A MONTH OF DISCOVERY JUNE 2024

Dear Friends,

It’s been an incredible and engaging couple of months here at The Center, and we have so much to share with our community. From our annual events like the Adventure Team Challenge: NY Edition, prom, and graduation, to having our work shared with multiple audiences thanks to our Clinical and Psychology teams, there’s been no shortage of life-changing opportunity and activity organization-wide.

As we head into the long weekend, we wish you a relaxing, safe, and happy Fourth!

Now, onto the newsletter!

There’s No Place Like The Center for Discovery

In late May, The Center’s Discovery Dramatic Arts Program presented our very own version of the classic musical, The Wizard of Oz.

Twenty-four students and adults from across TCFD’s programs took to the stage in a dynamic production that placed the audience at the heart of the story. There were moments in the show that asked the audience to participate by doing everything from blowing bubbles upon Glinda’s arrival, to clicking their heals together, and reciting “there’s no place like home” to help bring Dorothy home. The actors themselves moved within the audience, seamlessly bringing the story to life from every angle. This unique staging allowed the audience to experience the confidence exuded from the performers in a more intimate and powerful way. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

Our annual dramatic arts performances couldn’t happen without the support of so many members of TCFD’s community – thank you to all who make it happen!

View the performance here.

A profile on the Wizard of Oz and The Center’s Discovery Dramatic Arts Program was also featured in The River Reporter newspaper. According to reporter Jonathan Charles Fox, “I was so inspired by their performances and dedication of the talented director, musicians, staff and crew. Seeing them strut their stuff moved me deeply in a way that few productions, even on Broadway, ever have.” Read more here.

The 14^th Annual Adventure Team Challenge: NY Edition

We can’t believe it’s already come and gone! Perhaps our favorite tradition of all time – Adventure Team Challenge: NY Edition – now in its 14^th year! It was an incredible few days spent with our extended TCFD family featuring teamwork, perseverance, and you guessed it – fun!

A special thank you to the team of coaches at World T.E.A.M. Sports for working alongside TCFD’s residents, students, and staff in various athletic events like relay races, hiking, cycling, rowing, and orienteering.

And, one last shout out to the Dolber Family Foundation and Osaic Inc., for the incredible work that goes into ATC: NY. We always leave this weekend feeling so inspired and proud of all the athletes who work so hard to reach new heights.

“This year’s Adventure Team Challenge was one of the best on record! Our beautiful partnership with Lon Dolber and his team, coupled with World T.E.A.M. Sports and our extraordinary Center staff and families made for a three day athletic and bonding experience that was second to none, “said Jim Cashen, Assistant Chief of Integrated Arts.

“We remain in awe of what our Center athletes are capable of achieving on the mountain, kayak, climbing wall, bike, orienteering trek, circuit courses, and more with loving support and a belief in what’s possible.

Here’s to all the new memories created, and those to come!

Enjoy this beautiful slideshow of ATC: NY 2024

Hats Off to our 2024 Grads

The Center for Discovery’s 2024 graduation ceremony was a heartwarming and joyful celebration of our amazing students’ achievements. It was a day filled with laughter, (happy) tears, and plenty of applause as we honored the hard work and dedication of our graduates.

Families, friends, and staff all came together to celebrate this special milestone, sharing inspiring speeches, a photo montage through the years, and several heartfelt moments. One incredible moment was when one of our 2024 graduates, Aevary Kiernan, sang a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow!”

“You actively engaged with your teachers and peers, and you learned what it takes to succeed. You learned not to give up, but to try again if you didn’t succeed the first time – to get extra help when you needed it. You did not shy away from the challenges that came your way. Whether it was learning to communicate more effectively, mastering new social skills, learning a new job or skill, or participating actively in sports and drama activities, you thrived. You learned to trust those around you and learned to seek out help when needed,” said President & CEO, Dr. Terry Hamlin, and Executive Chief of Education Services, Kerri Muzuruk, “Most importantly, you thrived because you believed in yourselves and your abilities.”

Our graduates have shown incredible perseverance and growth, overcoming many challenges to get to this day. The ceremony was a beautiful reminder of the supportive and nurturing community at The Center for Discovery, where everyone is always encouraged to reach their full potential.

Congratulations to all our wonderful graduates!

What a Career It’s Been!

We sure know how to celebrate a momentous occasion here at TCFD! In June, students and residents at TCFD celebrated the incredible career of our amazing facility dog – Leland. After almost 8 years of spreading immense joy, Leland is hanging up his leash and retiring.

Leland joined us in 2016, as our first facility dog, through Canine Companions. The celebrations were filled with parades to honor him, lots of pets, and plenty of smiles. Leland’s puppy raisers, Tom and Jennifer Newton, even came up from their home in Virginia to join in the celebration.

Thank you, Leland, for all of your hard work – we are wishing you a happy retirement filled with treats, tennis balls, and belly rubs. During his retirement he will continue to live with his handler, Sarah Merrick, our Clinical Director of Animal Assisted Intervention and Education.

Leland, you have left an amazing legacy through our AAIE facility dog program – Monti, Hurley, Sully and Scout will take it from here!

TCFD at the New York State NSSHLA Convention

At the New York State NSSHLA convention, Kara Goldin, Marissa Lane, and James Paladino presented their respective posters to graduate students and fellow speech-language pathologists. Kara and Marissa’s presentation, entitled “Integrating Low Tech AAC and Music to Promote Empowerment” discussed effective strategies for engaging low tech AAC users in speech therapy sessions and beyond.

In their presentation, they highlight the importance of incorporating the personal interests of our residents and students into activities. “Helping our residents to create a playlist of their unique music interests is a great way to promote autonomy!” said Marissa. “Communicating such specific preferences can be difficult for the population we work with here at TCFD. This method has provided our residents and students a great opportunity to express their individuality. Everyone’s music taste is so unique!” Kara added.

James’ presentation, entitled “Neurodivergent-Affirming AAC Programming” is a step-by-step guide of how to best create inclusive AAC frameworks for TCFD’s neurodivergent individuals. Focusing on gestalt language processing, James details how to “break down” each persons’ script. For example, a student may say “I see a clue!” which has a single meaning for that individual. Then, you would break down the phrase into “I see” + “clue”. By including scripts and variations of these phrases in AAC programming, this meets each student at their stage of language development. “Using existing and motivating language can promote AAC usage,” James said.

Congratulations to our speech-language pathologists for their presentations!

A Night to Remember

We had the absolutely best time celebrating another favorite tradition of ours – prom at #TCFD!

A huge thank you to all the students, residents, family members, and staff for coming together to make it an evening to remember. Certainly a cherished tradition we all hold dear to our hearts!

HealthE6® Success Story: Profiling Hunter

Hunter Williams’ journey with the HealthE6 Curriculum at The Center for Discovery is a testament to the transformative impact of personalized education and treating the whole person. Hunter’s story highlights the power of tailored support and innovative interventions in fostering growth and success for individuals with unique needs.

Arriving at The Center for Discovery with distinct challenges and preferences, Hunter’s initial integration into his residence and school program presented hurdles related to his attachment to printed logos, selective eating habits, and struggles with emotional and energy regulation.

Upon arrival, Hunter brought with him a strong attachment to printed logos, a preference for specific foods, and difficulties regulating his emotions and energy levels.

In his early days at The Center for Discovery, Hunter’s challenges with environmental adjustment were apparent. His insistence on keeping a large stack of printed logos on his desk and his selective eating habits were seen by his team as his way of feeling a sense of control. Hunter’s reliance on electronic devices as a “safety net” highlighted his struggles with emotional regulation.

Hunter’s selective eating was another hurdle that required sensitivity and patience. He became more comfortable and realized staff were going to honor his protests and support his exposure to new foods slowly. As Hunter became used to the structure of the program and expectations, he was more relaxed and willing to try new foods! He still has strong preferences, but he eats a much wider variety of foods now than he has in the past!

Despite these initial obstacles, Hunter was motivated by the activities offered and interested in engaging with his peers. We found ways to capitalize on his willingness to go outdoors for walks. This became a critical strategy to support energy regulation while using the benefits that we all know come from being in natural environments to support a calmer body with focused attention. We noticed a shift in his mood after “power walks;” he was able to remain seated for longer periods of instruction. As Hunter formed relationships with the staff, he became more trusting that they would allow him to have time with things that gave him comfort. The structure of his routines that provided him with built-in opportunities to engage with electronics or printed logos really helped him become more open and engaged with his peers.

Hunter eventually felt comfortable leaving his printouts at home and was given the opportunity to use the computer as part of his school routine to print out three logos to have at school. Over time, he eventually accepted putting his device on his desk and did get to put it on a table away from him. He now is able to come to school without bringing any device with him which is a huge accomplishment!

Hunter is typically able to participate in classroom academic tasks without frustration. He will still occasionally say he’s “all done” when being challenged, but overall, he is much more accepting of academic tasks, especially hands-on activities.The team noted that when he communicates he is “all done” it usually occurs when he is learning new information or performing a task that is difficult for him. This awareness has allowed the team to identify areas where he needs additional instruction. The team can insert supports such as modifying the task, decreasing the number of turns, or breaking the task up into smaller chunks so he is successful, which significantly decreases his frustration and increases his persistence at a task.

These are all incredible milestones for Hunter and his family and we are so proud of how far he has come in such a short time with us!

For more on the HealthE6 Model, visit here.

Scout’s First Year is Officially in the Books!

How has it already been one year with our newest Facility Dog, Scout?!

True to Scout fashion, he has made so many friends at TCFD, passed all of his training and testing to become an official facility dog team member, and has even begun training with a secondary handler, a Speech Language Pathologist, so that he can reach even more of the students and residents at The Center.

Scout has already done some amazing things – we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him! What a good pup!

TCFD Opens its First Retail Store!

We were thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of our first-ever TCFD store – located at Carrus! We had an incredible opening day and are so thankful for all of the enthusiasm surrounding this new venture. We look forward to continuing to build on the variety of products sold.

You can now shop for all your TCFD favorites in one place, like Thanksgiving Farm Tea, organic & biodynamic eggs, our very own Maple Syrup, and feta and goat cheese right from Sweet Hill Farm.

The store is open to staff members, families, and the community. TCFD Staff will get 10% off. Just show up ready to shop, with your TCFD badge. Current hours are Tuesdays, 3:15-5pm; Thursdays, 11am-1pm; and Saturdays, 10am-12pm.

Thank you for all of the support!

It’s PAW-TY Time!

We celebrated three very important birthdays in May – perhaps, the most important birthdays of all! You guessed it – Hurley, Monti, and Sully all turned four!

Thank you for being the best pups and for always bringing out our smiles. Happy belated birthday!

Supporting the Rhulen Rock Hill Run & Ramble

Every June, TCFD shows up to support the Rhulen Rock Hill Run & Ramble in more ways than one. Throughout the years, many of The Center’s students and residents have participated in the race and more recently, our Recruitment and Assistive Technology team has staffed tables with various displays and information on The Center.

During this year’s 5k, TCFD’s Recruitment Team was out highlighting the importance of The Center’s work, while recruiting new people to work on our team. The Assistive Technology team was also present, not only cheering on the race participants, but showcasing our FlexTable® and a few adapted toys which all the kids love.

Thank you to the Recruitment and Assistive Technology team for sharing our work, and congratulations to this year’s participants in the race!

Hurleyville Spotlight on Forage & Gather

Have you been to Forage & Gather in Hurleyville? It’s one of our favorite retail spots in town with so much to offer. Incredible made-to-order sandwiches, freshly baked cookies, a great selection of cheeses, frozen items like bone broths, fan favorite and seasonally inspired ice cream flavors, biscuits, and more.

They also have a beverage selection that has options for just about everyone. Non-alcoholic drinks, freshly brewed iced teas, lattes (latte art included), kombucha, seltzer…and the list goes on.

Fresh croissants delivered from Balthazar in NYC, sourdough bread from Bread Alone, and let us not even forget their insane selection of snacks – popcorns, chips, crackers, and chocolates…hungry yet? OK, you get the point.

One last thing – food and beverages aside, they also have a specially curated selection of greeting cards, candles, locally-made skincare, pet products, and tons more.

Follow them on Instagram @ForageHurleyville and you’ll get an inside peek at their weekly deliveries, including local strawberries as of late.

After you’re done snacking and shopping, head over to our other favorite spots in town like HPAC for a movie, the Rail Trail for a relaxing summer stroll, Fortress Bikes if you’re into a higher paced activity like biking or skating, and La Salumina for some more snacks and supplies for an Italian-style dinner.

Run, don’t walk – you’ll thank us later.