
Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 21: A Journey Through Infant Development: The First 12 Weeks
On the Horizon is an award winning 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.
To keep receiving On the Horizon, please add the email address “nicolebeurkens@horizonsdrc.com” to your safe address list.

Recognizing Milestones
A Note from Nicole: Summer; Awards; RDI®
Idea of the Week: Backyard Frisbee Golf
Feature Article: A Journey Through Infant Development: The First 12 Weeks
The Horizons Team Recommends: Old Schoolhouse Magazine; Instructional Program
Upcoming Events: Parent Telesemainar; Summer CAMPS; CORE Approach
 
Hi Everyone!
I hope your week is off to a great start! It’s hard to believe we’re already through half of the summer. Our campus has been busy with lots of new families, our camps groups, and other summer fun projects. Thanks to all of you who are sharing your children with us this summer—we love having them with us during the day!
Many of you have contacted us over the past few months to let us know how much you love this newsletter. I wanted to share with you that we recently received an Apex Award for Publication Excellence in the category of Email Newsletter. We are excited about the award, and thank you for reading our newsletter each week!
I know you are going to enjoy Michelle’s feature article this week. In it she shares her observations about her infant son’s development during the first 12 weeks of life. It’s a wonderful reminder about the amazing developmental milestones that are achieved at that young age, and how those provide the essential foundations for all future development. Our RDI® families have already worked on and achieved these important milestones with their children, or they are in the process of working on them. Those of you with children on the spectrum who have not specifically focused on these essential components of development will want to explore how the RDI® Program can help you lay these important foundations.
Looking to the horizon,


Backyard Frisbee Golf!
Begin by playing a simple game of Frisbee catch—stand close to one another and gradually move farther apart. Once this has been achieved, you can elaborate this to a game of Frisbee golf. Decide which locations/objects/obstacles will be the “tee offs” and which will be the “holes”. For example, start by standing on the corner of the driveway and try to hit the tree with the Frisbee. You can put numbered cards or pieces of paper in each spot to mark the “tee offs” and “holes”. Decide on the number of “holes” you will play and have fun!


A Journey Through Infant Development: The First 12 Weeks
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW
I am currently enjoying the amazing experience of having newborn development right under my nose. My son is now 12 weeks old, and I see such amazing differences in him on a daily basis. It’s incredible how much children grow and develop in only a few weeks time. No wonder babies sleep so much given the amount they are learning each day! We would all have to sleep that much if we were processing and learning everything for the first time! As my little guy is growing, I’ve taken some time to reflect on what I’ve seen so I can share this information with him when he’s older. Here are my notes to my son about his early development:

The Old Schoolhouse – The Magazine for Homeschool Families
The Old Schoolhouse is a glossy, full-color magazine packed with information and articles that homeschoolers enjoy reading.
We decided to join the affiliate program for The Old Schoolhouse because we believe it’s a valuable resource for homeschool families. The subscription price may vary depending on current specials.
Click here for more information, or visit our store.

Instructional Program
We have one opening for the 2008-2009 school year
Many parents express concerns about educational options available to their children with impairments. It seems there are few ideal educational settings, and even fewer that take a developmental approach to working on the core deficits of student difficulties.
Our instructional program, available for children ages 5 and older, is individualized to meet the unique and specific needs of each student. Parents and the instructional team work together to determine priority goal areas, which often include communication, problem solving / flexible thinking, socialization, sensory-motor development, academic skills, and self-care skills.
A certified Special Education teacher / RDI® Program Certified Consultant oversees the program. This program runs from September through June and is limited to a small number of students each year.
Schedule a Free Consultation:
To learn more about our Instructional Program, schedule a Free Initial Consultation by calling us at (616) 698-0306 or by completing our online form.

Please join us!
For more information on Summer CAMPS and Collaborate and Create, click here.
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday July 15, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM
- CORE Approach Annual Conference
July 24-28 in Houston, TX
- Summer CAMPS July 28-31: Let’s Experiment
- Collaborate and Create! Session 2: July 29-Aug 14:
Environmental Experiences
- Summer CAMPS August 4-7: Pirates of the High Seas
- CORE Approach Parent Chat
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday August 5, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM
- CORE Approach Parent Day Rejuvenating Your Remediation Program – the Latest in RDI and Research Updates
Horizons Families Only
Saturday August 9, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Summer CAMPS August 11-14: Wet N Wild
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday September 13, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- Beginning CORE Approach 4-day Parent Seminar – Chicago, IL area
November 10-13
Registration and Location Information To Be Announced…
See our Event Calendar for more details…
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