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In this Issue:
President's Message
2021 Parent University™ Webinar Class Schedule Announcement!
A 21-year-old man has made history as the first person with Down syndrome to complete an
Ironman triathlon
U.S. to Limit Service Animals on Planes to Dogs Only
This Company Reinvented The Computer Mouse For Kids With Special Needs
This is Where We Will Be...
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Dear Clients and Friends,
Here we are, in the last month of 2020! Most of us are glad that 2020 will soon be behind us. As I was writing this today, history was taking place that our great-grandchildren will read about. Election news from the Electoral College, the first date of the vaccine being administered, and the other surrounding news of the day. And it took me back to the years I have lived through and the many changes I have seen. Everything happens one day at a time, in small bits and pieces, but when you look back, you see amazing progress, unbelievable changes that we never could have conceived back then, and though that progress was not in a straight line, it is progress all the same. There were many ups and downs. But there is always one word.... HOPE.
We will be announcing our 2021 Parent University curriculum this issue. Many of the classes were developed from the survey we did last month, and classes are tailored to what you told us you want more of. We will be kicking off podcasts in 2021 as well. Stay tuned for more on that.
The focus for 2021 will be PROGRESS and HOPE. I see families sometimes becoming confused and looking for more clarity. I encourage them to turn around and look back to find the progress they are making. I'm personally always looking forward, wanting to do better. It can be disheartening when I haven't made some of my goals. But a friend and mentor of mine, Dan Sullivan, taught me about THE GAP. If we keep looking forward, we will only see a horizon we can't reach. We have to turn around and acknowledge how far we have come. When we close the GAP, we can find peace that we are in fact getting there, and we can pat ourselves on the back and accept our progress.
And that acknowledgement of our progress is where we find HOPE. My 2021 wish for you all is that you see the PROGRESS and feel the HOPE that will help us make the changes in the world of disabilities to better the lives of our family members.
I wish you all Happy Holidays, making it both a safe and a healthy one.
Warmest regards,
Mary Anne Ehlert,
Founder & President
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We are excited to announce our 2021 Parent University™ Webinar Class Schedule. These classes are designed to help you and your loved one with special needs plan for the future.
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The first webinar class, New Year, New Resolution... Keeping Your Life Care Plan Moving Forward, will be held on January 21, 2021 from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Click here to register for this class.
We will continue to announce and provide registration links to upcoming classes as they get closer. We look forward to seeing you at our webinar classes!
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A 21-year-old man has made history as the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon
Special Olympics athlete Chris Nikic crossed the finish line on Saturday to become the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon.
Guiness World Records recognized Nikic's achievement after he finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach.
"Ironman. Goal set and achieve," said Nikic in a post to Instagram. "Time to set a new and Bigger Goal for 2021." Nikic completed the race in 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds -- 14 minutes under the 17-hour cutoff time.
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"We are beyond inspired, and your accomplishment is a defining moment in Ironman history that can never be taken away from you," the Ironman Triathlon organization said in a post to Twitter. Click here to read more.
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U.S. to Limit Service Animals on Planes to Dogs Only
The federal government gave its final approval on Wednesday to a set of rules that clamp down on the types of service animals allowed on U.S. flights, reserving the designation for dogs and freeing airlines from having to accommodate a variety of emotional support animals.
The changes, which drew more than 15,000 public comments since the Department of Transportation proposed them at the beginning of the year, will take effect next month.
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They have kindled an intense debate among the airlines, advocates for people with disabilities who rely on service animals and passenger rights groups, and came as a growing number of travelers have taken a variety of animals on flights in recent years.
Most recently, transportation regulators had said that dogs, cats and miniature horses should be prioritized as service animals by airlines. But passengers have tried to travel with monkeys, birds and rabbits, raising eyebrows of other passengers and testing airline policies. Click here to read more.
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by Ariana Taylor | The Detroit News
Navigating on a computer with a traditional mouse never came easy for 8-year-old Isabelle Dapkus, who has developmental disabilities.
Isabelle struggles with fine motor skills, which affects her ability to use online materials for virtual learning, said her mother, Julia Dapkus.
However, after countless moments of frustration, Isabelle is now able to access her schoolwork and scroll through YouTube on her own, all thanks to a fidget mouse - a tactile, multi-sensory device that resembles a toy.
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"She's never been able to use a mouse before, like ever, and it wasn't for lack of trying, but it was just not the appropriate tool," said Dapkus, 41, of Livonia, Mich. "The first time she was exposed to it, she took right to it and shrieked with the delight because it was hot pink." Click here to read more.
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This is Where We Will Be...
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Sponsored by: One Sky Community Services
Online Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by: One Sky Community Services
Online Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by: Next Steps Plainfield
Online Zoom Webinar
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