Fresh Start School Open House

It’s believed the Buddha once said, “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” Donna Swanson, executive director of the FOCUS Center for Autism and Fresh Start School, is no stranger to miracles and has made it her life’s mission to change and empower the lives of her students and their families living with Autism. Motivated to increase authentic awareness in the broader community and celebrate her students’ abilities during National Learning Disabilities Month, the Fresh Start School will be hosting an Open House on October 17th and a community-wide panel discussion in Southington on October 19th.
“Too often children with Autism are placed in one of only two narratives: as very high-functioning individuals with social quirks or as extremely impacted and socially difficult to engage. This needs to broaden,” states Swanson. “Here at FOCUS and the Fresh Start School, we aim to change these misconceptions and prove that every child – no matter where they land on the spectrum – enriches our communities.”
The October 17 Fresh Start School Open House will educate interested parents, potential students, educators of public and private schools, and curious members of surrounding towns to the programs and curriculum catering specifically to children with Autism. Most notable is the school’s foundation education model: the clinically-grounded Milieu Therapy. According to Swanson the successful use of Milieu has provided an environment where students are constantly being supported, nourished and reinforce the child’s ability to learn life skills, such as problem solving and coping skills while, at the same time, offer a safe place for these skills to be practiced and integrated into the child’s repertoire of strategies.
Loving parents know that practicing, integrating, and expanding on a student’s repertoire in a safe community is what National Learning Disabilities Month is all about. That’s why Swanson has accepted an invitation to lead an open panel discussion by Next Steps Parent Support Group at the Southington School System, funded by the regional Wheeler Clinic. The panel will be held at John F. Kennedy Middle School on October 19th. “We all want to see our children feel loved, valued, and succeed,” Swanson states. “That’s why community engagement in helping our children with different abilities reach their fullest potentials is crucial. Learning how to interact and set someone up for life-long success is not just a parenting concern or education system’s concern, but a public responsibility that can only serve the best interest of the entire community.”
The Fresh Start School Open House is Tuesday, October 17th from 6 to 7:30 PM at 126 Down Avenue in Canton.  The FOCUS Spectrum Unplugged Panel on understanding and accepting children with Autism is Thursday, October 19th from 6 to 7:30 PM at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Southington. Both events are free and open to the public.
About FOCUS Center for Autism and the Fresh Start School
 
Since 2000, the nonprofit FOCUS Center for Autism in Canton has been dedicated to helping children and young adults with autism spectrum and other related disorders achieve their full potential. FOCUS has developed a well-respected model of treatment that has now served over 800 children and families. The FOCUS Fresh Start School is a private, state approved special education program offering children with autism spectrum disorder a quality education experience that addresses both their academic and clinical needs. For more information visit http://focuscenterforautism.org or call (860) 693-8809.