The Autism Spectrum & Developmental Disorders Resource Center helps families navigate the complex world of services and treatments for children from economically challenged families. Social deficits remain one of the most difficult challenges for children with Autism disorders, especially for those with average or above average cognitive skills. This grant provides scholarships so that these children can participate in the Social Wellness or Social Success Groups which would otherwise be closed to them (Medicaid will not pay for these social group sessions.).

The Rice Center offers high-level treatment and programming for extremely vulnerable children who are in need of 24 hour care. The Trauma-informed Therapeutic Interventions Program, given to each new child during initial mental health assessment (within 30 days of intake), and to each current client at the time of their treatment plan reviews (every three months), will dramatically improve therapeutic services at the Rice Center. The goal of the program is to enable traumatized children to move back into the community as a part of a stable family, as a participating member of a mainstream school, and as a fully contributing member of society.

Unique recreational, educational, and therapeutic program to help meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of children (7-10 years old) diagnosed with cancer. The grant helps to underwrite room & board, transportation, and program/medical supplies expenses associated with the operation of the camp. Inasmuch as some participants have cognitive issues or disabilities, adaptive equipment is also provided for those campers. These programs help the children to bond with each other, and their supervisors, in a non-hospital setting, challenging them to learn new skills, while providing access to sports, camping, and other activities. The skills, lessons, support, and hope these children gain at camp empowers them as they return home to face the challenges of cancer after learning they are more than cancer patients, they are survivors!

The grant is for transitional services and supplies (food, medications, clothing, & personal items) used within the Foster Care and Adoption Program for ten children being placed in stable, nurturing foster homes until they can return to their biological families or are adopted. The program serves children with conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, substance exposure, shaken baby syndrome, heart ailments of complications of prematurity or HIV infection. All of the children come from predominantly low-income families living in communities with little access to social services.

The Mission provides resources to support at-risk teens and prevent suicide. The SOS is an evidence-based suicide prevention program for middle and high schools where it is the only such program to show a 40% reduction in self-reported suicide attempts in a randomized, controlled study. It was selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for its National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices. The grant will help the Mission to expand its very effective SOS Program to new schools and health care professionals in the greater Chicago area.

Golf First Program

Helping Hand is a school for children with Autism learn to live independently once they have reached majority. The grant will assist the school in the purchase of technology to be used in the classroom to enhance teaching and promote learning. Inasmuch as many of the children cannot hold a pencil or communicate, the program enhances their learning experience and communications through differential instruction techniques. Since the majority of the children with Autism are visual and kinesthetic learners the use of SMART Boards utilizing finger touch capability, IPads and data management systems to allow students to easily respond to instructions and other stimuli being used in the classroom. The technological equipment will also help maintain discipline and increase engagement of students.

Grant provides three each full-year scholarships for economically challenged families with sick children and also provides for the purchase of a computer, digital camera, and software to be used for patient evaluation and records documentation.

The fifth extension of a one-year grant program to provide much needed, recreational services specifically designed for children with autism spectrum disorder. Exclusive summer camp programs give these children a more structured environment to provide continuity from school year to school year and prevent loss of skill development over the summer. The children are given an opportunity to experience community outings (museum tours, zoo visits, water park exploration, library visits), in-house activities (arts/ crafts projects, interactive play, cooking), as well as art and music therapy.

This is the fifth extension of a one-year grant program to provide after-school snacks and suppers, summer lunches and weekend food-filled backpacks for low-income children at risk of hunger. In these poverty stricken homes, lack of nutritious food affects a child’s ability to develop and perform academically, physically, emotionally and socially. The NIFB serves over 3,000 children daily, these lunches are typically the only meal the children receive each day.

Project HELP is a Child Abuse Prevention Center that empowers parents to create a nurturing environment to enhance children to reach their full potential. The PEC teaches parents to use natural and logical consequences to reduce irresponsible and unacceptable behaviors of children in order to lessen the chance of abusive discipline.

Grant provides financial aid so that economically disadvantaged students can attend this life changing program to improve their reading and comprehension skills so they can interact at the appropriate grade level.

Shelter’s mission is to help and protect children who are abused, neglected, or dependent by providing 24-hour emergency and longer-term care. The Fund covers the cost of critical and immediate health needs for adolescents who are uninsured and unable to access private or state health insurance. These children are provided with additional medical visits, dental visits, prescription medications, glasses, and medical equipment that the children would not otherwise have available to them. The Shelter also provides for health screenings and physicals necessary to detect health problems.

Mikaslyn Larson, an 8 year little girl born with a serious neuromuscular disorder was in critical need of surgery to correct the disorder. In 2010 the community, state, nation and world showed its compassion by responding to the family’s plea for help. While Mikaslyn has shown great progress, she is wheel chair bound and the family cannot transport her anymore in a standard automobile. The purpose of this grant is to provide funds with which to purchase a used handicapped conversion van for Mikaslyn.

The purpose of this Project is to introduce underprivileged children in the agency’s transitional and emergency housing to cultural opportunities, develop children’s social skills in public settings, and promote healthy interactions between mothers and children as well as to promote values such as curiosity, empathy, self control, and tolerance. The end result of the project will be to break the cycle of abuse, violence and poverty in future generations.