News from the NODCC

"This is Me"

High School Senior Grace Wilbourn Raises Over $1200 Through Capstone Project

By Miriam Bernard

When recent high school graduate Grace Wilbourn, ACC was informed about her Senior Capstone Project at school earlier this year, she immediately knew she would be creating a project that would inform her school community about ACC and research surrounding DCCs. Having reached a point in her life where she felt comfortable enough to say, “This is me!”, she set out fulfilling the requirements of the project: a research paper, a 10-minute presentation and a community project element. As her community project, she chose to raise funds for the NODCC in both physical donation boxes at her school and through Facebook. In total, Grace raised $1,256 for the NODCC! Even more importantly, though, she was also able to share with the student body, faculty, staff, and visitors in her school this integral part of who she is.

In fact, soon after her presentation to the student body, which included a reading of the book “ACC and Me”, a second grader at the school approached his mother and said, “I think I might have some of that.” The mother later reported that she didn’t know how or when to tell her son about his ACC, and through Grace’s presentation, the opportunity presented itself perfectly. This is just a small example of how Grace’s courage to be who she is made positive ripples through her school and community. Not to mention, the funds she raised will be used by the NODCC for research, outreach, and programs to continue helping families and individuals whose lives are affected by DCCs.

We are so proud of Grace and the courage and good will she showed through her Senior Capstone project, and we hope it inspires readers to do as Grace did and say to the world, “This is me!” We also thank Grace’s mother, Jennie Wilbourn for sharing this story with us, so it can touch and inspire others.

DCC Awareness Day is on July 2nd!



This year will mark the ninth annual DCC Awareness Day, and we wanted to put this day on your radar so as it approaches, you’re thinking of ways to celebrate and raise awareness in your corner of the world. This is a global awareness day in conjunction with our sister organizations in Australia and the UK: AusDoCC and Corpal. As this day approaches, we’d love to share photos, stories and posts from our fantastic NODCC community, so please reach out to us at info@nodcc.org with any DCC-related stories, photos or information you’d like to share with us, and we will compile it for our DCC Awareness Day celebration! More information will be posted to the DCC Awareness Day at nodcc.org very shortly and sent out via email and social media.



Managing Sensitivities to Fireworks

Fireworks Sensitivities and Fourth of July

By Miriam Bernard

Reference Articles provided by Robin Daisley

Fourth of July is a time of year full of social engagements and fireworks celebrations. This can be very exciting for some, but worrisome and fear-inducing for persons with auditory sensitivities or parents of those with auditory processing challenges.

However, it can be possible to enjoy the holiday with your family AND tend to the needs of your sensitive loved one - it only requires a bit of preparation and forethought. We at the NODCC want to help your Independence Day be calm, happy, and memorable, so here are some tips from both experts and parents to make Fourth of July or summer theme park visits as successful as possible.

1. Understand - Start now! In the days leading up to Independence Day, explain to your loved one what a firework is, how they work, and how despite the loud noises, viewing them from a distance causes them to be safe. There are even videos on YouTube showing how fireworks are made and how they work. Knowledge is power, and providing your loved one with knowledge and understanding may prepare them with curiosity and excitement for what is coming!
2. Practice - Take turns pretending to be those lighting or watching fireworks. Make loud booms with your mouth and make pretend “oohs” and “aahs” at the pretty lights. This type of practice can yield preparation and readiness for the real thing.
3. Special Items - Moms of kids with auditory sensitivities say that bringing a special item from home or a new fidget toy of some sort can cause an anticipation for something besides fireworks that redirects away from the source of worry. If your loved one only gets the special item when it’s time for fireworks, their excitement can overshadow the fear.
4. Settle - Behavioral experts and moms with firsthand experience agree that an agreed upon quiet time before fireworks can act as a settling mechanism and give someone with auditory processing challenges the calm needed for the more intense moments coming later. Expert Jill Stowell, M.S., of Stowell Learning Center, in her article “Surviving the Fireworks with your Sensitive Child” states, “Read a story, hum, or talk or sit quietly… Let your child sit on your lap with your arms wrapped around him or give him some nice, grounding pressure with a weighted blanket or stroking his back, arms, or legs firmly.”
5. Shift How You Watch - Watching from a further distance such as the top of a parking garage rather than in a park with hundreds of people has proven to be a helpful method that cuts down on sensory triggers, and the distance from the fireworks lessens the noise significantly. Others suggest watching from inside a car, or from a window indoors.
6. Noise Reduction - If you do plan to be outside with a crowd, measures like noise-canceling headphones, weighted blankets, or wrapping a soft blanket around your loved one can give them the calm to get through the event with no trepidation. Parents say these same methods are helpful in movie theaters or other places with loud noises.

No matter which tips you try, or what way your family chooses to safely and calmly celebrate, we wish your family a happy Fourth of July! For more detail on this topic, try these helpful articles:

1. 6 Tips from Moms for Dealing with Sensitive Kids and Fireworks from growinghandsonkids.com
2. Surviving the Fireworks with your Sensitive Child, Stowell Learning Center, Jill Stowell, July 2014

Australian Disorders of the Corpus Callosum (AusDoCC) is hosting an event November 24-27 at University College, Melbourne, VIC.

Find out more information about the event by clicking the button below: