February 2022
The Summit Center 2022 Autism Walk
is back in-person
The Summit Center Autism Walk has always been about celebrating our love for someone with autism. It’s about marking achievements, overcoming obstacles, and coming together as a community. This year, we are thrilled to announce that the Autism Walk will be held in person once again!
Join us on Saturday, May 14 at Summit, 150 Stahl Road, Getzville, for a fun-filled day to raise funds for Summit and help others reach their full potential. For those who would like to take on their own challenge virtually, you still have that option.
Registration for this year’s Walk will open on March 1 with a minimum $10 donation. Children under 18 are free and do not need to register. Join our Facebook group at The Summit Center 2022 Autism Walk for updates and reminders!
The Autism Walk drives donations to critical programs that help people conquer the mountains in their lives. Last year’s event raised more than $230,000 to support the Early Autism Program, respite care, vocational training, and more. The fundraising goal for the 2022 Autism Walk is $270,000.
Students explore talents through leisure hobbies
Drawing, painting, and sewing are just a few of the activities students are discovering through independent leisure hobbies in the Leisure Library at Summit Academy's Creekside site.
Students work on specific projects they are passionate about and receive guidance when needed from Creative Arts teacher Sandy Looker.
Josh is passionate about movies. He even wrote a script, which has served as his inspiration during leisure hobby time. With Sandy’s guidance, Josh began learning costume design and creation. He learned how to hand stitch before moving on to machine stitching.
Saray expresses her creativity through paint. She enjoys watching painting and craft videos, so she asked if she could have painting lessons. Recently, Saray completed a painting of a panda bear.
“I didn’t think I could paint that panda, but I did it,” she said.
Saray hopes to have enough paintings for a gallery show and expressed an interest in taking orders for paintings.
Sandy said she works with each student one-on-one to answer questions or provide assistance when needed, while also giving them time to work independently to build their skills and talents.
We are proud of our students' talents and thrilled that they have a place they can explore their passions and develop new skills.
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WNYRCASD conference to focus
on autism and anxiety
The Summit Center and the Western New York Regional Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (WNYRCASD) are sponsoring the virtual conference “The Intersection of Autism Spectrum Disorders & Anxiety” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Friday, March 18.
Mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression may occur in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The co-occurrence can complicate how professionals and families understand the individual’s behaviors, evaluate interventions, prescribe medications, and provide strategies for supporting them.
This conference will begin with a presentation by Dr. Daniel Mruzek who will describe different types of anxiety disorders that may occur. Drs. Holly Brown and Deborah Napolitano will present their work on how to work with professionals to evaluate the effects of medications. Finally, Dr. David Meichenbaum will present innovative strategies for helping children to think positively.
AHSA, BCBA, CTLE, OT/OTA, PT/PTA CEUs are available for a fee of $15.00.
To register, please click this link, or for more information, visit The Summit Center's website here.
Pro Tips: Building relationships with siblings
Pro Tips provided by Johanna Shaflucas M.S. Ed., BCBA, Clinical Coordinator of Behavioral Support, and Gretchen Abdulla, Supervising Clinician-Behavior Support.
Growing up with a sibling with autism can be a challenging and sometimes lonely experience. However, there are steps parents and caregivers can take to help foster relationships between children with autism and their siblings that can develop into a deep, nurturing bond. The tips below can help build these relationships over time.
1. Find common interests.
Set aside time for the whole family to engage in activities preferred by their child with autism as well as things that interest their siblings. Finding common interests between siblings can help spark a connection. Maybe the child with autism really enjoys eating, and their sibling likes to cook. Help them make a meal together by incorporating tasks the child with autism and their sibling can do together. Even small common interests can develop into a real bond between siblings.
2. Give compliments and affirmations.
Parents and caregivers can be role models in giving compliments for both children with autism and their siblings. Explain how giving a simple compliment or positive remark about the child with autism’s interests can make their day. Things that may not seem meaningful to their siblings may be incredibly meaningful to that child with autism. Having their brother or sister give them a compliment or show an interest in the things they like to do can make a world of difference.
If possible, teach the child with autism how to give compliments to their brother or sister. Parents and caregivers should also remember to compliment each child equally, so everyone feels they are receiving the same amount of praise and attention.
3. Set time aside for conversation.
Make time to have one-on-one, open discussions with the siblings. This gives them an opportunity to communicate their needs and vent their frustrations. Be understanding of their feelings and listen to their concerns.
For parents and caregivers, this is a great time to explain why their sibling with autism may engage in certain behaviors or how some situations can be overwhelming for them. It’s important to remember that all children have needs and that they are constantly growing and learning. A child’s perception and mindset will not be the same at age 25 as it is at 15.
4. Explain rules and provide guidance.
Rules may be very different for children with autism compared to their siblings, and this may not be something a sibling fully understands. Parents and caregivers should explain why there are these differences in the rules.
Explain that everyone has bad days and that it’s okay. Provide guidance to siblings on how they can appropriately interact with their brother or sister with autism, or how they should react if their sibling is behaving a certain way. Explain why their sibling might need space or quiet time.
5. Support groups and other resources.
There are many support groups for families of children with autism. These groups give families a place to share with others and can help siblings see that they’re not alone. They may even make connections with other people who are going through the same challenges they may be experiencing. Using age-appropriate books, movies, etc. to teach brothers and sisters about autism can also help them better understand their sibling with autism’s perspective.
Overall, siblings should be reminded that their brother or sister with autism are who they are and should be embraced, accepted, and loved. Remember, all relationships take time and patience to develop.
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S.T.A.R. offers range of services
for families and individuals
The S.T.A.R. (Support, Training, and Respite) program consists of a variety of different services for both individuals and their families, all geared towards skill building and training.
S.T.A.R. Parent Training offers parents access to credentialed professionals who are available to them across a variety of settings to provide support and expertise while working on specific goals identified by the individual and their parent or caregiver. Parent Training sessions may occur virtually in a group setting, one-on-one in the home, or in the community alongside a structured recreational activity.
S.T.A.R. Skill Building is a respite program that provides families a break while focusing on helping their children to build skills that will help them to be successful in community-based recreation and leisure programs.
The S.T.A.R. Intensive program serves individuals who are currently on hold from other programs, or unable to attend other programs due to challenging behaviors. The program focuses on maintaining safety while decreasing the frequency of challenging behaviors with the intention of joining or returning to other programs.
These programs provide important supports to the individuals and their families, while promoting community involvement and developing skills that lead to greater independence and a better quality of life
To learn more about Summit's S.T.A.R. program, contact Ashlee Bronson, Assistant Director of Community Services, at abronson@thesummitcenter.org.
Employee Spotlight - Presented by West Herr
Meet Tyler MacDavey!
What is your role at Summit?
I am a classroom teacher at Summit Academy - Creekside. I was hired at Summit in 2012 as a community habilitation specialist/respite provider. It was a great opportunity to work in the home with our students and see firsthand the challenges that our families face on a day-to-day basis, as well as seeing how big of a difference even small gains can make in the lives of students and their families. From there, I transitioned to be a behavior support technician, and finally I have been a teacher for 6 years.
What do you like most about working at Summit?
I love working with students, building relationships and connecting with them. I love finding their interests and using those interests to build a bond with them, as well as taking the intrinsic motivation they have to develop their communication skills.
Each student in my classroom has an individualized behavior intervention plan. My students have such unique strengths, needs, and interests that it requires an extremely collaborative approach to help adjust each plan to best help the student be successful. I love the culture of collaboration
and support that I have found at Summit since the day I started working here.
It isn’t always easy, especially given the challenges of the pandemic, but it is always rewarding and the people I have worked with at Summit are a huge part of the reason why.
Name someplace on your bucket list.
I would love to visit Machu Picchu someday.
What is your favorite movie?
The Shawshank Redemption
Where is your favorite place to eat in Western New York?
Toutant
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S.T.E.P.S. purchases new van with grant funds
Summit's S.T.E.P.S. program recently purchased a new van with grant funding received from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism. The new vehicle has expanded the S.T.E.P.S. fleet to meet the needs of the growing program and offer individuals the opportunity to attend daily community activities. Thank you to the Flutie Foundation for supporting adults with autism in reaching their full potential.
Fact of the Month
Though the term "autism" first appeared around 1911, very little was known or medically researched about autism spectrum disorder until the late 20th century. New discoveries and advancements continue to be made today to help individuals on the spectrum achieve their full potential. (MassGeneral For Children)
Our Mission
Guided by evidence-based practice, we maximize life success for people facing developmental, social and behavioral challenges.
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