Help Fund Our Autism Sensory Clinic

My name is Kathleen Partida. A year ago my husband and I received devastating news. Our three year old son, with the big blue eyes, was diagnosed as Autistic. We knew nothing about autism and felt completely lost. Within a few weeks of his diagnosis, James started the Autism Pre-School Program at Rolling Ridge Elementary. The school, the teachers, the aides, the therapist and everybody involved have been a God send to us and our son. In just the past year James has grown leaps and bounds. He went from a frustrated teary eyed child that could not communicate his needs, to a young boy who can tell you his wants and needs such as asking for a cookie and say please as well.

Our program is in desperate need of a Sensory Integration Clinic. In fact, we are one of only a few school districts in Southern California that does not have one. Of course due to budget cuts to the schools there is no way without outside funding that we can build the clinic.

A statement from my son's Occupational Therapist, Mr. Dennis and his Teacher, Mrs. Maritza Patterson: Sensory Integration (SI) is the brain's ability of processing sensory information from our body and environment to produce useful body responses and perceptions, emotions and thought.Rolling Ridge Elementary School is one school in the Chino Valley Unified School District that caters to the needs of students with autism in the Pre-kindergarten through First grade. We have 16 students in the autism classes that receive different services. Although they have been receiving occupational therapy services in the school, we believe that using the Ayres' Sensory Integration model of intervention will help develop and improve adaptive behaviors such as decreased need to stimulate or injure self; improved ability to pay attention, participate and learn; increased independence in functional activities; improved ability to handle distractions and interruptions; improved ability to adjust to changes; improved ability to experience joy and have more fun, increased positive interactions with others; and develop self-regulation and coping strategies which are necessary throughout their lifespan.

With your help we are hoping to reach our goal and build our Sensory Integration Clinic by the end of this school year, 2012/2013. Please help us reach our goal and fund our clinic.