Individual and Family Resources

It feels like lately our office has been made aware by many our families about how local resources are limited and needed!  I figured this would be a good opportunity to provide information about an amazing organization in the Seattle area.

The Arc of King County is an organization, helping individuals and their families with intellectual and developmental disabilities from its inception in 1936, and as such is the oldest organization of its kind. The Arc assists individuals from birth through death.  They have an extensive training and education program at many locations in the county, covering the following topics (as well as many more): http://arcofkingcounty.org/what-we-offer/training-and-education

Trainings for parents throughout the lifespan

• How to access services for people with I/DD

• Transition services 

• Wills/Trust and Guardianship

• Disability Awareness 

• Helping Parents Training 

• Financial Literacy 101 

• Social Security Benefits

• Navigating the special education system 

• Navigating employment services

They have supported a living program http://arcofkingcounty.org/what-we-offer/supported-living-services where they help individuals remain independently in the community, and are a major force in advocating for individuals with disabilities at the local, state and national level. The King County Family Coalition is a great place to get involved in advocacy or learn more about issues. http://arcofkingcounty.org/what-we-offer/king-county-family-coalition

The Wings for Autism Program is a national Arc initiative which we do twice a year with our partners, Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle, allowing families to spend the day at Sea-Tac Airport, doing a real time airport rehearsal of checking in, going through security, waiting at the gate, boarding the airplane and taxiing around the runway.  http://www.arcofkingcounty.org/index.php/get-connected/news-events/2-general/119-wings-for-autism

There is also a Parent to Parent Program, http://arcofkingcounty.org/what-we-offer/parent-to-parent-program where parents are matched with a helping parent who has a child with similar needs or  challenges, whether it be the same disability, medical issues, or for peer support. There are also a whole slew of online support groups that can be accessed. There is also a wide range of support for multicultural families available through the organization.  The Arc has monthly Coffee and Conversation groups at multiple locations and other events scheduled through out the year for families. They are a great resource for IEP questions and information.

On January 23rd, they will be having an Open House and Annual Meeting at the Arc, which is a great opportunity to learn more about the organization and meet other families.

There is a newsletter which you can sign up to learn of ongoing events. There is also a general information and referral service available to link families to community resources: http://arcofkingcounty.org/what-we-offer/general-information-and-referral-i-r

As well as a Resource Guide and Community Calendar.

The Arc of King County contact information: 

King County Family Coalition contact:

Cathy Murahashi

Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator

By Phone: 206.829.7039 Tuesdays and Thursdays – 8:30AM to 3:30PM

Cell 425.643.4048 Wednesdays and Fridays - 8:30AM to 4:30PM

Wings for Autism contact: 

Samantha Court

By Phone: 206.829.7006

By Email: scourt@arcofkingcounty.org 

Training and Seminars:

Department Supervisor Contact

Robin Tatsuda

Director of Information and Family Support

By Phone: 206.957.7011 

Information and Referral:

By Email: ask@arcofkingcounty.org

By Phone: 206-829-7053

Hope this information is helpful, and a special thanks to Stacia Irons for providing me with all of this information!!

-Paige

New Sports Banner!

Rock Therapeutic Services is a proud sponsor of the Ravensdale Park Foundation.  Check out our Outfield Banner at one of the new baseball fields:

The Ravensdale Park Foundation is a nonprofit organization set up to design and facilitate upgrades and enhancements to Ravensdale Park through a partnership with King County Parks.  The founding organizations were Rock Creek Sports and Maple Valley Soccer.  Their mission is to build a park to service the whole community while maintaining the rural character of the park.

From an RTS employee:

  "As the father of a son who has played for both Rock Creek Baseball and Maple Valley Soccer I can say we are very proud of what the Foundation has been able to accomplish.  Recently completed Phase II added two new fully lit all-turf sport fields, a new parking lot and restrooms/snack bar.  This was a great addition to the existing turf baseball and soccer fields which draw teams and crowds from all over Puget Sound.  Most days when you come to the facility you will see every square inch of every field being utilized by baseball, soccer, lacrosse and football.  Not to mention the casual users who come to walk their dog, play on the playground and have a gathering at the sheltered picnic area.  It is great to see so many members of the community get together for healthy activities."
-Todd Storch, Office Manager 

Rock Therapeutic Services is proud to support local communities!  We'll see you at the field!

‘Tis the Season for Sequencing!

SLPs evaluate and target an individual’s ability to sequence events.  Sequencing events requires a person to put steps in order whether completing a task or telling a story.

All children can benefit from developing sequencing skills.  Stop every once in a while and see what you child thinks should come next. Here are some ideas of ways you can help develop your child’s sequencing skills:

• Packing for a trip: 
• What clothing and other items will you need? 
• Is there an order to putting things in?  
• Taking things out?
• Baking: 
• What ingredients and tools will you need?  
• Should you turn the oven on first or put the cookies in first?
• Making cocoa: 
• When should you put in the marshmallows?
• Shopping: 
• What are the steps to choose and purchase? 
• This could easily work with groceries:  Should you put produce or frozen items in the cart first?
• Wrapping gifts: 
• Which should go on first, paper or ribbon?

Have fun and be silly with these activities!

--Elizabeth

So what exactly does an SLP do?

I was able to attend the ASHA Convention a few weeks ago in Denver and completely enjoyed myself!  You may be thinking what is ASHA?

Well it's our national research and credentialing association (see two posts below for more info).  Each year they host a 3-4 day convention where speech-language pathologists (SLPs) gather from across the nation to learn all about the latest research and approaches of our field.  There were around 14,000 SLPs in Denver this year and it was quite the event! While there were many fantastic classes I attended, it was the diversity of topics offered that I was so impressed with.  Our field is so vast and many out there don't know all of the areas of speech-language pathology.  This handout by Super Duper (http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/162%20SLPs.pdf) is a great resource of information and also where I got the information below.  Here are some of the different areas of SLP:

Speech Disorders 

• Articulation - the way we say our speech sounds 

• Phonology - the speech patterns we use 

• Apraxia - difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds 

• Fluency - stuttering 

• Voice - problems with the way the voice sounds, such as hoarseness 

Language Disorders 

• Receptive Language - difficulty understanding language 

• Expressive Language - difficulty using language 

• Pragmatic Language - social communication; the way we speak to each other 

Other Disorders 

• Deafness/Hearing Loss - loss of hearing; therapy includes developing lip-reading, speech, and/or alternative communication systems 

• Oral-Motor Disorders - weak tongue and/or lip muscles 

• Swallowing/Feeding Disorders - difficulty chewing and/or swallowing

Pretty cool right?  Well, I like to think so.  :)  We have an amazing field and I'm grateful to be a part of it.  Ok, enough sappiness about my love of SLP, it's Friday everyone---go enjoy your weekend!

---Cassee

Thankful Turkey Craft

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Here is a fun little craft you can do with the children in your family during this fun holiday. It is an easy project that can also double as a writing activity.

 

What you will need:

-Paper bag

-Colorful feathers

-Glue

-Scissors

-Construction Paper: red, orange, black & white (or Googly eyes to add extra fun)

-Markers/crayons

Directions:

1. Have the top rectangle of the paper bag at the top facing you (this will make the bag become a puppet).

2. Glue eyes, beak, and gobble on the top rectangle area.

3. Have the children write what they are thankful for on the body of the paper bag or have the child tell you and you can write it.

4. Turn the bag over and glue some colorful feathers on!

This is a perfect time to have your child work on their speech and language skills! While making a Thankful Turkey you can talk about how the feathers/paper bag/construction paper feel different. Using describing words (such as smooth, soft, fluffy, colorful, bright, long, triangle, and round) are great for expanding their vocabulary. You can use the following sentence to get started, ‘The (object) feels/looks (describing word(s)/adjective)’. Then have your child retell the steps they completed to make their Thankful Turkey. It is also a great time to target speech sounds ‘k’, ‘g’, and ‘th’ with the words: cut, glue, stick on, thankful, and feather(s).

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

-Kirsten

Greetings from Denver!

A lucky few of us are at the annual conference for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) in Denver, Colorado!  

While ASHA is a wonderful group for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), it's also a fantastic resource for families and individuals impacted by communication challenges.  

Here are some of ASHA's online resource highlights:

Typical Speech and Language Development

Early Detection of Speech, Language, & Hearing Disorders

Self-Help Groups for Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders

Books About Communication

(As a wanna-be librarian, this list is one of my personal favorites -- it has educational books for adults and parents, books written by individuals with communication disorders, and children's books that address communication challenges in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner.  Check it out and hit up your local library or bookstore!)

Information on Health Insurance Coverage for Speech-Language Therapy

If you want to explore more of ASHA's resources for non-SLPs, look here.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend,

Sarah

Giving Thanks!

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away I felt inspired to share with you and your family a few simple ways in which we can show and give thanks. Thanksgiving is a holiday spent with family, friends, and of course eating.  This got me thinking about some of the families in our area who may not get to enjoy this holiday due to a lack of resources.  Right in our back yard is the Maple Valley Food Bank.   They provide individuals and families in need with food and other resources.  The Maple Valley Food Bank relies on the generous donations it receives from the community to make this all possible. Donations are always welcome and needed.  Donations can be dropped off at several locations around Maple Valley.

Donation drop off sites include:

• Maple Valley Library
• Greater Maple Valley Community Center
• Fire Station No. 80 (near Motorplex)
• Covington Library
• Covington MultiCare.

Check out their website for additional information about donations.
http://www.maplevalleyfoodbank.org/donate/

Also, during the holiday season many local grocery stores provide pre-packaged meal bags which can be purchased at the store and left on site for donation.  The meals usually are no more than $10.00 to purchase, and can provide families with all the fixing they will need to make a wonderful holiday meal.  Check out the local QFC, Fred Meyer, and Safeway for specific information and details.

Just remember during a time of year where food is such an integral part of the holiday season helping others is a significant way we can show our thanks.  Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.

-Paige