and we want to keep you up to date on everything!

REGISTRATION for the Winter Semester OPENS TODAY! Register at  http://onechildcenterforautism.org/winter-programs/

PARENT CONNECTION is November 7th! One Child’s monthly support group meets the 1st Monday of the month and offers 2 sessions 6-7pm or 7-8pm. Free Childcare is available for children ages 2 and up. Children under 2 are welcome to stay in the room with their parent. To reserve a spot for childcare please visit  http://onechildcenterforautism.org/services/parent-connection-parent-support-group/.

NOW ACCEPTING INSURANCE for Individual Speech Language Sessions! We anticipate before the New Year to be a provider for the following insurance companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, Optima & Tricare. To get one the wait list or learn more about our Speech Language Pathologist, Sarah Burton, please visit http://onechildcenterforautism.org/services/speech-social-skills/

KIDS’ NIGHT EXPANDS 2017! Beginning in January, One Child with CDR’s help will offer KIDS’ Night EVERY MONTH! KIDS’ Night will be still be held at the WISC on a Saturday night from 5-9:15pm; however, we will now be able to accept children as young as 1!

In the meantime, don’t forget our next KIDS’ Night is December 10th! Registration will open November 28th!

Lastly, NOVEMBER 29th is Giving Tuesday! Every year our Giving Tuesday campaign raises money for the One Child Scholarship Fund. HELP US spread the word! #GivingTuesday https://onechildcenterforautism.org/donate/

Have a good week!

You’re invited to drop in between 3:30-6pm on August 22nd to:

• Explore our new space and see where your children learn;
• Experience our Art Station, LEGO® Play, Sensory Play, and Free Play in our playroom; Engage One Child Board Members & Staff and learn more about One Child
• And More!

Want to let us know you’ll be there – RSVP on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1651123395206274/

We hope to see you there!

Over the past year, One Child has:

• Launched an Art Therapy program,
• Expanded our social skill groups to include Middle Schoolers,
• Increased our KIDS’ Night program to accommodate 70 participants a night,
• Provided Scholarships totaling over $9,000,
• Received our 1st Grant, and
• Moved into an office space of our own

I am thankful daily for the families that we serve, the staff that help our children, and the Williamsburg community that has so graciously embraced One Child. Together we are building a supportive community for autistic children and their families!  I eagerly look forward to see how One Child can continue to serve our community.

As excited as the One Child Staff are at the prospect of not having to transfer therapy materials between several locations or set up tables and chairs for each session; we have moved into an empty shell of a space without any furniture of our own! One Child’s Summer Semester begins in 4 weeks and we are asking the community to help us again by providing furniture so that the space is welcoming and comfortable for our children and families.

There are 2 ways you can donate to the One Child Furniture Drive:

1. Donate used furniture such as book shelves and chairs

2. Help us raise $2500 to pay for specialized tables and chairs to accommodate our children that are not easily found in used condition – Donate Today!

Help us share the good news! Pass along the flyer to anyone you know, share it on social media…let’s get the word out! Thank you!!

One Child Center for Autism Furniture Drive

Art Therapy is most concisely defined as “a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication” (British Association of Art Therapists). More simply, through the process of making art it is believed that the artist is able to explore and express emotions and  feelings that they may not be able to process or communicate effectively.  For this reason, Art Therapy  has been known to reduce stress & anxiety, help individuals to work through complex problems, and to increase self-esteem. Art Therapy is not about perfecting technique or improving art skills but or rather the process of making art – and where self-exploration, imagination and creativity meet.

As One Child launches our Art Therapy program we have decided to focus on 2 populations of our community that is underserved and could benefit from Art Therapy – non verbal children or those with limited verbal communication abilities, and siblings of special needs children.

Art Explorers: Art Therapy Group is for non verbal children or those with limited verbal communication ability. Our aim for this program is to help reduce stress and anxiety that is often associated with children that
are not able to effectively communicate.  Conducted in a group setting our hope is that participants will also establish a familiarity with their peers and form bonds with members in the group.

Creators Club: Art Group for Siblings is for the siblings of special needs children. We understand that while being a sibling of a special needs children is a wonderful experience,  their family life is very different from many of their peers. We want to provide them a safe and positive space where they can explore their feelings, express themselves openly without judgement, and a space to meet other peers like themselves and establish friendships born out of similar experiences.

I hope you will consider enrolling your child in these programs and help us spread the word about them so we can continue to serve families in our community!

Thank you,

Julie Cullifer