Nearly sixty parents, children and volunteers recently gathered at Grace Lutheran Church for a panel presentation by Innovative Approaches staff and volunteers.
The presentation given to those involved in St. Gerard House’s Family Group Night included activities and accomplishments of the Henderson County Innovative Approaches movement as well as ways to become involved with the initiative. Innovative Approaches leads local efforts among community members to help identify and make positive changes to systems of care that can support the health and wellbeing of children and youth with special health care needs.
Family Group Night is a free support meeting for whole families experiencing special needs. The group is not diagnosis specific and is open to families living in Henderson and surrounding counties. The event includes a meal, child/adult care and presentation for parents of children with special needs. Family Group Night takes place the 4th Tuesday of each month from 5:15-7:00 PM at Grace Lutheran Church. For more information visit www.stgerardhouse.org/familygroupnight.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1 in 39 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Estimated annual costs of autism in the US will rise to $1 trillion by 2025. This cost can be reduced by two-thirds with the services provided at St. Gerard House. St. Gerard House serves nearly 400 individuals and their family members with comprehensive programs and services annually.
St. Gerard House began its work in 2010 with a mission to help individuals with autism and their families experience more joy and achieve meaningful life outcomes by providing evidence-based therapies, innovative programs and continuous advocacy. All St. Gerard House programs are based in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques that apply our understanding of how behavior works to real situations. ABA therapy can help increase language and communication skills, improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, while decreasing problem behaviors.
To learn more about Innovative Approaches contact Karen Caldwell, Innovative Approaches Coordinator at [email protected] or by phone at 828-692-4223 x 6540. You can view the event online.