Community For Autism And Motor Planning

INAUGURAL SONGWRITING PROGRAM WAS HELD ON SITE FOR 7 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED A CLASS CO-TAUGHT BY 2 NON-SPEAKING AUTISTIC PARTICIPANTS ESTABLISHED AN ADVISORY BOARD OF NON-SPEAKING AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS TO HELP PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON TEVAS MISSION TO DEVELOP AND EMBODY PURPOSEFUL WAYS FOR NONSPEAKING AUTISTIC PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE LIVE AUTONOMOUSLY EDUCATE OTHERS CONNECT PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY RENOVATIONS TO THE PROPERTY WERE INITIATED DURING THE YEAR

THE YEAR STARTED WITH 6 DISCOVERY SESSIONS WITH OVER 60 PARTICIPANTS WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE PERSPECTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS INSIGHTS SUPPORT AND CONCERNS TO HELP US MAP OUT THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF TEVA COMMUNITY RENOVATIONS TO THE PROPERTY WERE INITIATED SEVERAL ROOFS WERE REPLACED AND TWO CABINS HAVE BEEN CLEARED OUT AND UPDATED FOR CLASSROOM USE RENOVATIONS WERE HALTED IN THE FALL BY THE FOREST SERVICE AS IT DETERMINED THE PROPERTY MAYBE HISTORICAL AND NEEDED A REVIEW A HISTORICAL REVIEW WAS INITIATED IN THE LAST QUARTER OF THE YEAR IN JUNE WE HAD OUR FIRST PROGRAM ON SITE A THREE DAY SONGWRITING WORKSHOP WAS LED BY DR BRIAN LAIDLAW A MUSIC AND POETRY TEACHER WHO WORKS WITH NONSPEAKERS IN SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING SEVEN AMAZING PARTICIPANTS ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES COMMUNICATION PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS ENJOYED THE MANY ACTIVITIES INCLUDING LESSONS IN SONGWRITING PRINCIPLES SHARED MEALS NATURE WALKS AND SENSORY BODY WORK EACH PARTICIPANT WROTE A SONG THAT BRIAN PUT TO MUSIC AND WAS SHARED AT A GROUP CAMP FIRE FINDING INSPIRATIONS WAS A CLASS CO-LED BY TWO NONSPEAKERS THE PROGRAM ENDED WITH A LISTENING PARTY AT THE END OF THE WEEKEND A PARENT SUMMED UP THE GOAL OF TEVA COMMUNITY WITH THEIR COMMENT FROM THE RETREAT I LOVED WATCHING MY SONS HAPPINESS AND SHARING THIS WITH MY FAVORITE FAMILIES WELL NEVER FORGET THIS EXPERIENCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE ESTABLISHED AN ADVISORY BOARD OF 16 NON-SPEAKING AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS TO HELP PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON TEVAS MISSION TO DEVELOP AND EMBODY PURPOSEFUL WAYS FOR NONSPEAKING AUTISTIC PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE LIVE AUTONOMOUSLY EDUCATE OTHERS CONNECT PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY