UIUC’s Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Clinic is providing free tele-practice appointments this summer for individuals and groups.

Do you or your child need speech-language pathology interventions but can’t see your clinician due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Clinic is offering free tele-practice appointments this summer for individuals and groups.

Illinois residents can receive therapy services from supervised graduate clinicians. These clinicians are under the supervision of licensed and nationally certified speech-language pathologists.

Sessions are available through Aug. 6.

Those interested should email SHSCLINIC@illinois.edu. The clinic will ask you to complete and submit an online survey.

Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

More information is available at https://ahs.illinois.edu/slp-clinic.

The Johnson family donated 160 Easter baskets for children at Central DuPage Hospital, surpassing their goal despite the coronavirus outbreak

Andrea Stambaugh vividly recalls the disappointment she felt when her son, Axel Johnson, was in the pediatric intensive care unit on Easter weekend 2018. 

There would be no coloring eggs, Easter egg hunts, or other favorite family celebrations.

“I was feeling like a failure because I didn’t have an Easter basket beautifully wrapped and thoughtfully hidden here for Axel to see on Easter morning,” Andrea wrote on her Facebook page, “Axel’s Journey with CMV.” “Then, as the lights turned down in the hallway and it grew quiet, I heard a family in the hallway praying. Praying not for Easter baskets and a chance to color eggs, but for life.”

The moment immediately changed her perspective. Andrea vowed to offer love and support to such families who can’t be home making memories with their children.

For the last two years, the Johnsons have collected donations to fill Easter baskets for hospitalized children. Despite unexpected challenges from the coronavirus outbreak, the family surpassed this year’s goal and delivered 160 Easter baskets to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

“We know the burden and the mom guilt that people feel when they can’t provide their kid a proper holiday. We know that that’s a lot of stress and a lot of burden and frankly, the families are dealing with a lot of other things if they’re in the hospital,” Andrea said. “They shouldn’t have to feel that pressure, so we’re here to make sure that’s relieved from them and that they can focus on healing for their child.”

Axel is 3 years old and a participant in the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children program.

After his Easter hospitalization, Andrea researched information from other organizations who coordinate Easter basket donations. She put together a list of suggested items, including coloring books, puzzles, dolls and action figures. She then asked her page followers for donations.

The Johnsons hoped to collect enough items for 25 baskets for Easter 2019. Donations far exceeded this goal. A team of volunteers helped them put together a total of 125 baskets for children at multiple Chicago-area hospitals.

This year, the Johnsons aimed to donate 150 baskets. They set up an Amazon wish list for Easter basket items, and donations started to pour in. But challenges soon arose as the coronavirus outbreak escalated. For safety reasons, two hospitals could no longer accept donations for patients.

Central DuPage Hospital could accept the baskets if the Johnsons followed strict safety precautions.

“We have an immunocompromised child, so we know about the importance of keeping the children and the families safe during this time,” Andrea said.

Every Easter basket item was purchased new and cleaned with bleach spray or a sanitizing wipe. Andrea and her partner, Adam Johnson, wore gloves and masks while sorting the items and wrapping the baskets with cellophane and personalized notes.

Due to the pandemic’s social distancing requirements, Andrea and Adam spent 16 hours packaging 160 baskets without their usual team of volunteers.

Last weekend, they delivered the baskets to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield to be ready for patients on Easter Sunday.

“It makes our hearts really happy every year when we get to see the finished product and all of the kids that will be blessed this Easter,” Andrea said.

The family is also already planning to provide baskets to more hospitals next Easter.

For more information about their project and Axel’s condition, visit “Axel’s Journey with CMV” on Facebook.

Families may now receive EI services through video for their infants or toddlers with disabilities or delays.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is making Early Intervention (EI) services available through live video visits.

Families may now receive services through video for their infants or toddlers with disabilities or delays. EI services include help with movement, learning, interacting, behavior and self-help skills.

The virtual visits are in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“In light of the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, Early Intervention face-to-face services were suspended on March 16. Since then, the IDHS Early Intervention team has been hard at work to secure an effective way to continue EI services, virtually,” according to an IDHS news release.

Families can work with their EI provider in real time with video and audio features over the internet.

IDHS says it is developing tip sheets to help families understand the process and get the most benefit out of their live video visits.

EI providers will contact families this week as they launch the live video visits.

Families can access EI services through the IDHS website.

Guidance and training for video visits is available on the EI Clearing House website.

Families can also find more information on using telehealth services and virtual therapy sessions in our COVID-19 resources and support list for families at https://dscc.uic.edu/browse-resources/covid-19-resources-and-supports-for-families/ .

The Illinois Department of Public Health gives recommended guidance for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in medically fragile children.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has provided guidance for how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in medically fragile children.

The guidance includes:

• Planning actions for the home healthcare agency during a disease pandemic
• Preventative actions for the introduction of respiratory germs into your home
• Preventative actions for the introduction of respiratory germs within your home
• Preventative actions for vulnerable populations
• Contingency planning

The guidance is available in our COVID-19 resource list and at this direct link to the guidance document.

The count helps support key programs and services for children and families.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts all people in the United States. This count determines how much federal money is available for services and programs for children, including those with special healthcare needs.

By filling out the 2020 census form, parents can help ensure their children have the resources they need.

In March, the government will send every household a letter in the mail. This letter has instructions on how to fill out the census form.

The form asks for a count of everyone living at the address as of April 1, 2020. The count should include babies, young children and children with special healthcare needs and disabilities.

During the 2010 census, nearly one million young children were not counted, according to the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP).  

If young children are not counted in the 2020 census, the following programs could lose funds:

• Medicaid
• Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Title I funding
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) special education funding
• Head Start
• Childcare and Development Block Grants

States and communities also use census data to fund and develop programs and services for children and families.  

All census responses are confidential. Your answers are not shared with anyone and are only used to count the number of people in the country.

AMCHP provides a 2020 census fact sheet for parents. (A Spanish fact sheet is also available.) It explains how the census works, how young children should be counted and confidentiality.

The U.S. Census Bureau also provides helpful resources for parents:

• Census 101
• Counting Young Children
• 2020 Census Safety and Security

You can also watch the Census Bureau video below:

Marcus Theatres offers special moving showings catered to individuals with special needs and their families on select dates.

Marcus Theatres’ Reel Movies for Real Needs is a specially designed program to serve families with special needs who seldom attend movies.

It provides a welcoming and comfortable environment with lower sound and lights up so children who need accommodations and their families can share the experience of seeing family-friendly films at a theater.

Upcoming Reel Movies for Real Needs include:

• Jumanji: The Next Level – Dec. 14
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Dec. 21
• Spies in Disguise – Dec. 28
• My Spy – Jan. 11
• Dolittle – Jan. 18
• Sonic the Hedgehog – Feb. 15

A select first run movie is featured one Saturday each month at 10:30 a.m. Visit the Reel Movies for Real Needs website for location and ticket information.

Reel Movies for Real Needs is available at the following Illinois theaters:

• Addison Cinema
  1555 West Lake Street
  Addison, IL 60101
• Bloomington Cinema + IMAX
  1111 Wylie Drive
  Bloomington, IL 61705
• Orland Park Cinema
  16350 South LaGrange Road
  Orland Park, IL 60467

For questions, please call (800) 274-0099, ext. 1.

The Secret Sleigh Project is now accepting applications for Santa home visits during the 2019 holiday season.

Illinois children with an illness and/or disability that makes traveling difficult could receive a free home visit from Santa this holiday season.

The Secret Sleigh Project is an organization that coordinates volunteers to provide Santa home visits to children who are medically fragile nationwide.

A Colorado mother created the project in 2015 after her own daughter was diagnosed with a respiratory complication.

“It was overwhelming to consider seeing Santa. And then I had a vision of Santa walking into Lily’s room and her lighting up at the sight of him,” Secret Sleigh Project Director Sarah Kordis said.

“I posted the idea on Facebook, and shared how I would like to help other families receive a home visit as well. Within two hours, thanks to a remarkable friend, we had Santa. Two weeks after, Santa visited 16 children all over northern Colorado, including Lily and her brothers.”

That next year, the project enlisted more than five Santas to visit more than 50 children in three different states. Today, the project is able to provide Santa home visits in every state.

“It is not always possible to provide a visit to every child, but we do our absolute best to make it happen,” Kordis said.

To apply for a Santa home visit from the Secret Sleigh Project, interested families must complete the following forms and email them to secretsleigh@gmail.com:

• Complete the 2019 Family Application
• Complete the 2019 Family Liability Release
• Complete the Photo Release Form

Applications are due Dec. 1. After this deadline, the project puts families on a waiting list.

For more information, email secretsleigh@gmail.com or visit the Secret Sleigh Project Facebook page.

Please note, the Secret Sleigh Project is a separate organization that is not affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). DSCC is not involved in the organizing or scheduling of these Santa home visits.

Free Santa Experiences welcome children of all ages and abilities!

Autism Speaks is once again partnering with Cherry Hill Programs this holiday season to provide free, sensory-friendly Santa Experiences for families across the country.

All families of children with autism and other special needs can enjoy a visit with Santa in a more subdued and calm environment.

Santa stops in Illinois begin Nov. 24 and are scheduled for communities including:

• Aurora
• Champaign
• Chicago
• Chicago Ridge
• Fairview Heights
• Gurnee
• Joliet
• Lombard
• Moline
• Northbrook
• Oak Brook
• Orland Park
• Schaumburg
• South Barrington
• Springfield
• Rosemont
• Vernon Hills
• West Dundee

You can visit the Autism Speaks website to search for Santa Photo Experiences in your area and reserve your spot.

Sensory-friendly Santa events are free and keepsake photo packages will be available for purchase.

If you have questions or problems registering, email autismspeaksu@autismspeaks.org.

For more Santa visits and other holiday events for children with special healthcare needs in Illinois, be sure to check our Events page.

The Summer Food Service Program is open to Illinois children ages 18 and under to fill the nutritional gap during summer.

School may be out for summer, but hunger knows no break.

Many Illinois families depend on their children’s schools to provide regular, nutritious meals throughout the school year.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides healthy meals and snacks to children and teens age 18 and younger at hundreds of sites across the state. The Illinois State Board of Education runs the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To find a meal site near you, call (800) 359-2163, text “FoodIL” to 877-877, or visit SummerMealsIllinois.org.

“A healthy return to school starts with a healthy summer,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Equity means ensuring students get what they need year-round. ISBE is grateful to all those who have stepped up to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program, making it possible for free and healthy meals and snacks to reach the families who need them.”

To learn more about this year’s program, visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.

Learn from experts in the field about assistive technology, post-transition, behavior planning and early detection and intervention.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute on Disability and Human Development and The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) are kicking off a series of webinars in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

The webinars will discuss many aspects of autism, including interventions and strategies to improve quality of life and important information on the systems that affect individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The webinars will feature experts from across the field. Continuing education units will also be available for all webinars.

To register, visit www.accessibilityonline.org/IDHD.

Schedule details are available below by topic:

Assistive Technology Series

• April 10, 1-2 p.m.
  “AT Tools for Independence – Electronic Aids to Daily Living”
• April 29,  1-2 p.m.
  “AT Communication Tools and Strategies”
• May 9,  1-2 p.m.
  “AT Tools and Resources for Latinx Families”
• May 16, 1-1:30 p.m.
  “AT Creating Individualized Communication Profiles”
  (.5 continuing education units available only in conjunction with one other ATU webinar)

Post-Transition

• April 11,  1-2 p.m.
  “Accessing Adult Services in Illinois”
• May 23, 1-2 p.m.
  “What Happens after High School? Transition to College for Autistic and Disabled Youth”
• May 30, 1-2 p.m.
  “ABLE Accounts”

Behavior Planning

• April 18,  2-3 p.m.
  “Understanding and Improving Behavior: A Sensible Approach”
• June 20, 1-2 p.m.
  “ABA Basics: Recognizing Good and Bad Behavior Plans”

Early Detection and Intervention

• June 13,  1-2 p.m.
  “Early Detection of Autism”
• June 27,  1-2 p.m.
  “A Look at Alternative Interventions”

Questions? Please contact Susan Kahan at skahan@uic.edu.