A Fish Out of Water

I am a fish out of water. Literally. I am in the desert for awhile and I am definitely an ocean girl. This makes for interesting looks I am getting from people around town. First, I don't dress like a cowgirl. No cowboy hat, no boots. I wear what I like and I can tell you that flip flops and capris in February isn't the norm here. I think I am experiencing those longer stares our kids get; you know the ones I am talking about. Sometimes I ignore them but today I look back and smile, inviting them to ask; where are you from? What transpired was a funny take on the game seven degrees from Kevin Bacon.... Strangers in a kosher deli, yes a kosher deli, connect Boston to New York, New Jersey, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam and finally Antwerp. We ate in the same kosher restaurant in Antwerp. Sometimes the stares lead to conversations and  connections. I left him practicing saying "wicked awesome."

Submitted by:
Chris Gallant

TIP of the WEEK: Animal Therapy

Pam Nolan and I started Latham Centers donkey certification program this week. This means that in the next few months we will introduce donkey therapy to the kids in our children's program.

Donkey therapy has been used in our adult program for several years and has proven to be a wonderful resource for the adults that are involved. Animal therapy is a great and effective way to teach empathy, responsibility and appropriate boundaries. Before the donkeys will allow anyone to work near them they need to feel safe so the children and adults must first earn their trust. Earning their trust means being gentle, being reliable and letting the donkeys know that they are there to help them. I am very excited to introduce the kids to these sweet animals and I know that everyone will benefit from this new relationship.

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services

Restaurant Night!

Thanks to all of our wonderful staff for making this year's restaurant night such a huge success!

Mark Your Calendars

Latham has quite a busy month of February.  Here is the latest:

2/13:                      Community Meeting -All components of Latham meet to celebrate Latham’s brightest stars over the past month!

2/13:                      Valentine’s Day Restaurant Night -Fish will be on the menu in recognition of Ash Wednesday.

2/15:                       The Garden Ladies- Just in time to make Valentine’s Day gifts.

2/15:                      Nostalgia Night- Come see Latham’s finest celebrate their unique talents!

2/18-22:                 February Vacation- A variety of activities will be offered to the students throughout the week.

2/19-20:                 Staff Circle of Courage training- Staff will receive training in the core values that drive Latham; Independence, Mastery, Generosity and Belonging.

2/25:                      Latham School Assembly- See the Student Council strut their stuff and important school updates.

Hope to see you there!




Gerald J. Pouliot,
Assistant Principal

Latest News: Survey

Latham Centers, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of New England and Advocates Inc. are planning our fall conference on Cape Cod. We would love to hear from you about which topics are important to you, what ages you are most interested in hearing about and if you would be interested in attending. Please consider taking a few minutes to fill out this survey so we can be sure that your area of interest in included. The deadline for the survey is 2/23/13. 

Click HERE to take survey.

Thanks so much! I can’t wait for what should be a great conference!!!

-Patrice

TIP of the WEEK: Sensory Integration

Earlier this week I attended a training on sensory integration. I have attended many trainings on this topic in the past but each time, I come away with something new, and this time was no different. As I listened to the trainer talk about different kids with different needs, why some kids struggle with crowds, noises or tight clothing it struck me that we all struggle with sensory processing difficulties on all different levels. I do not like certain materials of clothing or textures of food and my mood would directly reflect that preference if I was made to wear or eat something that I did not like the feel of. We put kids in classrooms with loud noises or too bright lights and look to the child to correct their behavior when it is unwanted or otherwise negative.  The truth is that some kids feel itchy in any type of clothing and their fidgeting is not always a result of ADHD, non-compliance or attention seeking as we often label them. They have a sensory processing difficulty and we should look to reduce their discomfort instead of medicating or using behavioral interventions to reduce what we see as disruptive behavior. Of course in some cases kids do require medications or other interventions to reduce unwanted behaviors, but we need to look to the basics first:

• Are they comfortable? 
• Can they see? 
• Can they hear over the background noises? 
• Are they too cold or too hot? 
• Do they feel physically grounded to the floor or are they dizzy or off balance? 

Our kids are so good at compensating for what they struggle with and it is how they can often go so long with real issues before anyone picks up on it. A registered occupational therapist can tell you if your child has needs in this area. All too often our kids are denied ongoing OT because, again, they can often appear as though they would not benefit from this. Push for it. Demand it. Our kids do not always develop their senses in a typical way as a result of poor muscle tone and dysfunction of the endocrine system and it isn’t until later in life, often once they reach school age, that we see the struggles that they are having. Early work with a registered OT can save a lot of time in meetings later on with teachers and administrators telling you that your child can’t seem to sit still or can’t focus, won’t follow directions or is disrupting the group. Before you let anyone tell you that your child needs medication or a special plan in place, especially if that plan involves restrictions, ask yourself- is he comfortable? Is she grounded in space (not dizzy or feeling like she’s tipping)? Does he feel constricted or not constricted enough? Does she always seem to bump into things, is she “clumsy” or tripping more than she should? Does he cover his ears even at the slightest noise? Is she only happy when she’s moving or is she fearful of any movements other than walking? These are all signs of sensory processing disorder and the great news is that there is a lot that you can do about it.

Your child does not have to live their lives being uncomfortable or feeling out of control. Sensory integration as a part of daily life will make an enormous improvement to your child’s quality of life. Always consult a registered OT before incorporating sensory integration but do it soon and do it often because I have seen firsthand the transformation that takes place once we target and treat the problematic areas. We’d love to hear your stories of how sensory integration has improved your child’s life!

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll

The “To Do List”

My head hurts. It isn’t because I’m sick. It’s my “to do” list. How in the world do I have so many partially finished tasks? If I am honest, it is probably more truthful to say partially started. I have really good intentions but lately I have gotten off track. I think of it like reading a book. Normally I’m a cover to cover reader. Finish one, pick up another. Right now I have about 12 books going with the first chapter read. Not the most cohesive way to understand the story--I’m mixing everything up.
Finishing this post is my first complete job of the day: start to finish. One focus, one task complete. It feels good to have this done. Now, on to the next one…..one down, eleven to go!

Submitted by:
Chris Gallant

TIP of the WEEK: The Importance of Training

We spent this past week with a visit from Dr. Jan Forster and Dr. Linda Gourash from the Pittsburg Partnership. Both Dr. Forster and Dr. Gourash are ongoing consultants for Latham Centers and their frequent visits are jam packed with direct individual consultations, site visits and staff training. Even the most seasoned staff members need to have the opportunity to learn, share their own knowledge and get updated on the most current best practices.

Training sets a standard for core competencies, allows a person to develop personally and professionally and allows an agency to set a level of optimal care standards for safety, health care, behavioral interventions and many other areas. The recent visit from Dr. Forster and Dr. Gourash gave our staff an opportunity to brainstorm and learn from their extensive experience working with children and adults diagnosed with PWS.

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll

Special Education Update from Latham School

It has been an exciting, positive and productive school year at Latham!

In the fall students were introduced to a brand new schedule which they have handled with ease. There is now a lower student-to-staff ratio in many classes such as reading, mathematics, performing arts, and vocational skills which has created a more concentrated one-to-one learning environment in the classroom. The bar was raised for our students and once again they amazed our dedicated staff with their accomplishments.

The Race Point and Bass River class enjoyed time in the community together. Community outings included registering to vote at the Brewster Town Hall, voting for the President at the Brewster Baptist Church, and taking a tour of the Statehouse in Boston. Nauset class continues to work on belonging, unification, and working toward potentially obtaining high school diplomas. Recently, a Latham graduate received his high school diploma which enables him to walk in his district’s graduation ceremony this June. 

Our younger classes have integrated Sensory Rooms into their classrooms where they are able to request use of. Students have also been working on methods to identify challenging emotions and how to best handle these difficult feelings.

The work by both the students and staff on a daily basis is remarkable. The educational team looks forward to working with all of the components of Latham in order make sure that each individual student reaches their maximum potential. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of such an extraordinary community.


Gerald J. Pouliot
Assistant Principal

TIP of the WEEK: Preparing For the Hospital

We never want to think our kids will need to spend any time in the hospital but a little preparation goes a long way with this unique syndrome. If you are fortunate enough to have time to prepare your child ahead of time, do so. Take a trip before his or her admission to see the unit, meet the nurses and get an idea of what a hospital room looks like. Most hospitals that serve children will be happy to accommodate a pre-visit of this sort. Talk to the kitchen staff ahead of time and get a menu and be sure to stay as close to their typical food and calories as usual. Don't set yourself up for the hospital being a place where extra and/or special food is obtained. There is nothing worse than a child faking serious symptoms just to get to the hospital for extra food. If this is a concern, the hospital will allow you to bring your own food in.

Try to arrange for a family member of friend to be with your child if you cannot be. Hospital staff will likely have very limited experience with PWS and issues like sensitivity to anesthesia, high pain tolerance, fabrication of the truth and high anxiety may be overlooked or misinterpreted. Stay as close to your home routine as possible. Favorite games, toys or sensory items can be brought with your child in most cases.

The ultimate goal is getting your child healthy and back home but good communication and pre-planning will make your hospital stay more tolerable for everyone involved.

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services

Bowling!!

The bowling team participated in the South Section Assessment games this weekend at Ryan Family Amusements. A member of our team was asked to read the Special Olympics players oath during the beginning ceremonies.  All the kids had a lot of fun, and team spirit was in full blast. 

Go Hawks!

Submitted by:

Frannie Quirk

School News

Latham will have their first annual school assembly today. We will meet once a month to discuss school-related topics. Please feel free to stop by! Here is our agenda:

• Brief Introduction by Gerry followed by Mindfulness/Icebreaker
• Hall Passes (Katie/Fred)
• Student Council Presentation w/ support from Tristan and Brittni
• Direct Deposits by Keveney and Brandon
• Hallway etiquette by Gerry
• Dismissal

Hope to see you there!

Clear the Clutter

We have begun the New Year with a plan of “clearing the clutter."  Students have been working in their suites and rooms to look at what they need and do not need. This might sound like house cleaning to some, yet we could also use the opportunity to make it an exciting process as well. Our entire community has been working together.

The process of “clearing the clutter” can be a powerful tool to help anyone heal and transform their life. Clearing clutter gets rid of the old stuff in your life, and in the process creates new space. The reason most people avoid “clearing the clutter” is not because it takes effort and is time consuming. It's because clutter clearing is a very emotional process that feels like therapy and it takes emotional stamina to go through it. The good news is that once you clear most of your clutter and have a system to avoid its accumulation in the future, you will start experiencing more clarity and energy. Wouldn’t you agree that this is definitely worth all of the hard work and extra effort?

Some say there are 3 types of clutter:

• 1  Dirty clutter – clutter that needs to be tidied or cleaned 
• 2    Big piles of clutter – the stuff that accumulates and piles up
• 3  Broken or old clutter – “stuff” that you have outgrown

If you are ready for a breakthrough in your life, take some time to “clear the clutter”.  The physical clearing of clutter can help you heal from the inside. Use this weekend to clear away your clutter.  It could help you with new opportunities and ideas.

Nancy Crimmins Warner, LICSW

Clinical Director

"Out of clutter find simplicity"

~Albert Einstein

What Independent Living Means to Me

I like living independently. What living independently means to me is being capable of making responsible decisions for myself. I can come and go freely whenever I want. I don’t have a curfew. I don't have to answer to anyone. Being independent makes me feel good about myself. Being independent has made me realize I have come a long way and I have made good choices and decisions in my life.When I lived in the group homes I felt less independent because there were staff to oversee things. Being independent is good for me because it shows I can handle real life situations. For people who don’t know me, I live independently in an apartment--I do get staff support and I have staff I can contact when needed.

Submitted by:

Lilli

"I set my own course through the ocean of life."
~Jonathan Lockwood Huie

TIP of the WEEK: Just Breathe

We often overlook the benefits of taking deep, mindful breathes. We have busy lives, little time and rarely put ourselves first but this is one thing that we can make time for and the health benefits are extraordinary. Did you know that 30 seconds of deep breathing everyday actually improves your tissue function, increases your immune system and acts as a detox for your blood cells? Not to mention the calming effect it has on your central nervous system.

Our kids often have a difficult time taking an effective deep breath. Try these tricks and let us know if you see an improvement:

• Blow the biggest bubble contest. Encourage exhaling for as long as is comfortable and a deep inhale will follow.

• Take a pong pong ball and draw a "goal" at the end of a table. See how many breathes it takes to blow the ball over the goal line. Try to improve their score everyday.

It is important for kids and adults to practice deep breathing everyday but it is equally as important for their caregivers to reduce stress and increase energy.

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services

Development Office Developments

The New Year is upon us and already the Development Office calendar is filling up!  It is important that we tell Latham’s story to impart the various needs of our individuals by grant writing and holding events throughout the year in order to not only bring in the needed funds, but to welcome all to our Latham family.

Since fundraising is our focus, we are always researching and submitting grant proposals to foundations for various funding needs.  The process can be daunting, as each foundation has a myriad of guidelines for writing and sending proposals. Spring will see our appeal to families, friends and businesses that have been so generous to Latham in the past and to prospective donors, those who don’t know us as well, that need to know about the important work we do, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year!

In June, our year-end ceremonies and annual meeting is an exciting time for students, staff, families  and friends to gather to celebrate the successes of our students, as well as those of the agency, as we communicate to all our plans and needs for the future. August is a great time for us to say thank you to those who have generously given to Latham.  A splendid donor appreciation event held at Ocean Edge is a highlight of the summer. We also hope to participate in the 41st Falmouth Road Race, Numbers for Nonprofits Program.   Are you a runner?  We’ll keep you posted.

This year, Latham will host the 3rd Annual Prader-Willi Conference in September with the help of our friends from Advocates and PWS Association of New England.  Planning for this wonderfully informative event is about to begin!  Stayed tuned! October 21st will mark the 4th Annual Latham Centers Charity Golf Classic held at Ocean Edge Resort.  It has been a resounding success and an enjoyable day for everyone involved.

There is a lot to accomplish as always and we look to you, our Blog friends, to be a part of it all. Thank you for your support!

To sign up for regular event communications, click HERE. And to learn about ways to give to Latham, Click HERE  or visit http://www.lathamcenters.org/WaystoGive.

Best wishes to all in the New Year!

Submitted by:
Carol Sullivan

Wintertime on the Cape

The holidays at Latham may have been a blast, but there’s nothing like finding the time to enjoy all of the fun Winter on Cape Cod has to offer!  We’re looking forward to weeks of brisk hikes, cozy movies with friends, and, with a little luck, building the first snow fort of the season.  While the rest of the Cape settles in after the holidays, the Latham community is free to get out and explore.

Here’s to another Cape Cod Winter shared by all the members of the Latham community!

Submitted by:
Hal Johnson

"The color of springtime is in the flowers; 

the color of winter is in the imagination."

~Terri Guillemets

What Will 2013 Bring?

I am always surprised when changing to a new year is easy to absorb into my documentation. Granted, with electronic banking I write few, if any, checks these days. Yet, I struggle some years to make that last digit leap to the next number. I spent the better part of this weekend laying out a blueprint of a “to do” list. I realized that 2013 just sprung easily off my keyboard. It seems this is one of the easy years and I welcome that. My list for 2013 is extensive and broken down into personal and professional objectives. I plan well, what I struggle with is completion. So, 2013 for me is about finishing strong. There will be more edits to the list, but those that remain are to be completed. Today, we will examine our 2013 Orientation Program and look for ways to make it stronger and more useful to newly hired staff. Now that is a great way to kick-off a new year!

Wishing all of you health and happiness for 2013! Happy New Year!

Submitted by:
Chris Gallant

"Approach the New Year with resolve 

to find the opportunities hidden in each new day." 

~Michael Josephson

TIP of the WEEK: Self-Injurious Behaviors

Self-injurious behaviors provide a lot of sensory input but for health, social and long term mental health reasons it is dangerous and paradoxical. Head banging, slapping, biting and hair pulling typically occur in response to a sensory processing difficulty. Replacing the maladaptive behaviors with adaptive and positive coping skills will create positive input. If done often and long term the self-injurious behaviors will be less necessary and less effective in relation to sensory input. Sensory tools used daily will reduce symptoms of distress and will provide optimal health, adaptability and well-being.
Examples of sensory tools that can be used daily:

• Weighted blankets with or without heat. Please be aware of low muscle tone and temperature dis regulation when using this tool. Consult your child's doctor to determine the correct weight and degree of heat to use.

• Massage

• Joint compression ( squeezing a ball, lifting weighted objects, pushing hands and feet against solid objects, weight lifting- again, consult your doctor or PT/OT)

• Swinging

• Walking barefoot in grass or sand

• Head rolls

• Rolling down an incline

• Soothing sounds or scents

Using tools such as these could improve your child's overall quality of life if it decreases self-injurious behaviors. Not only does it replace socially unacceptable behaviors but it improves overall self-esteem. Don't hesitate to contact is if you have a specific problem that you are struggling with.

Happy New Year!

Latham Students Donate Proceeds to Charity

What do you do when you aren’t quite old enough for the Best Buddies Dance? How about heading out for a tour of the Cape Cod Times. Extra, extra read all about it, we had a great time. The Editor- in- Chief, Paul Pronovost, conducted the tour. We had a blast and learned plenty, from the newsroom to Paul’s gag gift collection in his office. Like us here at Latham, news people love joking around and getting the story first. We might have some budding reporters in our midst.  We can’t wait for the future tour of the printing press.

We were also thrilled to be delivering a big fat check to the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund. We made $702.55 from the proceeds of our Annual Holiday Craft Fair. Last year we raised $519.23 for St. Jude’s, and we thought that was a lot. It was wonderful for our students to present the check to the head of the Needy Fund, Betsey Sethares.  We were especially pleased to be making the donation because we found out that the Needy Fund hasn’t been receiving as many donations as usual this year. Boy are we glad to help! We are going to watch the front page of our favorite paper, The Cape Cod Times. We can’t wait to see the red line on the Needy fund’s donation thermometer rise after our contribution.

Contributed by:
Shauna Kelly

"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, 

but from doing something worthwhile." 

~Wilfred Grenfell