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BIS parents have likely heard or participated in a number of the various camps we have held, including Winter Break Camp and Spring Break Camp. With that in mind I am pleased to announce that Behavior Intervention Services recently opened up registration for our annual Summer Camp for teens with developmental disabilities.

The camp will run on weekdays from July 3rd – Aug 10th. We will maintain a 4:1 camper to staff ratio but 1-on-1 staffing is available.

During the two weeks campers will partake in a wide variety of activities focused primarily on friendship, community, sportsmanship, teamwork, and exploration as well gaining life skills through interacting with peers, support staff and going out into the community.

Each day campers will enjoy arts & crafts, small group games and working on social skills. In the afternoon campers will take a field trip out into the community.

Drop off time will be at 8:30am and campers should bring a lunch and a snack with them. A second snack will be provided. Pick up time is 3:00pm.

Pricing information for the summer camp is as follows:

• Standard Rate – $250
• 1-on-1 Staffing – $550
• To Use Current Staffing Hours During Camp – $50

Interested parents should download the registration documents and submit back to BIS either via email to Beck Swendig or faxed in to 314-395-9381. Registration ends July 6th and spots are limited so please don’t hesitate to get your paperwork turned in early to ensure a spot in this years Sizzling Summer Camp.

Behavior Intervention Services will be hosting what we hope is the first of many annual Washers Tournaments to benefit Action for Autism.

Action for Autism is a non-profit in the St. Louis area dedicated to addressing the growing need to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as their families. Action for Autism works with families living in a 250 mile radius of the St. Louis area and provides excellent services, so much so that we’re working with them to raise money to continue and increase those excellent services.

The Washers Tournament is going to be held in Tiemeyer Park on May 19th. First toss happens at noon but the party starts at 11:00am.

In addition to the Tournament we’ll have live music, lots of barbecue and beer, a silent auction, and possibly free Vepsa rides.

If you’re interested in registering a team to play in the tournament the cost is $25/player.

If you just want to show up and partake in the festivities a wrist bracelet that gains you access to all the food and beer you can handle costs only $10/person. Children 12 and under are free.

Fill out the form here to register your Washers team or purchase bracelets.

If you or your business is interested in providing something for the silent auction, donating to Action for Autism or a prize to tournament winners fill out the attached donation form and send it to Lynn Brook either via email or fax.

Any questions about the tournament can be directed to Lynn Brook or Jamie Salls at their respectively linked to emails or by calling 314-395-9375.

On Saturday BIS held our first Employee Appreciation BBQ of the year at Shaw Park in Clayton, MO and despite the rain we all had a very good time.

Before the weather got rough some folks managed to get in a couple games of volleyball and some practice for the washers tournament, which I continue to believe I will dominate (not really).

We also had some excellent karaoke. Try to imagine the ISL crew spitting some mad rhymes in an inspired version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Big Butts” (I wish so badly I had video of this) or little Theo Brook rocking out “Moves Like Jagger”, a song I’ve never heard but instantly became a fan of.

All in all it was a good fun day and I just want to thank management for throwing a good party and for all my coworkers who represented and made it worth riding the Vespa out in the rain.

I only have three pictures from the event but I’ll update as I receive more

We’re moving over to a new pay cycle and that requires all in-home PCAs to start using the new timesheets we’ve worked up.

Download the Current Timesheet

The table below is going to show how the new pay cycle will work. That includes when timesheets are due, what timeframe they cover and when your paycheck will actually be issued.

Click on the due date to download a prepared timesheet for that pay period.

I know. I know.

We’re a week away from the end of April and I’m only just now posting the March/April edition BUZZ to the website. It’s entirely possible that I’m more on the ball for the next one, but no one hold your breath.

Seriously, this issue has some solid information in it. For instance, front and center is a heads up about the BIS Washers Tournament we’re hosting as a benefit for Action For Autism. In addition to that we’ve got recaps from Spring Break Camp, a new hire interview, and some info about World Autism Day.

For the parents out there we’ve got a copy of our events calendar and info about other noteworthy community events.

Anyway, here’s the link. Download the BUZZ and view it at your leisure. If you have any questions, information, or something that needs to be included in an upcoming issue of the BUZZ please send an email to Beck Swendig or call 314-395-9375.

The upcoming Special Needs Soccer Association (SPENSA) season is starting soon.

The first game is Saturday March 31st, which is just a little more than two weeks away so I urge anyone who is interested in participating either as a player or a volunteer to email or call SPENSA at 314-894-1339 (press 2) to get signed up.

Can’t wait to see you guys out there on the pitch!

Later this week BIS is holding their first of what I believe is going to be an annual Perks Day. The event will highlight the various perks Behavior Intervention Services provides to employees. A lot of those perks come in the form of deals and discounts employees can receive with other organizations like Verizon and Aflac but the employee perk taken advantage of most is probably the corporate wellness program.

To help showcase the corporate wellness program we interviewed an employee that has been participating already and has an amazing story to tell.

Gina Puglisi has been a PCA for Behavior Intervention Services since Oct. 2011 and works in a couple of our ISLs. As I said before, she has been taking advantage of the corporate wellness program and has used that to lose 70+ pounds.

Gina has some heart problems and has been taking HTCZ to control her blood pressure. She has tried joining gyms in the past and even did a bout with weight watchers but neither stuck. Her aunt had gastric bypass surgery and Gina considered that option, but never too seriously because she could already see her aunt putting the weight back on. “I wanted to avoid surgery at any cost… So, in my mind, that was NOT the way to go because the results didn’t last for her. I wanted to be healthier and increase my energy level in addition to looking better of course.”

The corporate wellness program includes a membership to Club Fitness and comes with a complimentary personal training session and that support helped her to succeed. “I still have bad days, I am far from perfect with the motivation, but I try to keep telling myself about my short and long term goals. Sometimes this self talk works and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t work that is when I rely on my partner and/or my trainer to help keep me motivated. It truly helps me to be accountable to someone, or I too will fall off and stop going.” This kind of support has been critical to her success.

Most weeks she goes to the gym 6 days a week and sometimes even pulls two-a-days. “There are some days that I will work out with my trainer at 5am and be back at the gym by 6pm to do cardio.”

“For me this is a way of life now and has to continue this way because I love it. My short term goals are, of course, to continue to lose weight. I do have a longer term goal to prepare for the Warrior Dash in late September. The Warrior Dash is a 5K run with obstacles like jumping over fire pits, climbing walls and crawling in mud under barbed wire. I do have long term goals as well, such as becoming NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certified to be a personal trainer as a part time job. I have thought to myself, ‘who would be a better person to help someone else achieve their weight loss goals than someone who has truly been there?’ I have been and still am heavy, but I understand the physical, emotional and mental battle involved with weight loss. I now have something to offer others that are willing to trudge the road to health and fitness.”

To find out more about the corporate wellness program you can contact Meghan Halbrook at mhalbrook@behaviorinterventionservices.com or visit the BIS office on Thursday and talk to a representative from Club Fitness directly.

I know the month is already half over, and I’ll lay down a tentative promise to be more on the ball for the following months, but I want to list out some events taking place in the St. Louis area over the next few weeks that would be beneficial for anybody with autism or another developmental disability as well as their friends and family.

• Guys and Girls Night

  Tuesday, 2/14
  5-7pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Fostering Self Determination and Independence in Teens/Young Adults

  Thursday, 2/16
  6:30-8:30pm
  St. Louis Arc Family Center
  1177 N. Warson Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63132
  www.slarc.org
  314-817-2275

• Glee Club

  Thursday, 2/16
  12:30-1:30pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Guys and Girls Night

  Tuesday, 2/21
  5-7pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Monthly ASD Support Group

  Wednesday, 2/22
  7-8:30pm
  Gateway Center for the Arts
  204 Elm St.
  Washington, MO
  Contact Kim: 636-239-8939

• Steps to Success: Parental Rights

  Wednesday, 2/22
  7-8:30pm
  Parkway Early Childhood Center
  14605 Clayton Rd.
  Ballwin, MO 63011

• Transition Planning & the IEP: Through the Doorway to Adult Life

  Wednesday, 2/22
  9-11am
  St. Louis Special School District
  12110 Clayton Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63131
  www.solutionwhere.com/ssd
  314-989-7807

• What to Do This Summer Recreation Fair

  Thursday, 2/23
  7-8:30pm
  St. Louis Special School District
  12110 Clayton Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63131
  www.solutionwhere.com/ssd
  314-989-7807

• Glee Club

  Thursday, 2/23
  12:30-1:30pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Relationships & Sexuality

  Thursday, 2/23
  6:30-8:30pm
  St. Louis Arc Family Center
  1177 N. Warson Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63132
  www.slarc.org
  314-817-2275

• Teen Meet Up Group

  Friday, 2/24
  6:00pm
  Masonry Institute
  1429 S. Big Bend Blvd.
  St. Louis, MO 63117
  www.slarc.org
  314-817-2211
  $10 for participants and $5 for family members.
  Pizza served

• Working Effectively with DMH – St. Louis Regional Office to Access Resources and Services

  Saturday, 2/25
  10am-3pm
  St. Louis Arc Family Center
  1177 N. Warson Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63132
  www.slarc.org
  314-817-2275

• Understanding the IEP Process

  Monday, 2/27
  6-9pm
  St. Louis Special School District
  12110 Clayton Rd.
  St. Louis, MO 63131
  www.solutionwhere.com/ssd
  314-989-7807

• Guys and Girls Night

  Tuesday, 2/28
  5-7pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Glee Club

  Thursday, 3/1
  12:30-1:30pm
  Behavior Intervention Services
  10176 Corporate Square Dr. #220
  Creve Coeur, MO 63132
  behaviorinterventionservices.com/events
  314-395-9375

• Autism & Employment Conference for Professionals

  3/6 – 3/7
  Sheraton Westport Hotal Lakeside Chalet
  191 Westport Plaza
  St. Louis, MO 63146
  800-296-5954
  joy@classicevents.net

I’ve been catching up on my reading of the Missouri Autism Report and was surprised to see in the January issue that corresponded nicely with a blog post we put up a few weeks ago about iPads and the Aeir Talk app.

The article titled, “Ipad Gift Unlocks Voice of Local Missouri Child” tells the story of Gabrielle Williams and how an iPad has changed her ability to express herself and the profound effect that has on had her life.

Gabrielle was diagnosed with autism at four and has remained nonverbal since then. Her parents tried sign language and PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), as well as some other options but none of them seemed to work for Gabrielle.

Eventually a family member saw a TV special that outlined some of the benefits an iPad could have on the life of a person with autism and decided to buy one for Gabrielle. We spoke last time about the Aeir Talk app but Gabrielle has been using the Proloquo2Go app and it seems to be working wonders for her as she is finally able to express herself. “The frustration level has decreased since the Ipad. She can now participate in her classroom, make many of her own choices and communicate with her parents and teachers.”

Clearly the use development of apps for iPad, iPhone and Android devices to help ease communication problems for people with autism is becoming more commonplace. Hopefully, over time we’ll see such a prevalence of these types of devices that everyone who needs one can have one to help them communicate.

In the meantime, here’s some resources for obtaining an iPad or other assisted technology (AT):

• Prerequisites for obtaining AT through school system, insurance or other funding source.
• Missouri Assistive Technology has a few programs that might be able to provide funding or partner with your child’s school or other organization to “loan” equipment.
• Apps for Children with Special Needs is an organization dedicated to providing iPads to schools and families in need of them.
• There are many assisted living centers across the state that has AT rooms where users can try out various equipment.

Please take a look at the Missouri Autism Report website and if you have any information about iPad apps that have been effective please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

**Credit for quotes and the image in this blog post go to the Missouri Autism Report.

I wrote a few months ago about the Special Needs Soccer Organization (SPENSA). They had just finished up their fall season and were still in the process of putting together the schedule for the Spring ’12.

Well that schedule has been finalized and here it is:

I think that this would be a great opportunity for a lot of the BIS clients and I’m in the process of mobilizing staff and parents to ensure clients are involved.

SPENSA is always looking for more volunteers and if you’re interested they ask that you show up at 8:30 to help set up and greet the players. Volunteers are then assigned a player to work with hour long session. If you don’t have soccer experience that’s OK because there will be coaches on the field to give directions and provide assistance as needed.

I’ll be out there as often as I can and I hope to see a big turnout.

Please contact Shirley McBroom if you have any questions.