NEWS & NOTES
from

In This Issue:

  • Upcoming Events At-a-Glance
  • People of PCDA
  • Programs & Services
  • Professional Education & Development (including job posting!)
  • PCDA in the Community
  • Resources for Families
  • Support PCDA
PCDA DI

Dear Friends,

April is Autism Awareness Month and April 2 is internationally recognized as World Autism Acceptance Day through the United Nations.  Autism occurs all over the world.  The purpose of the awareness day and month is to focus attention on the needs of people with autism.  Awareness will hopefully lead to greater understanding, appreciation of each individual's unique talents, acceptance of differences and inclusion. Here at PCDA we truly celebrate each child's abilities, and appreciate the understanding and support that is needed to create warm, trusting, joyful relationships, and successful social interactions.  Please consider your donation to support the work at PCDA during this month. Your donation will help provide the support needed for children and families that are working to overcome the challenges of autism.

Thank you,

Dr. Diane 

 

TODAY is World Autism Acceptance Day

Please help us help children with autism and special needs on this important day!

 
Click on the sunflower to donate to PCDA today!
People of PCDA
Client Spotlight of the Month: Aiden

The picture to the left pretty much sums up this jolly and easy going little guy.  With only 3 years of life experience behind him, Aiden is flourishing and has many new and exciting things happening in his life.  Aiden recently started attending Foundations Preschool in La Canada where he gets to socialize with many other children as he begins his educational journey.  Here at PCDA, Aiden receives music therapy where he gets to use music to continue to grow his many developing abilities.  Some of Aiden’s favorite things to do include swinging on swings, playing with sand, playing with water, and of course, playing music!  Aiden has a strong interest in learning new things and continues to impress those around him with his knowledge of colors, shapes, animals, and letters.  We see a bright future ahead of this cute little guy as he continues to grow as a part of our creative arts programs!

DI of the Month: Ashley Sotomayor

 Ashley started with PCDA July 2017 and it’s been such a pleasure to see her growth over the last 8 months. Ashley has her B.A. in Communication Disorders from California State University, Los Angeles. Previously, Ashley worked as an Early Childhood Development Teacher Provider at the Institute for the Redesign of Learning. Ashley has built such a great rapport with her clients and their families. She has shown great mindfulness for her client's progress and development and identifies and supports transitions to the appropriate programs when necessary.

Ashley has a variety of clients on her caseload from in-home SEDI clients to in-clinic social skills clients. She is currently assigned to the Teen Club program, however, she has also been very flexible and supportive of our Teen Buddies program as well. She is always willing to provide additional support based on our department’s need for our various programs. It’s been wonderful to observe Ashley in our sessions with her clients and her thoughtfulness really stands out in the activities she plans and the support she provides to her clients. The productive interactions and positive responses she receives from her clients demonstrates the strong relationship she has with her clients.

Programs & Services
The Creative Arts Department now has their own Instagram profile!
Program Highlight!
The PCDA Social Skills Group, facilitated by Developmental Interventionists Oyuky Perez and Gwynne Jacklitch-Humphrey, along with South Pasadena High School volunteer Aiko Sudijono, created cardboard robots for their March group project!

The peer group was interested in robots and during the first week, they created a robot of their own on paper. The next week they painted cardboard boxes and during the third week, they made their creations come to life on the boxes. They engaged in pretend play, including a battle bot with some of the group watching as spectators. The Social Skills group had a wonderful time bonding and were very excited to take their projects home!

THREE NEW PROGRAMS!


Young Adults Program
A 6-month program that meets twice weekly for 18-21 year-olds who are ready to advance towards greater independence.


Fun and Friends
A social skills group for 3-4 year-olds and their parents.
Friday mornings 9:00-10:30 am at PCDA


Socials Skills Group for 6-12 years old now in Baldwin Park!


These programs are vendored by the regional center!
For more information, please contact Jennifer Avendano at 626-793-7350 x 222.

SELF-DETERMINATION
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS

You may have heard about a new program for Regional Center services called SELF DETERMINATION. But what exactly is this?

Traditionally, Regional Center services are determined through decisions reached by the IPP Team, including the parents, the Service Coordinator, and the consumer whenever possible. Recommended services must be approved by the Regional Center Clinical Team and only certain programs which have been "vendored"
 by the Regional Center are eligible to be funded.

Under the new method, known as “Self Determination,” consumers and families who choose to take a more pro-active role in determining their own needs and priorities will receive an annual budget, which they can then use to purchase necessary services based on a person-centered planning process led by an Independent Facilitator.

Please CLICK HERE to learn more about this service and upcoming informational sessions.


Be sure and go to an informational session if you might be interested in being part of this program.

Professional Education & Development
PCDA DI

NOW HIRING Child Development Interventionists

A development interventionist supports a child through play-based intervention in our clinic, at home, and in community settings.

For more information, visit:

http://www.pcdateam.org/career-opportunities/

PCDA in the Community
The PCDA NoteAbles Choir recently performed at the Regency Park Astoria Senior Living Facility here in Pasadena!

The choir performed for 30 minutes and sang a number of songs including the "Hello Song", “Set it all free” from the popular children’s movie, Sing, and “One Call Away". The Regency residents were very excited to have the kids there and asked when the choir could come back. This was the first time the NoteAbles put on a full-length performance with multiple songs! 

In March, the Pasadena Police Department visited the Teen Club and Teen Buddies to give a special presentation for their March Safety Month! 

PCDA teens learned important information including how to be safe in their community, how to call 911, and how to interact with a police officer.
Thank you to the Pasadena Police Department for a wonderful and informative presentation!

On March 29th, Dr. Diane presented "Autism: Mystery and Hope" at WeWork Pasadena to a group of PCDA parents and members of the WeWork Community!




Dr. Diane spoke about the diagnosis and impacts of autism, the DIRFloortime approach, current legislation impacting access to services and funding, and the resources available now for children and families.

Program Supervisor, Traci Kenmuir, and Program Assistant, Amanda Calderon, attended CSUN’s Spring Non-Profit and Government Career Fair on March 28! The Programs Team is recruiting for PCDA’s Developmental Interventionist position. The career fair was a successful event that provided the opportunity to meet qualified applicants and network amongst other professionals. 

Upcoming Community Events
PCDA will have a booth at the following events: 

April 8th, 2018 12:30-4pm
Health Fair at Community Bible Church
2124 Lincoln Ave
Altadena, CA 91101

April 28th, 2018 8am-2pm
2nd Annual Mental & Behavioral Health Conference:
Disability, Equity, and Advocacy

Cal State LA Golden Eagle Ballrooms
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
More Information

April 29th, 2018 12-4pm
San Gabriel/Pomona Parents' Place 26th Annual Information Fair & Festival
Cortez Park
2441 E Cortez Avenue (Off Citrus)
West Covina, CA 91791
More Information

THANK YOU to the PCDA volunteers who helped paint our clinic on Saturday, March 24th! We can't thank you enough for your continued support and dedication to helping PCDA and the families we serve.

PCDA celebrates National Volunteer Week April 15-21, 2018!
Thank you to all of our valued volunteers for supporting PCDA's programs.  Your generous time and dedication are much appreciated.  The difference you make does not go unnoticed and will continue to benefit PCDA. 

Join the PCDA Volunteer Team here!

Resources for Families
Book of the Month -
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox

 

This humorous twist on a familiar story shows what can happen when 2 people don’t understand what the other person is saying. It introduces the idea that we don’t necessarily think the same way as someone else and how that can lead to a social misunderstanding.

Nutrient of the Month - Manganese!
Manganese is a mineral that has many roles in the body. It helps with healthy bone growth and is a key component of antioxidants. Sources of manganese include whole grains, nuts, garbanzo beans, spinach, and pineapple. Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, and black pepper are also good sources. Many foods that are high in healthy fiber are often high in manganese too!

Chopped Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Quinoa

Chopped Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Quinoa

Try making this colorful spring salad with your children. They can mix the ingredients and help make a dressing.

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 pound spinach
  • 1 cup diced strawberries
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • Salad dressing of choice

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
  2. Add salad dressing and additional spices, such as onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, etc., as you prefer
  3. Enjoy!
Support PCDA

The Milestones Guild


A streamlined and sustainable opportunity for community members to support children with disabilities and the good work of PCDA.


Tickets/tables for PCDA fundraising events included in donor benefits!

Please contact Franci Levine-Grater: franci@pcdateam.org (626) 793-7350 x 289

SAVE THE DATE!
PCDA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing children with developmental challenges and their families the best possible programs. Your donations directly support children with special needs and their families. Please click here to donate today, or for further information about how you can help, please contact our Development Director, Franci Levine-Grater, at (626) 793-7350 ext. 289 or franci@pcdateam.org. Thank you for your generous support!

PCDA's Mission
PCDA benefits children, teens, and young adults with autism
or other developmental challenges through innovative
DIR Floortime-based therapies, services, and professional development.
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