October 2021

Assemblymember McMahon presents
$200,000 check for new center

New York State Assemblymember Karen McMahon presented representatives from The Summit Center with a $200,000 check for Summit’s Center for Autism Assessment and Treatment (CAAT) during a joint press conference on October 6.

 

The press conference was held at 25 Woodridge, the future home of the CAAT. The new center will provide a specialized, out-patient setting for children and young adults with autism who demonstrate severe behavior challenges, often including high rates of self-injury and aggression. It is the final component of Summit’s Building Hope Capital Campaign.

 

“As an attorney who represented parents of students with disabilities in education matters, I know how difficult it can be to secure the appropriate programs and services for children with individualized needs,” said Assemblymember McMahon. “This funding will go a long way in ensuring The Summit Center can provide critical services to children and young adults with disabilities for decades to come. I’m proud to have secured this funding for such an impactful organization.”

 

This funding will go toward supporting construction costs of the $2.6 million project, which will include five new classrooms, four specialized treatment rooms, a kitchen, a multipurpose room that will act as a gym and cafeteria, and a connector to Summit Academy’s 165 Creekside Drive location.

 

“There are currently a very small number of specialized settings in New York State to support children with autism who exhibit severe challenging behaviors, so they are often hospitalized or placed out of state for treatment,” said Stephen R. Anderson, Ph.D., Summit’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Center for Autism Assessment and Treatment will provide a safe place to better understand a child’s behavior, develop a plan to address it, and help the child and family have a better quality of life. We are incredibly grateful for Assemblymember Karen McMahon’s generous support of this project, which will improve the lives of Western New York children with autism and their families.”

 

“On behalf of WNY parents whose children are severely affected by autism, I want to thank Assemblymember McMahon for recognizing the importance of this project and securing critical funding for The Summit Center’s Center for Autism Assessment and Treatment,” said Mark E. Brand, Esq., President and CEO, ACSI - Actuarial Consulting Services, Inc., and President of The Summit Center’s Board of Directors.

 

The Summit Center is so grateful for Assemblymember McMahon’s support and generosity. We look forward to sharing more updates as construction on the CAAT continues.

Community Habilitation helps young man hit the road

“I want to drive to be independent,” Joe said. “I got the permit book and I studied for the permit test.”

 

In preparation for the test, Joe learned about traffic signs and signals, right of way and other important rules of the road. When he felt ready, Joe took the permit test and passed on July 1.

 

“I felt really excited. My parents are excited too,” Joe said.

 

Without asking for any assistance, Joe scheduled lessons with Stevens Driving School. He’s recently learned how to parallel park and complete three-point turns. Joe shared that having a license will also ensure he has access to reliable transportation, especially to get to his job at Beechwood Continuing Care. Currently, Joe relies on public transportation, which he said isn’t always dependable. 

 

His staff have reported that the only support they provide with this goal is checking in with Joe on his progress because he is so independent. Joe said he is looking forward to scheduling his road test soon.

 

We are so proud of Joe and the accomplishments he’s made. We look forward to seeing more of what he achieves in the future!

Summit student achieves significant milestone

This month, we celebrated Ollie’s story in our fall appeal letter. Now we have more exciting news to share about Ollie!

 

“Since you last learned about Ollie, he has achieved a huge milestone,” said Melissa, Ollie’s mom. “The behavior intervention plan he has been using since he was 3 years old has been discontinued. This is due to the amazing teachers and staff at Summit who have worked with him for the past 10 years. I am beyond grateful.”

 

Ollie was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. Frustrated by his inability to communicate his wants and needs, he resorted to screaming and hitting, and he struggled to sleep for more than four hours a day. Ollie’s mom learned about Summit through a friend. After seeing the changes in her friend’s son, Melissa decided to move from their home in Florida to Western New York so Ollie could get the help he needed.

 

Gretchen Abdullah, Behavior Support Consultant at Summit, has worked closely with Ollie throughout his time at Summit.

 

“He engaged in some pretty severe, aggressive behavior,” Gretchen said. “Our main goal was to obviously replace those behaviors with something a little more appropriate, so teaching those adaptive substitute skills.”

 

While Ollie’s initial behavior intervention plan had restrictions, some of those limitations were removed as he progressed through the years.

 

“Prior to the COVID closure, he was making great progress, but we were still seeing a little bit of the behavior,” Gretchen said.

 

During lockdown, Ollie’s mom was diligent about getting him the virtual services he needed. When Ollie came back to in-person services in July, Gretchen could see the changes in him and his behavior.

 

“He came back and he was like a grown up kid,” she said. “He had just matured, he was more independent, he was tolerant.”

 

After looking at the data and giving Ollie a little time to readjust to in-person learning, his team decided to discontinue his behavior intervention plan, a goal his mom had been hoping he’d reach for a long time.

 

“His behavior data is all zeroes,” Gretchen said, meaning Ollie no longer engages in severe behaviors. “It’s just amazing. We decided that he no longer needed the supports of an individual plan, that anything that would come about could be managed by the classroom management plans.”

 

Gretchen said the discontinuation of Ollie’s behavior plan means more services will be available to him when he graduates to help him become more independent.

 

With Ollie’s continued hard work, his staff’s dedication, and his mom’s commitment and advocacy, we know Ollie has a bright future ahead!

Physical Therapy Appreciation Month

Gift Gathering Party set for November 10

Employee Spotlight - Presented by West Herr

What is your favorite movie?

Choosing my favorite movie is another tough question. Two movies I could watch over and over are Jaws and Casablanca. Yep, I know, opposite ends of the genre spectrum. Jaws is the ultimate thriller/horror in my opinion. It sure makes me extra cautious when swimming in the ocean. Casablanca is just about as perfect as a movie can get. Great actors and acting, drama, suspense, and a little action all combine to make a true classic.

 

Where is your favorite place to eat in Western New York?

Right now my go-to restaurant in the area is Mangia in Orchard Park. Between the great food and nice atmosphere, I always have a good experience.

Find rewarding career opportunities with Summit

Fact of the Month

More than 5.4 million adults in the U.S., or 2.2 percent of the U.S. population, are on the autism spectrum. Prevalence of autism in the United States is estimated at 1 in 54 births. (CDC and Disability Scoop, 2020)

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Guided by evidence-based practice, we maximize life success for people facing developmental, social and behavioral challenges.

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