New Horizons helps special needs adults in the San Fernando Valley

by Dana Bartholomew from The Los Angeles Daily News:
LAKE VIEW TERRACE >> When Marilyn Weiss wants to head out on a date with her boyfriend, she’s hit on a hot ticket for getting around Los Angeles: the bus.
This year, the developmentally disabled woman took advantage of a new travel training program at New Horizons that has helped widen her urban world — to the movies, to the mall and as far away as historic Pasadena.
“I like it,” said Weiss, 59, of North Hills, beaming. “Because I can take the bus by myself. Makes me feel happy. Him, too.
“Without New Horizons, I’d be bored. I’d be nothing. I’d stay home.”

New Horizons, the San Fernando Valley’s oldest social service agency to help special needs adults, celebrated 60 years of service Saturday with a seventh annual 5K Run/Walk on the Horizon.
Where smiling greeters waved to visitors along a road leading into the Hansen Dam Aquatics Center in Lake View Terrace.
Where up to 300 hoofers circled the fog-shrouded waters to support the North Hills-based agency that empowers special needs residents through training for independent travel, education, recreation, work and housing.

And where family members could recall a not-so-distant time when such disabled residents were shunned to the shadows of their communities.
“Way back in the Dark Ages, we were told to get rid of these kids, put ‘em in the house,” said Susan Gross, a member of Friends of New Horizons, whose daughter Cindy has found a measure of freedom through the agency for three decades. “We’re not going to do it, because they’re our children.
“My daughter’s a fighter.”

New center helps kids with Down syndrome reach their potential

by Susan Emery from NWITimes and ValpoCommunity.com:
With toys, books and crayons, it looks like a typical classroom.
Yet the new Chasing Dreams center is more than that. It's designed to support children with Down syndrome, their families and extended families.
The center on Chicago Street in Valparaiso opened earlier this month and is headed by Valparaiso resident Denise Babjak, whose daughter, Lainy, 4, has the condition.
Babjak said she realized the need for support services shortly after her daughter was born.
“The demand was high, but the services weren't here,” she said. “We had to go to Chicago. So we decided to bring it to Valpo.”
Children with Down syndrome face special challenges, including delay in cognitive function, and they often have a higher risk for health issues such as heart defects, Babjak said.
Until as recently as 15 years ago, many children were placed in institutions to help them and their families cope with the various challenges.
But research has shown children with Down syndrome can graduate from high school and college, attain productive jobs and live self-sufficiently, Babjak said.
“There's really hope for these children to live more of an independent life,” she said.
Babjak also believes it's important to correct some misinformation surrounding Down syndrome, such as it occurs mainly in children born to older mothers. She said 80 percent of children with the condition are born to women younger than 35.
The center offers a wide range of free programs and activities for children of all ages to help build their mental, physical and social skills. It's staffed by trained volunteers, including students and retired teachers.
The classroom is divided into sections, including a resource center, library, tutoring and play areas and a stage for drama productions.
In addition to instruction in reading, math, handwriting, sign language and life skills, children enjoy art, dance, photography, exercise classes, movie and game nights and outings such as bowling.
“We just want to incorporate fun into their lives,” Babjak said. “We also want to let parents have hope that everything's going to be OK.”
Children with Down syndrome use the same toys and educational materials as other kids, but they often require more repetition to learn, Babjak said.
“But once they catch on, the sky's the limit,” she said.