In This Issue:
- Upcoming Events At-a-Glance
- People of PCDA
- Support PCDA
- Programs & Services
- Resources for Families
- Job Posting!
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Dear Friends,
As we enter the third month of the year, I think of our Milestone 3 in the DIRFloortime model. In many ways it is the hallmark of our approach. Milestone 1 builds trust and shared attention, Milestone 2, adds warmth and joy, and Milestone 3 occurs when parent and child engage in ‘circles of communication.’ Here is where there is a natural flow of interaction, with gradually increasing range, depth and differentiation of emotions. A child shares their interests, and a parent joins in their play, and encourages them to expand their idea. When that connection occurs, the door to advanced learning is open. In DIRFloortime, the motivation is in sharing the experience, and the joy that brings. No other ‘reinforcement’ is needed. I invite you to read about all our activities this month, where you can see this in action with our children, or support this tremendous work. Best wishes for the third month of 2019!
Dr. Diane
Executive Director
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Please help us help children with autism
and special needs.
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Upcoming Events At-A-Glance
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November 10:
11th Annual Harvest Moon Gala
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Developmental Interventionist (DI) of the Month:
Anna
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Anna received her B.M. in Music Therapy from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. During her schooling/fieldwork in school, she worked with therapy variety of populations including adults in an oncology unit and behavior health facility, as well as children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She completed her music therapy internship at PCDA (May 2017-November 2017) before officially joining the PCDA staff. She was able to provide a presented on ‘Music Therapy and DIR/Floortime” at the American Music Therapy Association’s National Conference in Dallas, TX, alongside two colleagues.
At PCDA, Anna has a dual role as a Music Therapist and Developmental Interventionist. Since joining the team Anna has been able to support clients in our SEDI, social skills and Teen Club programs. Anna has demonstrated so much growth in her roles and supporting families in the knowledge of DIR/Floortime. She has developed a great relationships with her fellow clinicians and wonderful to collaborate with. Anna is always willing to support our team and we look forward to her continued support to PCDA. We are very thankful for her hard work and dedication.
Congratulations Anna!
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Client of the Month:
Amanda!
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This month the Programs Department would like to spotlight Amanda! Amanda has been a long time client at PCDA. She began services in 2008 for the social skills program and shortly after began music therapy. Amanda has such an enthusiastic and confident personality. She has been able to participate in a range of programs such as the Notables Choir, The Young Actors Squad (YAS), and Teen Buddies.
Amanda's mother shared: “PCDA is like her family. I am thankful that PCDA has pushed my daughter to excel and go beyond my expectations. Amanda has reached more goals than I can ever imagine, such as being social. She went from showing difficulties to now achieving above and beyond what I can imagine.”
In the past month, Amanda has been able to advocate for herself to transition from Teen Buddies into Teen Club. During the meeting Amanda was able to express her desire to move to Teen Club and how it was going to benefit her ability to develop confidence when making connections with peers. She was able to present a letter titled “Letter to Self” and spoke about her goals and social challenges she hopes to overcome this year with the support of her family, teaches, and facilitators. We are so proud of Amanda her continued growth at PCDA.
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Congratulations to Julie Miller, MOT, OTR/L, SWC, Head of Occupational Therapy and Feeding Programs at PCDA, for completing
DIRFloortime® Course 203: Coaching Caregivers, Teachers, and Other Care Providers
and earning a DIRFloortime® Advanced Certificate!
Julie said it was "particularly interesting to be in an online class with participants from all over the world sharing their DIR work. Even with language barriers, it was very clear to see the methods and strategies in action."
Congrats, Julie!
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Welcome to PCDA’s New Volunteers:
Audrey Lin, Jocelyn Nunez, Amelia Jarolim, and Zoe Albornoz!
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A big thanks to Arcadia High School for inviting PCDA to join for its Volunteer and Internship Fair. We had fun talking to all of the Arcadia High School students about volunteer opportunities at PCDA! We are thrilled about the overwhelming interest from your students who want to come help and support our programs!
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Dr. Diane is being honored as “Woman of Distinction” by Assemblymember Chris Holden!
Ceremony and Open House Event are on March 28
th
from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at his District Office, 600 N. Rosemead Blvd. in Pasadena. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to
maureen@pcdateam.org
.
Congrats on this tremendous honor, Dr. Diane!
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Save the Date!
11th Annual Harvest Moon Gala
November 10, 2019
La Canada Flintridge Country Club
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Sensory Story Time at the Altadena Library
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PCDA is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Altadena Library to offer Sensory Story Time. Identifying a need for a more inclusive program, Altadena Library reached out to
PCDA Volunteer Coordinator, Anne Yee,
for support in starting a story time for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and sensory processing difficulties. The 6 session series offers a traditional library story time program along with additional structure, repetition, and clinical support by
Betina and Callie from PCDA’s Child and Family Counseling Department.
Through this collaboration, PCDA has been able to offer feedback for best practice and optimal engagement to provide a more flexible story time experience using the DIRFloortime® Model.
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Sensory Story Time is free of charge and has been offered every other Monday at the Altadena Library at 10:30 am. If you are interested in participating in the remaining two sessions on March 11
th
, and/or March 25
th
, please visit
www.altadenalibrary.org/sensory-stories
to sign up. If you are interested in future Sensory Story Time sessions, please consult the Altadena Library events calendar periodically for updates.
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Book of the Month-
Rosie’s Walk
by Pat Hutchins
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This classic tale is still a hit with children today. The words tell the story of Rosie the chicken taking a walk around the farmyard. The illustrations show that she is being followed by a fox, who tries to pounce on Rosie, but never quite makes it. Children learn to use prepositions and understand spatial relationships through the text and pictures, while also seeing a story from two different points of view.
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Nutrient of the Month: Vitamin B12
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Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is one of many B-vitamins that play an important role in the body’s ability to produce energy. It is also very important for heart and brain health. Plants do not make this vitamin, so most foods rich in vitamin B12 come from animals, including fish, beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, and cow’s milk products. Try mashing this egg salad recipe together with your children and enjoy it as a unique way to meet your vitamin B12 needs.
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Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dill relish or chopped pickles
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- Optional seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, seasoning salt, etc.
Instructions
- Mash and mix ingredients in bowl.
- Enjoy!
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PCDA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing children with developmental challenges and their families the best possible programs. Your donations directly support children with special needs and their families.
Please click here to donate today.
Thank you for your generous support!
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PCDA's Mission
The mission of PCDA is to help children with autism and other developmental challenges increase their capacity for communication, problem-solving, creativity and reflective thinking, and engage in joyful interactions and warm relationships with family and friends.
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