Unprecidented Aid for Parents
DUBLIN, CALIF. (April 2, 2010) – The School of Imagination will hold the “Happy Talkers Community Outreach” April 24th in Dublin, CA. Now in its third year, it’s the largest and most comprehensive program of it’s kind in Northern California history. This one-of-a-kind day offers free developmental delay and autism early intervention screenings and support for families. In just a few short hours, parents will receive answers about their child, a roadmap and on-site referrals to a host of support agencies, critical early intervention assistance that would normally takes months to obtain.
Last year, more than 50 volunteers donated their time to provide 246 screenings. These experts included pediatricians, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, child development specialists, psychologists, social workers, audiologists, as well as officials from the Regional Center, First Five California, Autism Speaks and school districts.
The Outreach Outreach – from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7625 Ridgeline Dr. at the Schaefer Ranch Model Homes in Dublin – broke new ground in the Bay Area when it was held last year. To register or learn more about this event, please call (877) KIDS-TLC or visit http://soi4kids.org/
“We are honored to hold the Happy Talkers Community Outreach Outreach which is part of our goal to ensure that every child receives help as early as possible,” says Charlene Sigman, an award-wining speech therapist who founded the School of Imagination. “For a child in need, help will begin the very same day. Parents will receive information as well as relief from experts and ultimately a chance to change their child’s future. They can learn about developmental milestones, new ideas and cutting edge therapies to empower them so they can make educated decisions about their child’s education and development.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism is detectable in one out of 100 children yet many of these children are not diagnosed and a critical window of opportunity for early intervention is missed. In California alone, the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased by 400 percent since 1994. Early screening, diagnosis and intervention for children between 18 months and three years are critical because they need to begin services and therapies during this period to try to meet developmental milestones, according to Sigman.
“Sixty percent of the children screened for autism will require additional testing, services and support,” said Sigman. “We need to increase nationwide awareness of autism and developmental delay through early detection and intervention to ensure no child falls between the cracks.”
The Outreach was launched through partnerships with Child Care Links, California First Five-Alameda County, Pleasanton North Rotary Club, Comcast, Schaefer Ranch Homes of Dublin and the City of Dublin. Organizations that are providing clinical and referral services include Tri-Valley Pediatrics, Regional Center of the East Bay, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, ValleyCare Health Systems, Axis Community Health, Autism Speaks and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.
Congressman Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti and former Dublin Mayor Janet Lockhart are among the SOI supporters expected to attend the Outreach.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF IMAGINATION AND HAPPY TALKERS
The Dublin-based, non-profit School Imagination is an education center which serves the child care, pre-school and kindergarten needs of typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities in the Bay Area. The SOI was built on the award-winning methodology of Happy Talkers, which has served more than 3,000 children with speech delays, developmental disabilities and autism since it was founded in 2000. Happy Talkers provides individualized or classroom speech and occupational therapies for any student. The SOI’s mission is “to bring out the extraordinary in every child.” Awarded “Organization of the Year” in 2007 by the City of Dublin, California and earning The Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2006 (San Francisco Chronicle and CBS5 television), the School of Imagination is considered a national role model for inclusion programs. Organizations including: Autism Speaks, California First Five, American Speech and Hearing Association, and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, have endorsed SOI for its ground-breaking approach to education to bring out the extraordinary in every child. The full inclusion Preschool and Kindergarten programs are cutting edge and provide small, customized classes and low student-to-teacher ratios.
In December 2008, the school broke ground on a new 12,000 square-foot facility in the new Schaefer Ranch development in the West Dublin Hills. When complete in 2010, the new building will feature eight classrooms, 10 individual rooms. The SOI is currently temporarily based at CrossWinds Church in Dublin.
For more information, or to reach our Parent Support Network, contact (877) KIDS-TLC or www.soi4kids.org
