In the Spotlight: Liam Marca

In the play yard, five-year-old Liam runs and plays energetically, engaged and alert, frequently checking in with his mother to make sure everything is okay, and seeking out joyful interactions with others. His mother says he was not always so present and connected, but through the involvement of caring professionals like Anne Davis and Betina Shain, “his world has just opened up for him, like a camera lens!” She says, “He notices things he didn’t used to; he’s much more aware of everyone around him.” Family Therapist Betina Shain, who sees Liam with his mother for Developmental Behavioral Consultation, says Liam has become much more confident in seeking out experiences and looking around to share his experiences with others who are emotionally close to him. These interpersonal strengths represent crucial DIR/Floortime Milestones, and provide a solid basis for Liam’s continued social-emotional development in the coming years. In his mother’s words, “He’s not in his own world so much – the world is not happening to him, but he is engaging with the world.”

In the Spotlight: Chris Wong

Chris Wong is fifteen years old and has been in PCDA’s Teen Buddies program since 2015. In that time, he has progressed in his ability to be aware of other people’s feelings, and to connect with others in a purposeful way. In this photo of Chris, he is helping serve food to younger peers at PCDA’s recent Turkey Tryout event, where he worked with other teens to assist in facilitating the event, and also helped with clean-up. It is exciting to witness Chris’ growing ability to interact with groups of three people or more. Keep up the great work, Chris!

PCDA Psychologist to Meet Parents at South Central LAMP

On December 2, Dr. Rosemarie Becerra-Ayala will meet with Spanish-speaking parents of preschoolers at the South Central Los Angeles Ministry Program (LAMP) to talk about the mental health needs of children in the inner city. She will be discussing how to support children as they deal with a range of experiences and stressors common to children and families in the neighborhood, and how these can be reflected in mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges. She will discuss the importance of parents “tuning in” to children’s emotional lives and providing a secure base of love and affection as a basis for helping them develop confidence in exploring the world. PCDA appreciates this opportunity to reach out to the LAMP community and hopes to continue to exchange ideas and resources in the future.

Thank you UPS!

Gerald Yee of UPS delivers a $5,000 grant check to Dr. Diane on November 18. The funds will provide iPads and adaptive software for Teen Club and Teen Buddies programs. UPS has been a supporter of PCDA since 2009 – THANK YOU, UPS!

Holiday Giving

Don’t forget to designate “Professional Child Development Associates” as your charity-of-choice on Amazon Smile! Enjoy all your regular Amazon or AmazonPrime convenience, and Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to PCDA! Bookmark this link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-1767757 and support PCDA every time you shop!

Volunteers of the Month: Fong Woo and Joyce Yee!

Congratulations, Joyce & Fong! These two dynamic women are the mother and mother-in-law of PCDA’s Community Outreach Coordinator Anne Yee, and they are always willing to lend a hand when extra support is needed. In the past month, Fong & Joyce helped giftwrap our Toy Drive collection boxes so that they look festive and attract many donations for PCDA client families in need. They also sealed and sorted almost 1,000 envelopes to support the Development department, and brought home-made dumplings to share as well! Joyce & Fong are long-time volunteers with PCDA, and we are deeply grateful for their ongoing support and always cheerful attitudes.

Thank you, Fong & Joyce, for your efforts and dedication to PCDA! We love having you as part of the PCDA Volunteer Team!