
Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 7: SUCCESS Builds Confidence!
On the Horizon is a weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.

It’s Spring Break
A Note from Nicole: Spring Break and Autism Awareness Campaign
Idea of the Week: Roll the Dice
Feature Article: SUCCESS Builds Confidence
Featured Resource: Explorations in Eating Calendar and Food Journal
Featured Program: Summer Camps 2008
Upcoming Events: Don’t Miss Out
To keep receiving On the Horizon, please add the email address “nicolebeurkens@horizonsdrc.com” to your safe address list.


Hi Everyone!
It’s Spring Break in our area this week and for once the weather here is pretty decent. I remember some Spring Breaks past when other families would be in tropical locations and we would be here shoveling snow! The weather this past weekend was gorgeous – temps in the 60’s and bright sunshine. Makes us feel a little bit better about not traveling this year. Because the weather was so nice, my husband and I had the kids outside doing lots of yard work, cleaning out the cars, etc. It reminded me of the many opportunities for guided participation that exist in our everyday tasks and activities. As you begin your Spring clean-up inside and outside your home, make sure to include your child and make the most of these awesome opportunities for apprenticeship!
A big “welcome” to all of our new subscribers this week! For those of you who have signed up through our Autism Awareness campaign for the month of April, we thank you for your participation. You are helping families who otherwise could not afford CORE Approach to access treatment. Please help us spread the word about this awesome opportunity for the month of April – for every person who signs up for this newsletter at www.horizonsautism.com, we will make a donation to the CORE Approach Scholarship Fund. Many thanks to those of you who have been posting this information on message boards and emailing friends and family members!
Looking to the horizon,


Roll the Dice!
Each player takes turns rolling the dice (use one or more) to rack up points. Decide how many rolls you can take per turn. The ultimate goal is to be the first person to reach a total of 50 points. However, if a player rolls a one, they lose all their points and have to start over. The total number of points can be changed to make the game age appropriate. All you need is a die (or multiple dice), paper, and pencil to keep track of everyone’s points. Have fun!


SUCCESS Builds Confidence!
By: Michelle VanderHeide
Living in our dynamic, fast changing world can be extremely stressful — even for those who are processing information at a normal rate. Imagine moving to another country where you know only a limited amount of the language that the nationals speak. It could be overwhelming! Now imagine trying to keep up the same lifestyle you now have in that country. Without the support of a trusted guide, we’d all fail! What a different experience that would be if you were given more guidance, such as learning about the culture and foundational words in their language before you go; or going with somebody that is familiar with that country!
As a parent, being the guide to your children is an extremely important role; and when you have a child with autism, the stress of this job is amplified all the more. The pace of our world is very fast, and much too fast for a child with autism to process all that is necessary to function successfully. Below is the acronym SUCCESS, which offers 7 simple things you can do to begin a successful guided relationship with your child.
Explorations in Eating Calendar and Journal
$19.95 (Per Calendar) or $39.95 (Per Calendar and Journal) Each day has ideas to expand your child’s diet and food preferences. Calendars are assembled by clients in our EmployAbilities program. $1.00 from every calendar will be donated to FARR.
Click on the image below to visit our store!



Summer Camps 2008!
Your child is going to LOVE the exciting adventures we have planned for this summer! Each week we will explore a different theme together, complete with lots of opportunities for movement, music, problem solving, working together, and indoor and outdoor fun. Our camps are design to offer a fun, safe, and therapeutic environment for children with developmental disabilities to engage with peers, try new things, and retain skills over the summer months. A low staff to child ratio ensures that everyone is supported. Principles of the Relationship Development Intervention (CORE Approach) Program are integrated throughout all activities, which provides oportunities for campers to improve communication, increase competence, enhance regulation, and build relationships.
For a brochure, click here
For a registration form, click here
To sign up online, click here

Please join us!
See our Event Calendar for more details…
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