Recap of April: Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. It is the month in which organizations, families and friends all come together to shine a light on Autism Spectrum Disorder with the Autism Speaks slogan Light It Up Blue. Part of Autism Awareness is educating the world about autism and how it effects 1 in 68 people (US statistics). Team REC organized and participated in a number of events this past month to show our support and love for everyone touched by autism. Combined we had almost 2,000 people involved in lighting it up blue!

Now that April has come to an end and the blue lights are turning off, we all harbor a hope that April’s Autism Awareness will turn into AUTISM ACCEPTANCE for the remaining 11 months of the year.

See below for some picture highlights of the April #LIUB events.

REC Spring Into Autism Awareness EGGstravaganza
March 29, 2015

Team REC of NH

EGGstravaganza Craft

Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny

Salem, MA World Autism Awareness Day Walk
April 2, 2015

Walk Around Salem Commons

Team REC Walkers

REC Touch-a-Truck for Autism Awareness
April 19, 2015

Touch-a-Truck Crowd

Peabody PD and McGruff

Peabody’s Newest Junior Firefighter

Autism Speaks’ Day at the Fisher Cats
April 26, 2015

Watching the ball game in style

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, attended and participated in any #LIUB events this month! Keep the lights shining!

Now Enrolling for Camp REC!

The REC’s customized ABA programs don’t end with the school year! Did you know that we offer an extensive summer program at Camp REC from June 13th through September 2nd? Families can choose the days, weeks and times!

What is Camp REC?
Camp REC is an individualized summer program that combines fun and learning through ABA methodology while students work and play their way through the day at the center. The days are structured with various activities from cooking, crafting, indoor gym play, board games and puzzles. Older kids have their own space in the Teen Center and the vast outdoor space is great for sport games, water fun, sidewalk chalk and much more!

Furthermore, our creative Program Coordinators develop weekly themes such as Down on the Farm or Rainforest Ruckus so make sure you enroll soon to book your favorite week(s)!

How do I enroll my child?
If you are new to the REC, you will need to complete the intake packet which includes assessment documents, insurance information, release forms and registration details. Contact us today for a complete intake packet by emailing info@recreationaleducationcenter.com or by calling one of our 2 locations.

If your child already attends the REC and has completed the intake, you only need to complete the Camp REC registration form which includes the requested schedule and other pertinent information for the summer program. See the link below for the Camp REC brochure and registration.

Camp REC Flyer 2016 

How long does the intake process take? 
Depending on the time of year, the intake process may take anywhere from 20-40 days in order to confirm insurance, review assessment forms and schedule the evaluation. Once the evaluation is complete, one of our BCBAs will complete the treatment plan for insurance approval.

My insurance doesn’t cover ABA. Do you accept private pay?
Yes, but the cost varies based on the needed staff to student ratio. Please contact info@recreationaleducationcenter.com for more information on private pay.

My child is enrolled. Now what?
Stay tuned for our Camp REC Orientation in early June! More details to come. See you this summer!

Staff Spotlight: REC of NH Program Coordinator

The REC of NH in Londonderry has been open just over 3 months but we are far from green! Our last Staff Spotlight (click here) featured Program Coordinators from our Peabody, MA location. Our rapidly growing REC of NH currently has one Program Coordinator who has set a high standard that we like to consider the REC way of providing effective, individualized, and comprehensive ABA programming.

Gina Tremblay, Program Coordinator

Gina joined Team REC in Peabody, MA several years ago. She began training as a Behavioral Support Staff, and it became clear early on that she was passionate about helping REC kiddos reach their full potential and facilitating ABA programming.  When the REC of NH was being developed, Gina was the perfect candidate to lead the charge and replicate our successful Peabody program in Londonderry. She has embraced the role of Program Coordinator and exceeded all expectations by bringing her experience and creativity into her work.

Gina effectively juggles many responsibilities including clinical tasks such as student assessment, treatment planning, and ongoing maintenance of students’ individualized programming. She also plans daily group art activities, ice skating pond crafting, and cooking task analyses, baking marshmallow pumpkin pops for Halloween or multi colored red and green cupcakes for the Holidays.  If you’ve been to the REC of NH and like what you see, it is most likely thanks to Gina and her bright handmade craft ideas brought to life by the students at the REC and adorned all throughout 10 Mohawk Drive!  We can’t wait to see what else Gina has up her sleeve and look forward to her kicking off an amazing Spring and Summer Program (Camp REC) schedule!

Thank you Gina for all that you do! To read more about the REC Staff visit our website.

Gina pictured with 2 REC students

Stay tuned for more staff spotlights!

Letter from our Founder

It is incredibly hard to believe that our 2014 summer program Camp REC is coming to an end. As I walk through the center, I am totally in awe of the smiling faces on both staff and children and the contagious giggles that abound.  It is truly amazing to observe the wonderful resource the REC has become. It certainly makes me reflect back on when the idea of opening the REC was merely a thought to the actuality of opening day.

Frequently, I am asked why I opened the center. Although the development of the center from its infancy to now has been a tremendous adventure, how it came to fruition is actually not a spectacular story. I started working in special education over sixteen years ago. Throughout my career and wonderful interactions with so many children and their families, it became evident that the services I was providing for these children and their families were often not enough. Parents expressed their concerns and wishes for additional supportive programs. For many families, evenings are long, weekends are longer, and vacation weeks are endless. Simply an hour can feel like an eternity at times when a child is having a difficult day. Confronted with this realization, I envisioned offering a year-round program that would be available to families seven days per week. Families would have the opportunity to access the center at times convenient for them. What a wonderful resource it would be!

For a long period of time, I constantly thought about how to design and institute such a program. After endless hours of perseverating on the idea, I finally decided that I needed to simply take a chance and move forward with following my dream.  My initial concept of implementing this program soon became a reality. Thanks to the many families who continue to take advantage of the activities and programs offered at the center, the REC quickly gained popularity. With its success, I have received more gratification than I could ever have imagined. The center today offers so much more than seven days per week of programming; it offers a truly specialized experience for all students. It has opened the doors for children with special needs to engage in similar experiences as their peers.

I am extremely proud to be surrounded by such talented and dedicated people who share my belief in the REC. My staff members possess endless amounts of energy. They spend countless hours researching and creating fun and educational new projects for our students. My team members and those families participating in our programs truly make the REC a unique and cherished place. They have been instrumental in making my dream come alive and the success of the REC has surpassed all my expectations.

I am truly touched and feel so fortunate that we have been able to reach so many families over the three years we have been open. My dream doesn’t stop here though; I am committed to extending these opportunities to more families as well! Although I have achieved my initial goal with the success of the REC, anyone who knows me well would agree that I am constantly striving to expand and provide more support and additional resources to families. Why stop here? The REC in Peabody officially opened while I was 8 months pregnant with my second son. It just seems fitting that our second center will open while I am 8 months pregnant with my third child. We are eager to launch our Londonderry, NH location in October 2014. We hope many new families will access and enjoy the programs offered at our new location and that we will receive as much enthusiasm from families in New Hampshire as we have received by those in Massachusetts.

I truly love the career path I have chosen and I am extremely thankful for the students, families and staff members of the REC who consistently impact my life and remain my constant motivation in continuing to explore and create new and even more beneficial resources for all families.

I hope you will come see us soon in either Peabody or Londonderry!

Tricia Woolard, M.S.Ed., BCBA
Executive Director/Owner
Recreational Education Center, LLC

 

Tricia and her two sons at the REC’s Annual Halloween Party.

Tracking success… by smiles.

As a parent, caretaker or loved one of a special needs child or young adult, specifically one with behavioral needs, you are all too familiar with the term ABA or Applied Behavior Analysis.

At the REC, data tracking is a way of life, but we have also found joy in another measure of success: Success by smiles! REC Staffers are working to earn smiles from the REC kids as they complete different goals and are positively reinforced in our Natural Environment Teaching.

The REC setting allows for many different situations where Natural Environment Teaching can occur and our Clinical Director is always incorporating fun and educational ideas into the daily activities and treatment plans. This ABA method helps children to recall the same behavior when faced with similar situations outside the REC.

Below are some pictures highlighting REC kids and Natural Environment Teaching (it really is this fun!).

REC student enjoying the trampoline while learning to take turns with her peers!

REC Student practicing his counting while on the swing.

REC students sharing while in the Sensory Art Room.

Stop in the REC to check out our Natural Environment Teaching Wall for more fun ideas! We also love to see smiles from the parents and caretakers who are seeing results translate into home life, finding respite in our programming and watching their child have the opportunity to simply enjoy being a child.

Measuring ABA in the Classroom

Save the date for our next Parent Workshop on Wednesday, January 29^th at 6PM! Presenter Dr. Michael Dorsey, Ph.D, BCBA-D, will be discussing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the classroom and how to measure its use.

Dr. Dorsey is a Professor of Education and Director of the Institute for Behavioral Studies at Endicott College. His experience with implementing ABA practices led him to author various publications including those assisting in the initial development of the Functional Behavior Analysis. (To read more about Dr. Dorsey please click here).

This free event is part of the REC’s Parent Workshop Series. Please click here for the official flyer and RSVP to info@recreationaleducationcenter.com so we may plan for refreshments. See you there!

We understand that it may be difficult to find child care during our workshops, but we would not want anyone to miss out on the valuable information provided! Therefore, parents are welcome to bring children as long as they are supervised.

Our thanks to Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to invite military families to the REC during the entire month of November for FREE Open REC.  Click here for Open REC hours.

Please just present a military ID at check-in and enjoy watching your children have a blast in our three play spaces: Indoor Playground, Art Room and the Play & Pretend Toy Room.

Thank you for your service to our country! For more feel-good military videos, check out the Welcome Home Blog: http://welcomehomeblog.com/.

The REC

Halloween Party Marks the REC’s 2nd Anniversary!

This past weekend we opened our doors to local families for our Annual Halloween Party! Not only were we excited to celebrate such a fun and “spirited” holiday, but the party also marked the REC’s 2nd Anniversary!

It is hard to believe that just 2 years ago the REC dream took flight. What started as an idea has turned into one of the Boston area’s most unique center based programs for children and adolescents with special needs and Autism. We are so fortunate to be a part of the community and what better way to celebrate than with a FREE event for the whole family?!

Costumes, pumpkins, treats, face-painting, balloon masterpieces and more! Each child received a goody bag and went door-to-door as Team REC handed out treats! It was a great way to practice Trick-or-Treating in our safe and controlled setting. REC Program Coordinators also provided Halloween themed Social Stories and Visual Cues.

Thanks for celebrating with us (if you missed it, make sure to save the date for next year)!

Staff Pumpkin Carving and Decorating Party

Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf and “Grandma”!

Thanks Balloons by Brian!

Playtime with costumes

Face-Painting Fun! Thank you Jessica Cornell and family!

Team REC

   

What’s happening?

Introducing our blog calendar! The REC has added a calendar to the blog which will include local events and happenings related to special needs and education. Check it out here.

While you’re browsing, don’t forget to save the date and RSVP for the upcoming FREE REC Events:

Parent Workshop: Autism & Insurance
Thursday, October 3^rd at 7pm
Click here for more information

2^nd Annual Halloween Party
Saturday, October 26^th from 10am-2pm
Click here for more information

We would love to include your organization’s event on our calendar so please email info@recreationaleducationcenter.com to add yours today!