December, 2018

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday! ~ from Chester County Early Intervention Services ~

Holiday Self-Care The holiday season can be a time to connect with family and friends, enjoy traditions and celebrate. The flip side is that the added activity can add stress. And for those already struggling with grief, recovery or persistent life stressors, the holidays can become the most difficult time of the year. For these reasons, the season of giving should also be the season for self-care. There are many tools available to help us manage, from downloadable apps and mindfulness practice, to daily affirmations and simply taking time to breathe. The Mayo Clinic offers additional information on stress management during the holidays. Basic self-care tips are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A New Handbook for Families from Vision for Equality ~ Places to Go & Things to Do in Southeastern Pennsylvania Find out about opportunities for community inclusion for people in the intellectual disability and autism communities. Click here to find out more about this important resource!

5 Classic Children's Books For Winter Click the titles for the link to Goodreads. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats The First Day of Winter, by Denise Fleming Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr The Snowman by Raymond Briggs The Mitten, by Jan Brett

A New Dance Program for EVERYBODY For her Girl Scout Silver Award Project, Lizzy Stahelek created a free dance class for all abilities. The program, Everybody In , will be held at Grove Church on Boot Road in West Chester. It begins in January and will run through April. Click here for the flier and more information.

What do you know about ACEs? Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on a person's life-long health and well-being. Years of research has shown connections between adverse experiences in childhood and higher risks of disease, disability and even early death. But we can prevent ACEs, such as childhood neglect or abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), mental illness, substance abuse or violence in the home. Click here for a video on the topic. Find out about local efforts at the coalition website .

Keep your family safe. Find out more about flu vaccines .

Chester County Code Blue The temperatures have been dropping, creating potentially dangerous situations for individuals left out in the cold. There is a risk for hypothermia, frost bite, or other cold-­related injuries when temperatures dip to 35 degrees or below. But Code Blue can help. Chester County has Code Blue resources, including day and overnight shelters and places to get hot meals. Find out more about these potentially life-saving resources located throughout the county. Click here .

Did you know... There are several other county departments who send out community newsletters and announcements just like this one. If you're interested, sign up  here .

More links and resources! Use the underlined links to learn more .  Learn about Charting a Lifecourse - Contact Darcy Elks, Chester County Family Adviser, PA Family Network, at delks@visionforequality.org . Call 1-844-PAFAMILY  or 484-459-0538. Vision for Equality - Programs, resources and more for people with disabilities and their families. Learn more about the Early Learning GPS Milestone Tracker App from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chester County Early Intervention Connections has a Facebook page. Connect with us! Chester County Refer Web for social services in our area.

Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities www.chesco.org/mhidd Chester County Commissioners Administrator - Linda Cox Director, Early Intervention Services - Lori Gallagher