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Another elected official we can get behind! Our new state senator has supported looking into the vaccine autism connection. And before the anti-vacciners get upset with me, I'm not against vaccines. I just think a new born baby should not be given a Hep B vaccine on his first day of life. Is that asking too much?
I don't think our former president even uttered the word autism during his 8 years. And to think day one Obama addresses screening putting us ahead of other medical issues... well I did get teary eyed. All address needs in our community but life-long services gives me hope that when my guy becomes an adult, we will have more help from the government. Or at least a reduction in paper-work. Thank you President Obama for noticing!
Autism is a spectrum disorder. Which means what is happening in my house and what is happening in the house in this article both qualify as autism. I read this article with a heavy heart.. but also understanding because i faced some of these situations when Taylor was little. He has grown out of the screaming and the throwing himself on the floor but I recognize a family that only goes away by renting a house. We do that too. We don't fly to a vacation spot because I always need to have an out. Probably the reality of that attitude is over, but once you have that ingrained in you, it's hard to get out of the habit. So this is a reminder to all of us in autismland, we each have different stories to tell. My heart goes out to the family that reads this and says "that's my life."
The last time I saw her we were in Wegmans and she was wearing this cute floppy hat. Taylor kept looking for her hair.. he has to have hair to play with.. but instead he touched the hat. She gave him that WOW smile. I know she couldn't believe the boy she met at 3 years old who only wanted to be picked up and thrown on a bed was now standing .. taller than her.. in the bakery department at wegmans. I told her daughter how much her mom had helped our community and how proud she has to be of all that Nan accomplished.
It has been a tough day for me. I believe that good things come to good people. Our Nan shouldn't have been taken from us so soon. Her family has lost their light. We have lost our light in the special needs community. Please say a prayer for her husband and children. The world is a little darker tonite. But heaven has a new star.
Parlez-Vous Autism?
Speaking the Same Language Between Home and School
Thursday, October 2nd
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Jowonio School - Community Room
3049 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse
Join us as Bud Cooney, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Special Education at LeMoyne College discusses strategies to help parents and school teams successfully work together to achieve a common vision. He will be touching on communication, how things can be misinterpreted, differences in how families envision success for their child and what schools consider to be success, and establishing a common ground.
Dr. Bernard "Bud" Cooney received both his Ph.D. and M.S. in Special Education from Syracuse University and a BS in Economics from Spring Hill College. His professional activities and research interests include teaching children and youth with autism in the inclusive classroom, co-teaching and differentiated instructional strategies, and transition from school-to-adult life. Besides teaching in higher education, Dr. Cooney provides workshops for teachers and administrators, and consults extensively in public schools throughout central NY, on effective teaching strategies for children with autism.
We hope to see you there!
Mark Your Calendar for Future CNY ASA Events
Monthly Meetings - November 6, December 4, February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7 and June 4
"Unlocking the Mystery" – 3rd Annual Gala: April 4
"one piece at a time" Autism Awareness Walk: April 26
Website: www.cnyasa.org E-mail: cnyasa@yahoo.com Phone: 315-447-4466
dee
Parents of Special-Needs Children Divided Over Palin's Promise to Help
By Jennifer Steinhauer and Amy Harmon tinyurl.com/5n8dmq
Amid the barbs and hockey banter Wednesday night, Gov. Sarah Palin directed an emotional appeal to the hearts of millions of parents with children who have special needs, promising they would "have a friend and advocate in the White House" in a McCain-Palin administration. As she spoke, the camera panned to her baby, Trig, who has Down syndrome.
Ms. Palin's offer of friendship sparked hope in many parents, advocates and lawyers as the often-marginalized subject of disabilities rights took center stage. "We need one, that's for sure," wrote one blogger, Rhymerchick, a Phoenix mother with an autistic child, adding, "I am tempted to vote for them just because of that promise."
In animated debates in blogs, chat rooms and classrooms across America, others wondered what such advocacy would entail. But the governor offered no details, and Maria Comella, her spokeswoman, would not elaborate on what Ms. Palin would seek to accomplish for disabled children as vice president. "She is going to be an advocate in the White House on multiple levels," Ms. Comella said in an e-mail message Friday, "because she understands the issue, what's needed and what works."
To those in Alaska who work with children with special needs, Ms.
Palin's pronouncement was surprising; the disabled have not been a centerpiece of Ms. Palin's 20-months in office or any of her campaigns for office.
She signed legislation that would increase financing for children in Alaska with special needs — though she was not involved in its development — yet that state is the subject of two lawsuits that allege inadequate services and financing for those children, particularly those with autism.
"I never heard Governor Palin say as governor, `You have an advocate in Juneau,' " said Sonja Kerr, a lawyer specializing in disability law in Anchorage.
What lawyers, advocates and parents are seeking now, Ms. Kerr said, is to learn. "What is behind the announcement?" she said. "An advocate is someone who pleads another's cause, so what is her plea going to be? To get rid of Medicaid wait lists so we can get kids services? To quickly pass the American with Disabilities restoration act? That is what I haven't heard."
Alaska, both by dint of its sparse population and lack of resources, has often struggled to provide care and educational services for its roughly 18,000 children with physical and emotional disabilities.
For years the state shipped thousands of children out of state for mental health services, a problem so acute that Ms. Palin's predecessor created a program intended solely to get enough services in the state to bring the children back; from 2004 to 2007 the number of children sent out of state fell to 300 from about 600.
While the state made a decision to close down mental health institutions in the 1990s, it has been unable to provide alternative services for children with mental health issues.
The rural makeup of the state outside Anchorage (where half the population resides) makes services all the more difficult.
"The reason they have so many problems is lack of resources," said Gary Mayerson, a lawyer who represents children with autism in 30 states. "We once went to Kodiak Island, where there are probably more bears than people, to see a kid with autism who needed a behavioral consultant. They literally have to fly these people in on float planes. So I can't exactly fault a school system for not having a speech therapist, but I do fault the district for not bringing them in or sending children out of the district for those resources."
Ms. Palin recently signed legislation that rewrote the state's school financing formulas, in the process dramatically increasing the budget for school districts that serve children with extreme special needs.
"She had no role whatsoever" in the development of the legislation, said its author, Representative Mike Hawker, a Republican. "Her role was signing. She recognized the importance of what we did and endorsed it."
Democrats have pointed, sometimes correctly, sometimes erroneously, to items in the state budget for the disabled that Ms. Palin cut.
According to state documents, she cut the state's Special Olympics budget in half.
The central concern of many parents with children who have special needs is the financing to fulfill the decades-old federal mandate requiring public schools to offer educational services to their children — or pay for them in nonpublic school settings.
The law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, passed in 1975 with bipartisan support, called for the federal government to pick up 40 percent of the state cost of teaching children with special needs. The federal government pays less than half that, though more under the Bush administration than under President Clinton.
Mr. McCain voted to reauthorize the law, but voted against a measure, with nearly every other member of his party, to increase financing through a reduction in tax cuts for the wealthy. Mr. McCain has been a proponent of school vouchers, denounced by many advocates for children with special needs as draining public money away from special education programs; Ms. Palin is a school-choice advocate, her spokeswoman said.
Mr. McCain also opposes proposed federal legislation that would help pay for states to move people with special needs from state institutions into other living arrangements, but he has said he supports updating the Americans with Disabilities Act to offer more protections.
Ms. Comella, Ms. Palin's spokeswoman, would not elaborate on Ms. Palin's decision to make special needs children a centerpiece of her acceptance speech. But Ms. Palin's personal appeal held enormous emotional pull for parents who rarely see a public official who can personally identify with the same parental challenges as they do.
Ms. Palin's effort to rally parents of children with disabilities has also prompted reaction among those who fear that her idea of advocacy might really mean preventing abortions of fetuses with Down syndrome, rather than lobbying for the early medical and developmental assistance that is so crucial to their children's well-being.
New technology is enabling more women to learn in earlier stages of pregnancy whether their fetus is affected by Down syndrome. About 90 percent choose to terminate pregnancies. Parents of children with disabilities have sought to educate prospective parents on the emotional rewards of having children like their own. But many say they know better than anyone else how crucial it is that they be given a choice.
"Surely she understands that it can be dark and difficult sometimes," Sarahlynn Lester, whose daughter has Down syndrome, wrote on her blog this week about Ms. Palin. "Having been in the same position, I simply do not understand the desire to legislate (rather than educate) women into making better choices."
Nancy Iannone, a Democrat and mother of Gabrielle, 3, who has Down syndrome, said that she was so thrilled to see Trig on stage that she had to remind herself: "I am a liberal. I am a liberal. I am a liberal." Ms. Palin, she said, "has a child with a disability, but that doesn't mean her party is disability friendly."
The last time a candidate explicitly appealed to families of the disabled at a national convention, advocates said, was 20 years ago, when the presidential nominee, George H. W. Bush, endorsed the Americans with Disabilities Act — and got a 10 percentage point bump among voters who identified themselves as having disabilities, according to Andrew Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, a lobbying group.
On Thursday, Mr. Imparato said he and other advocates received an e-mail message from Senator Barack Obama's campaign outlining the disabilities issues that the Democrats had addressed at their convention.
"They certainly must be aware of the effect Palin is having on this community," Mr. Imparato said.
This is what radio has become? Put the loudest bully on the air and let him rip? Let him convince his listeners that autism is a discipline problem? The hardest part of Taylor's autism was the LOOKS we would get at Walmart and Carousel. He would tantrum or yell or act out and rude folks everywhere would look or even say, "you have to get that kid under control." This was in 1998 before the word was out. Since then we've done so much hard work educating people that children having tantrums may be something OTHER than misbehavior.. all now down the drain as this idiot's listeners think our kids just need a good spanking. All the fathers who remain in their children's lives are supposed to be failures according to this loser?
So I wrote a note to the station I called home for 10 years. I love WSYR will all my heart. It stands for so much in this community and I was there when it was recognized by the NAB for it's public service. The Edward R. Murrow award and the Crystal award both reside at 500 Plum St.
Here is the note I wrote WSYR's GM Joel Delmonico. Please put your own thoughts down and write Joel. I can not emphasize enough that Joel is a good man and he loves this community. But he needs to know that Savage has no place on WSYR. Write Joel at joeldelmonico@clearchannel.com
here's what I wrote:
Hey Joel…
I know you must be overwhelmed hearing from everyone about what Michael Savage said. I promised myself I would take my time before emailing you because we know each other and it would be unfair for me to send a canned email from the many autism outlets that have written notes for the masses.
But at this point I can’t imagine why WSYR would stand by this hateful man. I know all the good works you have done in this community and I also know how much you support children with special needs. Please look at this show and decide whether it is worth standing by a person who has no clue what autism is and what it does to a family. You know me, you know Taylor and I know you know the many faces of families and children that autism has touched. WSYR has always cared about our community. Do not let this man spout hate from such a respected outlet in Syracuse. Michael Savage doesn’t deserve the time slot that WSYR has given him. He has aligned the station with hateful speech towards the children who need your help the most!
Thanks for listening.
dee
A Statement from Wendy Fournier, NAA President
For the last week, our community has been completely enveloped in the Michael Savage controversy. It infuriates me that this one man has managed to take away so much of our already limited time and energy by forcing us to defend ourselves and our beloved children against his vile remarks.
When I first became aware of Savage’s comments, I immediately got in touch with Mark Masters, the CEO of Talk Radio Network and Savage’s boss. Mark was aware of the comments but had not yet listened to the show. We spoke for a long while and I quickly came to realize that I was speaking to a kind and compassionate husband and father. Mark said that while he hadn’t yet heard the tape, he suspected that Savage was talking about one of the issues that bothers him most, the over-diagnosing and drugging of children in America, and that it was possible that his remarks were being taken out of context. Having dealt with the media and having seen the ridiculous way members of our own community have been edited to look like crazy, desperate parents, I was open to the idea that Mark’s suggestion may have been a possibility. Mark promised to speak with Savage and to give us the opportunity to refute his comments on the air.
On Monday evening, Mark fulfilled his promise and I was able to speak with Savage on his show. Leaving the door open to the chance that he was indeed taken out of context, I pushed my anger toward him aside and discussed with him many of his views about healthcare in America and the sad reality that families affected by autism face. Savage has several problems with the medical community in general that I personally agree with, the most frustrating of which is the over-zealous desire to drug our children.
However, when it came to Savage’s views on Autism specifically, he was completely misinformed and off the mark.
He believes that autism is being over-diagnosed. There may be a relatively small number of children who are wrongly diagnosed with an ASD, but for the most part, an autism diagnosis is not something that is given lightly. Those of us whose children have been through the evaluation process know that it is extensive.
On the subject of diagnosis, our kids are diagnosed based on observation of skills and behaviors. All the while, the medical community completely fails to investigate what might be causing those behaviors. This needs to change. We need research to turn away from number-crunching epidemiological studies and the search for the elusive Autism gene, and start looking from a biological standpoint at the children who are currently affected. Your child may very well meet the current diagnostic criteria for Autism, but what if he or she is really suffering from heavy metal toxicity or auto-immune encephalopathy, for example? Those illnesses are known to cause symptoms of Autism. If your doctor kept digging to find the cause of your child’s neurological dysfunction, you would likely come out on the other side with a treatable illness and hope for the future, not to mention health insurance coverage for treatment. But instead, you are told that your child has autism, there is no treatment, hurry to get on a waiting list for behavioral therapies. Mainstream physicians need to start recognizing and treating the underlying medical issues that are causing the symptoms we collectively observe and diagnose as autism, only then will we start to make some real progress. My hope is that one day, no child will be diagnosed with “Autism”, that all sick children will be properly diagnosed and successfully treated for the illnesses that they truly suffer from.
Back to Savage and his misconceptions, this one is almost amusing. He actually thinks that having a child with autism opens the door to free medical treatment and services from the government, suggesting that parents might actually push for a diagnosis in an effort to screw the government and our fellow taxpayers. Those of us in the trenches know that the word “autism” is the last thing a parent wants to hear. Savage’s implied freebies are nowhere to be found. The minute your child is diagnosed, you need to fit yourself with a suit of armor, a shield and a big-ass sword, because you have just taken the first step into a never-ending fight to get the services and medical care that your child needs. Our kids are placed on waiting lists for services that can be years long, our health insurance companies turn their backs on us, and our overwhelmed and under-funded school districts force us to fight for even the most basic services to help our kids. The number of families facing bankruptcy and losing their homes to provide their children with the care they need is staggering.
Savage also thinks that greedy lawyers are somehow involved, looking for ways to milk the pharmaceutical companies for families who claim that vaccines caused their child’s regression. He is completely ignorant to the fact that manufacturers are protected from all liability on vaccine injury claims thanks to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. I tried to point this out to him, but he pushed on with this false assumption. What I didn’t realize until hearing the show later, was that my phone line was completely muted when Savage was speaking. There were several times when I tried to interject and disagree with him, and I was simply not heard. This is misleading and my silence could be interpreted by some of his listeners as agreement. I’m not happy about that.
Savage’s producer asked me to have several other guests from our community standing by to be interviewed during the show. I did that, and not one of them was included. The callers who were put on the air appeared to be hand-selected to participate in the show with the sole purpose of allowing Savage to backtrack and basically cover his own behind.
Savage claims to be an advocate for children’s health. One might think that instead of ranting about bad parenting, he would be questioning why we have so many sick children in this country. Coinciding with the increase in recommended vaccines, we’ve had an increase in chronic diseases including Asthma, ADD, ADHD, Juvenile Diabetes, and yes, Autism. Why do our government health agencies refuse to compare the overall health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children? Why do they continue to inject our babies with substances that are known to be toxic to the developing brain and immune system? Why is our government being allowed to treat an entire generation of children like lab rats, by requiring an ever-increasing number of vaccines and conducting absolutely no safety studies on their cumulative effects?
Last night, I received an email with a link to a new website, savageonautism.com. He’s got a website for this now? On this site, there is a link to an audio clip of my discussion with Savage. It noted, “Savage speaks with Wendy Fournier, President of the National Autism Association who says that she has much common ground with Savage”. Again, misleading. I do not appreciate the implication that I am in any way on his side and I will not be used as a pawn in his attempt to backtrack on his comments. I contacted Talk Radio Network about this and the reference was promptly removed.
Mark Masters from TRN has offered to air public service announcements on their nationally syndicated shows in an effort to educate listeners on the reality of autism. For that I am very grateful. I hope that it will undo some of the damage that has been done.
That damage is very real, and it frightens me for our children. I just got a phone call from a 74-year-old lady from California who was literally screaming at me, saying that we are a bunch of hysterical mothers who refuse to discipline our kids. She could barely catch her breath, and she’s calling us hysterical? I ended up hanging up on her and she’s called back 6 times already - that’s how fired up and anxious she is to criticize us as parents and the children we love. This is the damage that Mike Savage has done, whether he meant to or not is completely irrelevant. There are people out there who are taking his words at face value and his message is one of hate.
To the fine people who are sending me hate mail about freedom of speech, you can stop. I’m all for it. You can say anything you want to in this country, but if you choose to attack our kids, be ready to defend your comments. We’re already suited up and are getting pretty good at wielding our big-ass swords.
In closing, I have listened with an open mind to Savage’s claim that he was taken out of context. My personal conclusion is that he was not, he’s lying to us. There are several reasons why I don’t believe him, but I keep coming back to one very significant quote. Savage claims he was talking about the “misdiagnosed”, not kids that truly have autism. But during his deplorable rant he said, “What do you mean they scream and they’re silent?” He was talking then about children who are silent, children who are non-verbal, children who are severely affected by autism, children like my beautiful little girl.
Michael Savage, take your father’s advice. Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Whether you actually meant to hurt suffering families or not, the simple fact is, you did hurt us. And for that alone, you should man up and apologize.
Wendy Fournier, President
National Autism Association
wendy@nationalautism.org
Model Transition Program sponsored by the Central New York Training Coalition
Presenters Susan Young, Ann Miles and Patty Ordway-Bennet
with representatives from Onondaga Community College and Onondaga Community Living
May 28, 2008 9 am- 12 pm.
Enable
1603 Court Street
Syracuse, NY 13208
The mission of transition services is to work with students, parents, teachers, agencies, employers, and colleges to help create an appropriate and meaningful transition plan.
Model Transition Program activities will:
provide VESID informational meetings
conduct world of work career exploration workshops, occupational tours and interest screening
assist in scheduling college visits
provide more students with the opportunity of real work experiences, including job shadowing, after school and summer employment
increase communication between school and community through Transition Advisory Council composed of employers, parents, students educators and community organizations
Registration by May 21, 2008. A fee of $25.00 per person will be charged. Registration is limited and will be handled on a first come first serve basis. Make checks payable to Central New York Training Coalition and Mail to CNYTC, P.O. Box 6303, Syracuse, NY 13217....For more information contact Tiffany Teeter at 424-1845
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An Invitation from Commissioner Hogan
2008 Forum and Dialogue
Improving the Mental Health and Wellbeing of
Children and Families in NYS
May 28, 2008
10:00-3:00
3:00-4:00 Youth Dialogue (see attached)
Renaissance Syracuse Hotel
701 East Genesee Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
Welcome and Personal Perspective- OMH Parent Advisor and Family
Remarks and Presentations- Commissioner Michael Hogan &
Deputy Commissioner David Woodlock
Public Dialogue-
• The dialogue portion of each meeting will encourage questions of and conversation about the Children’s Mental Health Plan. To learn more visit: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/engag
• Your Suggestions and Recommendations will help shape the Children’s Mental Health Plan
How can my voice be heard?
• Come, Listen,
• Ask questions and share your insights using the “Comment Cards”
• If you cannot attend, send your comment cards to Elizabeth Pease @ dialogues@omh.state.ny.us or Office of Planning, New York State Office of Mental Health, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229.
• Hold a community meeting to review and discuss the developing Children's Mental Health and submit group comment cards to Elizabeth Pease @ dialogues@omh.state.ny.us or Office of Planning, New York State Office of Mental Health, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229.
• Comment cards available at: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/engag
***Wear GREEN for Children’s Mental Health
****Encourage others to participate
Help NYS Build a Stronger, Family Driven Children’s Mental Health Plan
For Registration and Special Accommodations contact Mary Rathbun
CNY Field Office: Phone: (315) 426-3930 Email: ocadmmr@omh.state.ny.us
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National autism expert to speak at SUNY Upstate April 7
Martha Herbert, M.D., a pediatric neurologist and autism researcher who directs the Cure Autism Now Foundation's Brain Development Initiative, will speak on a whole body systems approach to autism and its implications for treatment and research April 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the Medical Alumni Auditorium, Weiskotten Hall, 766 Irving Ave. The presentation, part of the E. Gregory Keating Global Health Lecture Series, is free and open to the public.
Herbert, a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty, also serves as co-chair of the Environmental Health Advisory Board of the Autism Society of America.
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FEAT FAMILY CONNECTIONS MEETING
Our next family connections meeting is approaching fast. Its Wednesday April 9th from 6:30 to pm at the North Area YMCA on Wetzle Road in Liverpool. Remember that childcare is available, but RSVP ASAP to get a spot!! The new contact information for childcare is: Cheryl Walker and she can be reached by email at cwalker@northareafamilyymca.org. RSVP is a must!! Hope to see you there!!
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Enable has started it's STARS social skills program up again.
They are seeking older teens to young adults to start a group for this age range. THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!!
Contact Joe Smith at Enable 455-7591 (Tues-Thurs) jsmith@enablecny.org or Monica Cappa also at Enable (Mon-Fri) mcappa@enablecny.org for more information.
They also have programs for children starting at age 7. The class for 7-14 year olds for this spring is full but they are taking names and beginning intakes for the fall class.
For the older teen/young adults there is also:
Young Life CAPERNAUM, faith-based friendship group, meets one Sunday
a month from 3-5 PM at Liverpool United Methodist Church in the village of Liverpool. YL staff lead this group. HOPE.network partners with YL to provide this opportunity for individuals with special needs, ages 14 and up, to enjoy music, food, games, a Bible lesson, and fun with special buddies! Contact Darryl or Becca at 761-2929. Dates: 3/9, 4/13, 5/4, and 6/8.
and the ARISE Central Square Social Club:contact Vicki Affinati vaffinati@ariseinc.org and
the Arise Teen Group:contact Heather Lee
hlee@ariseinc.org
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Visual Spatial Workshop
Lights, camera, TY, video games and computers! Our children are growing up in a visually exciting world. The schools¢ curriculum is largely auditory, sequential and getting more difficult every year. How can we bridge the gap in these different styles to make learning easier for our kids? This workshop will provide definitions of learning styles and implications for enhancing learning by optimizing the use of visual teaching strategies.
Barbara Ward, who has over 30 years experience as a special educator in the Baldwinsville School District is the presenter. In her workshops she strives to identify forces that may be interfering with the teaching/learning/growing process and provide strategies to build bridges between the learner and the learning
This workshop is being sponsored by HOPE.network and will take place April 8th from 7-9 PM at Northside Baptist Church ,
7965 Oswego Road , Liverpool , NY .
There is no charge for the workshop but registration is necessary to ensure that there are enough handouts for participants. Please respond to this e-mail with your intent to attend or contact Lory at 652-3160.
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ARISE AT THE FARM Camps 2008
Summer is coming quickly, and the staff at the Farm are gearing up for summer camps. Anyone who's participated in the past can tell you these are lots of fun, and spots fill quickly. Spaces are limited, and are filled as they arrive at the Farm. Please deliver applications to the Farm mailbox in the downstairs copier room, or mail to ARISE at the Farm, 1972 New Boston Road, Chittenango, NY, 13037.
Kids camps ages 6-21
June 27,30, July 1,2,3 9am-3pm There will be transportation from 635 James Street to the Farm and back during this week. The bus will arrive at 8:15 and return
around 3:45 each day.
August 11-15 9am-3pm There will be transportation from various pick-up points around Madison County. Where possible, door-to-door transportation will
be available. Pick up and drop off times will vary.
August 18-22 9am-3pm There will be transportation from the Oswego ARISE office to the Farm and back during this week. There will be transportation
from various pick-up points around Madison County. Where possible, door-to-door transportation will be available. Pick up and drop off times in Madison County will vary.
ARISE at the Farm day camps are designed to be integrated, and are open to children of all abilities. There is limited transportation available, as well as some scholarships. Cost of the camp is $350. We offer horseback riding, high and low ropes course, a petting zoo, fishing, bicycling, crafts and games. We have a nurse on staff for these camps.
Soccer camp:
July 7-10 9-noon
This is our first ever soccer camp, and we are so happy to be offering it! We will have drills, scrimmages and lots of fun! Children must have their own shin guards. $100 per child
Parent/ Child Horsemanship camp:
July 28-31 9-noon
Parents and kids can learn together how to care for and ride a horse! Moms and daughters, Dads and sons, or any combination of adults and children in a family. $200 per pair
Tot camp:
August 4-7 9-noon ages 3-5
Horseback riding, fishing , crafts and games!! $125 per child
Please note: Call the farm at 687 6727 with questions regarding any of our offerings. We are always looking for new volunteers (at least 13 years of age). Training will be offered prior to the start of the camp season.
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