2011: Year in Review

Connie Erbert

CARE Program Aims to Educate and Expand

The Community of Autism Resources and Education (CARE) continues to grow and expand to accommodate the many families in Wichita and surrounding areas, searching for services and resources to meet their needs. The CARE department has seen a dramatic increase in the number of families, schools and businesses contacting us for assistance and direction as they strive to provide appropriate services for children with special needs.

The CARE department aims to serve everyone on a local and international level. Our efforts have been reinforced by the strong relationships with parents, professionals, organizations and school districts. Nurturing relationships with local districts has allowed for increased collaboration with Wichita Public Schools and surrounding school districts, meaning children have consistent support, and parents have more options for the most appropriate services for their children. CARE also gives districts an option for support when they are unable to provide the services needed for some of the children they serve.

Nationally, connections continue to strengthen as interest in unique programs, such as Camp SSTAR, International Consultations and SSTAR Scouts encourage parents, schools, agencies and non-profit organizations to inquire and cultivate sustained relationships for purposes of collaboration.

The Wichita community and beyond has positively responded to CARE. It is heartening to see the number of families that have been positively impacted by CARE over the past year. The program has grown into a collaborative facilitator of services, because it is truly a community passionate about enhancing lives.

Through CARE, parents are able to tap into resources that empower them to be responsible advocates for their child at school, in the community and at home. The program continues to make a difference locally and throughout the world by providing programs, services and events.

In the 2011 fiscal year, CARE staff provided more than 1,000 individual, family and school consultations. With phone consultations, that number rose to more than 1,700. The majority of the consultations were within Kansas, while five were international and 52 were throughout the United States. Using technology, out-of-state and international consultations were accomplished via phone, email and Skype.

The Autism Resource Center continues to be a valuable resource to families, individuals and professionals, with well over 500 visits this past year.

The SSTAR Scouts pose for a group photo

With the addition of SSTAR Scouts, the CARE program expanded to include 26 more individuals who meet throughout the year. This number will grow as the program continues to evolve.

The fourth year of Camp SSTAR included a broader age range, with six junior counselors, who were all previous campers. Camp lasted two weeks and included 43 campers, five peer role models and six junior counselors. This year, camp added a greenhouse, which continues to be maintained by campers and scouts throughout the year. The Arts program was another addition to the CARE program, and brought a wonderfully creative addition of photography, stained glass making, mosaics and more. Both programs provide more opportunities for individuals to participate in programs developed to target specific areas of deficit, such as social skills, organizational skills and effective communication skills. A total of 69 individuals accessed the CARE and SSTAR programs this past fiscal year.

Success Story: Londan

Londan has been a part of the CARE program since the very first Camp SSTAR and SSTAR Scouts. The “social transformation” in Londan has been quite incredible. Once content in solitary play, Londan now enthusiastically participates with his peers in projects, special interests and group discussions. With a sparkling sense of humor, Londan has even challenged himself to stand up in front of his peers in a group chat session to tell a joke. Londan giggled with delight as his peers responded. These are all great markers that Londan is progressing towards placing greater value on relationships with peers and adults.

Success Story: Nathan

Nathan came to Camp SSTAR quite shy and reserved, choosing to be an observer rather than a participant. A gifted artist, Nathan can spend hours drawing his favorite ships with great skill. This past year, as part of SSTAR Scouts, Nathan has taken on the role of junior counselor. The leadership role has required him to actively engage in modeling pro-social behavior, encouraging others and lead activities. What an enormous shift for a once shy and reserved individual!

The most amazing achievement of the CARE program this past year was evident at a social gathering for parents and families in April. A large number of SSTAR scouts and Camp SSTAR individuals were in attendance. These individuals are most comfortable staying close to their parents in large social settings; however, this event was different. From the start of the gathering, the scouts, as well as the campers, were gathered in small groups. They were visiting with their friends and having fun. All of our campers and scouts have an autism spectrum disorder and some level of difficulty with social skills. Each of our campers and scouts attending this gathering had obviously made such tremendous strides, and were now a part of a social gathering instead of standing on the sidelines. Many of these individuals get together outside of scouts and camp and enjoy the benefits of having friends!