Weekly Update - July 22, 2022

Strive Center for Autism

Caregiver Appreciation

We hope you enjoyed Caregiver Appreciation this morning at drop off.

Don't worry if you weren't able to make it, we have one every month!

The next Caregiver Appreciation is scheduled for Friday, August 19th at 3:00.

Please stop in for a coffee on us and a chance to connect with other caregivers.

Upcoming Fun Fridays

Spirit Days

July 29th - Super Hero Day - wear a shirt with your favorite super hero on it, or go all out and dress like your favorite super hero.
August 5th - Sports Day - wear a shirt for your favorite sports team, or any sports related clothing
August 12th - School Spirit Day - wear your Strive shirt
August 19th - All One Color Day - dress all in one color of your choice. This will be our final Spirit Day for the summer.

Fun Friday Activities

July 29th - "Fireworks" science experiment - we make fireworks in a jar with water, oil, and food coloring
August 5th - Ice Cream in a Bag - permission slips will be sent home prior to this activity so parents can approve ingredients. Kids can participate in making it without eating it too.
August 12th - Wheels Day/Wheels Wash - Feel free to bring your own wheels and helmet, but we'll have plenty at the center to play with. We'll get the hose out and wash down our wheels too!
August 19th - What melts in the sun? Science experiment outside, all materials provided by Strive. This will be our final Fun Friday for the summer.

Meet Kacie, ABA Therapist in Brighton

Kacie started at the Strive Center for Autism in May, 2022. She previously worked for Easter Seals of Michigan for five years as a Behavior Technician.

Kacie has several Associates Degrees from Mott Community College. They include Art, Science and General Education.

In her free time, Kacie enjoys gardening, going to the beach, camping, kayaking and watching reality tv.

Fall Transitions

Please let your BCBA know the details on any fall transition plans. We know it's still hot out, but we are planning for fall now.

If your child will be attending school for the first time or returning to school, please let us know the start date. If you anticipate a need to change your schedule at Strive (such as moving from AM to PM, or if you're interested in increasing or decreasing hours) you'll need to talk with your BCBA.

Increases in hours require pre-approval from insurance companies, and those approvals can take 6-8 weeks, so we really need to plan now.

Decreases in hours may be easier on the insurance front, but there can be ramifications for your next authorization if you don't attend a high percentage of the hours in the current authorization, so those require a talk with your BCBA too.

Please just share your fall plans with us so we can make sure your child continues to receive the best possible care!

Summer Vacations

The end of summer is coming fast! We know families will be looking to schedule vacations in the next month, so please use the link below to inform us of your planned absences.

Therapy Schedule Update Form

Here are some additional dates that the centers will be closed this summer:

Friday, August 26th Professional Development Day

Monday, September 5th Labor Day

If your family is planning a longer absence around one of those dates, or at another time, please let us know as soon as you are able!

Professional Crisis Management

We train our entire team in Professional Crisis Management, or PCM. Our PCM training provides us with skills and techniques in crisis prevention, crisis de-escalation, crisis intervention, and post crisis intervention.

If a staff member mentions to you that "PCM was used" with your child, that indicates that one of the physical crisis intervention strategies was used that day. When that happens, we document it and report to the caregiver at pick up. We are often able to prevent or de-escalate a potential crisis situation and avoid any physical intervention, but sometimes these strategies are needed.

Please feel free to ask your BCBA any questions you have about our PCM training and visit the Professional Crisis Management Association website for more information. We've included a one page informational sheet from out intake packet below as well.