Conference Series Speaker Update

Bethany — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:42:24 +0000

We are proud to announce that the official list of speakers for the 2008 Heartspring Conference Series has been compiled. We will be hosting some of the biggest names in the World of autism this year and are delighted that each of them has agreed to come to Heartspring to impart their expertise in Autism. We are currently gearing up for Dr. Richard Simpson’s visit on the 25th of April. He will be discussing “Current and Emerging Practices for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder”. As promised, we will be launching our new webcasting feature along with Dr. Simpson’s conference. This exciting new technology will enable us to broadcast his conference to the entire world. In the near future, we will also be releasing the video of Dr. Stephen Shore’s two-day conference discussing “Autism from a First-Hand Perspective” and Dr. Peter Gerhardt’s conference on the “Bridges to Adulthood”.

The conference series will be in full swing this summer with Barbara Bloomfield, Carol Gray and Dr. Ross Greene visiting Heartspring. We will also have Carol Kranowitz, Linda Hodgdon, Michelle Garcia Winner and Dr. Cathy Pratt here in the spring and summer of 2009. To find out more information on these speakers and their upcoming conferences, please visit the conference page on this website (www.heartsring.org/resources/professionals/speakers.php).

When humanity beckons…

Gary — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:35:30 +0000

In Jim’s words:

“As you’ve no doubt sensed from the debrief from Gary, Connie and Lindsay, our China trip was life-changing, inspirational, and sobering, all rolled into one. When one hears so many stories of parents who have contemplated suicide (to include their only child), in a country where “normalization” is the watchword, one cannot help but want to jump in with both feet. It’s difficult to stay objective when humanity beckons. We shed a lot of tears, both happy and sad.”

“During our recent two weeks in a little village on the outskirts of Beijing, where Hope Tian Huiping finally found a home for the Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism, Heartspring became part of China’s long history. I’m attaching one of my favorite photographs, taken by Hope to help memorialize our trip. I’ve looked at this picture every day since our return. It’s true that a picture tells a thousand words. For those of you who have not traveled to the Great Wall, this is not a scene along its 4,000-mile expanse that a typical tourist sees. That portion has been totally repaired, and much like Beijing’s downtown where the upcoming summer Olympics will be held, the city is the epitome of modernity and promise.

This was a bitterly cold day, only twelve degrees above freezing, when we started the ascent to the Great Wall. Unlike other days previous, Hope and her son Tao Tao (pictured walking behind us on the wall) were the only ones who accompanied us. The five-hour trek, tough even for a Marine, has become a metaphor for Hope and her son’s journey, which they began over 20 years ago. In a country of 1.2 billion, there are over 5 million autistic children whose parents, bereft of hope and resources, look to the Stars and Rain Institute, and the help we provide, as their only promise for happiness. In the days that followed in China, and continuing to this day, we are finding our own inspiration.”

A Journey to Roads Less Traveled

Gary — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:08:33 +0000

We have now returned, though not yet recovered, from a journey that made a difference in the world; in the lives of others and in our own. We didn’t do a very good job keeping you well informed of our daily activities. We were limited by time, exhaustion, and our own inability to find the words to describe such intense moments of sharing information, compassion, happiness, and sadness. Differences in language sometimes slowed communication, but also increased the intensity of sharing as we discovered vastly greater similarities than differences among staff and families. Many days Connie and Lindsay were in the classrooms or presenting to staff and/or parents. Staff were seeking better ways to work with the children, and moms, dads, and grandparents were seeking hope and a better life for their children. We were interviewed by a national Chinese magazine with a focus on disability and by CNN. Sometimes you have to go to the other side of the world to capture attention for what you are doing back home. The trip to the Great Wall of China was less about the history and majesty of towers 2,500 years old and more about a journey into self discovery.

The last day was intensely emotional as we said goodbye to the staff of Stars and Rain. We shared a video of our experience with them and tried to express our parting thoughts in Chinese. The teachers sang a song for us and gave us simple gifts from the heart that we will treasure forever. After prolonged goodbyes, a group hug, pictures, and many tears, we finally made our way to the door only to be waylaid by parents who were still at the school to celebrate the birthday of one of the children. They gently guided us into the room for more pictures and tears of goodbye for Heartspring staff who a mere ten days earlier were total strangers to them. We then departed for one last dinner in the homes of our hosts, this time at the home of Hope with the loving assistance of several of her staff. Dinner was accompanied with laughter as we shared some of the amusing moments of the last ten days and with tears of sadness for the impending separation of such close and dear friends. Perhaps we changed the course of history for a few people and for a few children in a distant land. Certainly we made life long friends, and most of all, our lives were changed forever. It was an experience of sharing, of discovery; it was a life changing event, difficult to articulate but profoundly present in each of us. It was a journey on a road not often taken and never to be missed. And now we look for ways to make the journey available to many more Heartspring staff; it will only make us better.

Making New Friends

Gary — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:58:58 +0000

Every day has been long and intense. Most days we have spent many hours at Stars and Rain. It is chilly this time of year and many of the rooms are unheated in order to save on energy costs. Children and staff wear coats much of the time until they are in the classrooms with the children where it is warmer. Restrooms are outside and are traditional Chinese which creates a challenge for most of us. But despite the occasional discomfort, the commitment of the parents and the passion of the staff are exciting. New ideas are shared and discussed as staff search for ways to make them work in this very unique setting. For each of us, this has been a life changing experience.

Gary

Seeing Old Friends Again

And Making New Friends

Children of the Stars

Gary — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:42:47 +0000

Children of the Stars

There are hundreds of thousands of families in China who are affected by autism. These families often face a desperate situation. They have little or no knowledge of autism and do not know how to teach or cope with their child. They are also largely excluded by a society that does not understand or accept them. To learn more about the Feng Jia Wei family, take a look at this trailor and then go to http://www.childrenofthestars-film.org/home.html.

Gary

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmXnwyuPqfw

Hope and Desperation

Gary — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:11:30 +0000

No matter the country or culture, the love, the hope, the strain, and the stress are all written across the faces of the parents who have come for help. It is no less true here in China than it is in Kansas. Parents and their children come to the Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism to participate in an intensive 11 week program to learn more about autism and how to help their children become more independent. They come from all across China, often at great sacrifice, to attend the first program in the country for children with autism. Tian Huiping (Hope) is the founder and motivating force, and she is looked upon with great respect by parents and a very talented and passionate staff who do wonders with very few resources. Even heat in all the rooms is considered a luxury during these late days of winter.

Stars and Rain began a mere 15 years ago with five students and has grown to a become the leader of a network of 60 programs around the country that, on any given day, are working with more than 2,000 students and families. Most of these programs were founded by parents who had attended the program in Beijing. Heartspring is not the only worldwide center for children with special needs Stars and Rain regularly captures the attention and involvement of other countries as well. This week alone, we have met volunteers from Belgium, Germany, and South Korea. World Autism Day will occur in April, and CNN is scheduled to visit the program within the next week. Hopefully, they will have an opportunity to focus not only on the Stars and Rain program, but also on the universal challenge of autism and how that common problem has crossed borders to bring us and others together.

Heartspring has maintained an ongoing relationship with Stars and Rain since 2004. This represents my third and most comprehensive visit to their campus, and this is the first visit of other Heartspring staff in order to provide onsite training and to learn more about the their program model and culture. Every year for the last three years Stars and Rain has sent three teachers and staff to Heartspring to learn and share with our staff. We have become sister organizations not only in name, but in a shared vision, respect, and caring. Friendships which will last a lifetime have been created. Our challenge now is to find ways that we can increase our sharing of information and knowledge with each other and to extend that opportunity to 60 other programs throughout China who are eager to learn.

Gary

International Students Welcome.

Mia — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:59:27 +0000

Heartspring obtains SEVP certification and offers new opportunity to help children with special needs around the world.

Heartspring is now able to accept applications from students from other countries. The certification from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitors Program (SEVP) grants Heartspring the opportunity to offer special education services to students who do not have access to similar opportunities in their own home countries. There are 150 million children with disabilities in the world and only 2% receive any services, according to best estimates.

With SEVP certification, Heartspring is approved to enroll students from other countries. The SEVP acts as the bridge for varied government organizations which have an interest in information on foreign students. They collect, maintain and provide information so that only legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors gain entry into the United States. This program also oversees all students entering the United States for educational purposes. Last year Heartspring provided evaluations to children from Albania and Russia, as well as short term educational services to a child from Bangladesh.

“Our SEVP certification strengthens our international focus and allows us to extend an opportunity to all children,” said Jerry Stewart, Heartspring Executive Vice President and COO. “Heartspring specialists and professional staff are excited to continue our efforts in the field of special education to meet the needs of more children.”

The Heartspring School currently has 54 students with multiple disabilities representing 15 states from across the country. Only a handful of special education schools across the nation are SEVP certified.

One Big Step Towards Collaboration

Lindsay — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:28:13 +0000

However tired we might be, our challenge is to match the excitement and enthusiasm of PeiPei, Hope, and the rest of the Stars and Rain staff. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer reception by our hosts. We look forward to many days of collaboration.

On our first day we had an opportunity to experience the culture and local “flavor” of the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. It is very stimulating to all senses. Starting with the neon lights (similar to Las Vegas), the billboards and signs immediately catch your attention. Then you are acutely aware of an energy displayed by the rushing cars, numerous bike riders and hurried pedestrians, all appearing to be headed in different directions. This enthusiasm is contageous, and has spilled over to our second day as we visited the school for the first time.

As we stepped through the gates we were surprised by a reaction of being moved at seeing the families working with their children in the courtyard. The children were laughing and yelling while the parents were enthusiastically encouraging them to wave or say hi. Our first day was captured by a variety of pictures of the classroom, home, campus, and surrounding neighborhood. We will be sharing those pictures in the next few days. More details to come!

Wichita to Beijing, China

Gary — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:42:45 +0000

Day 1:Twelve hours in the air in addition to another hour or so before takeoff can leave you just a little disoriented. The time is made more tolerable with a couple of meals, a good book, magazines, and several movies. After about 30 minutes of the first movie, I noticed that Connie was looking over at me.

Finally, she asks, “Are you watching the movie?”

“Yes,” I reply.

“And you understand it?” she asks.

“Yes,” I respond with some confusion and hesitation.

“But it’s all in Chinese,” she exclaims.

“Connie, try Channel 1, that’s the English Channel.”

With laughter and good humor, so began our long journey to Beijing and the staff of Stars and Rain. Many hours later we landed at the brand new spacious terminal (one day old) in Beijing. After quickly clearing customs, we were met by Scott and a very excited Hope (the founder and director of the program) who took us away to a wonderful restaurant for dinner and conversation. Holly and a very enthusiastic Peipei later greeted us as we arrived at our hotel with baskets of welcoming gifts and snacks. Our first full day will be light with an opportunity to overcome the jet lag before we meet old friends and explore new possibilities.

Gary

Deaf Education/Parent Workshops

Jay — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:39:34 +0000

We have had a number of parent workshops that have also included teachers, SLPs, and other professionals interested in the success of children with hearing loss. The workshops have been presented for parents of school age children that are deaf or hard of hearing. Some of the topics have included “School and Family Partnership” presented by the districts special education director and Indiana Hands & Voices presented by state’s director of the state’s chapter. These events have been for the local school cooperative. In an attempt to bring families together from a larger area in Southern Indiana we are planning a Meet/Greet event in French Lick in the spring fo 2008 for families of children preschool and school age. The committee consists of a parent from French Lick, two audiologists from Evansville and myself. French Lick is one hour from the New Albany/ Jeffersonville area and one hour from Evansville so we are hoping for a good turnout. I will post the specifics soon as we are almost ready to publicize it to families. French Lick is a beautiful resort town and I urge those interested to check it out on the web. Look for French Lick or West Baden. There are 2 beautifully restored hotels and a casino in these 2 towns that sit side by side.

Jay Cherry, Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Audiologist