November 2023 Wrap-Up

Honestly, we aren’t sure where November went. Routines are continuing well for both morning and afternoon clients. The morning crew now has a morning meeting where we discuss basic emotions, talk about our favorite things in fun polls, fun facts, and work on our calendar skills. We then move into crafts, individual activities based on the client’s needs, games, all while promoting positive social interaction. They are alway so willing to help out around the center too, shredding papers, taking out garbage, putting up/taking down decorations, washing dishes, sweeping, and occasionally preparing lunch for our afternoon crew. Our favorite games this month include Cootie, Yeti in My Spaghetti, Chutes and Ladders, Memory, and Sorry. 

In the afternoon, Bryanna is working with some of the groups on understanding time and schedules, as well as money skills related to budgeting. Kaila is finishing up reading and writing emails, and will be moving into addressing envelopes and reading calendars next. Kay and Toni are continuing to work on members' individual goals, independent living skills, primarily in the area of cooking, cleaning, and social skills like playing games and appropriate conversational skills. One group is even learning to sew and cross-stitch with Kay! Our favorite games lately have been Cootie, Yeti in My Spaghetti, LCR, Uno, Memory, Trouble, and Skip bo. We wrapped the month with a Thanksgiving party filled with laughs during our minute to win it games. We are very Thankful for our members who fill our days with with joy.

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY

This month, we want to send a shout out to our FABULOUS neighbors. Ashley at Luxe + Lennox, everyone at Wisconsin Farm and Home Realty Group, and Zak at V2 Adventure Products have been the best neighbors we could ask for. From bringing treats in for holidays to stopping in to say hello, they take every opportunity to interact with and forge positive relationships with the clients and staff. Please help us support these businesses.

DID YOU KNOW?

We wanted to share a new app we found recently that we enjoy. Let Me Talk is a free app. It is similar to Proloquo2go, to be used as a communication tool. You can also add your own images and words to personalize it.

October 2023 Wrap-UP

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO:

We spent October finding our groove. The morning crew spends their days socializing, crafting, puzzling, and practicing self-care. They often help prepare snacks and lunches as well. The afternoon crew is just starting a new rotation system based on individual needs. Bryanna leads a math rotation where she is focusing on money and budgeting. Kaila is leading the literacy rotation, working on reading and understanding emails and short letters. Toni and Kay are working together to work on independent living skills and IEP goals. We finished the month with an epic Halloween party, complete with ordering pizza, costumes, games, and a movie.

NEEDS

If you have any of the following things around the house that you aren’t using, please consider donating them to Inclusion:

• Perfection board game

• Guess Who board game

• Yeti Spaghetti game

• Pop the Pig game

• 48-piece puzzles

Here’s a link to our Amazon wish list as well: https://www.iccwi.org/gifts

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY

This month, we want to send a shout out to the Little Chute Piggly Wiggly. Our afternoon crew has been stopping there once a week to pick up groceries for Inclusion, and they have been an awesome place to support us as we practice locating items in the store, comparing prices, checking out, and appropriate behavior in public places. Sorry, no pictures, we have been to busy learning in this enviorment to get any action shots.

DID YOU KNOW?

Our afternoon clients have been using the city buses for transportation to the grocery store and to Innovative Growth. Earlier this month, our staff participated in a training with members from Valley Transit. Since COVID, Valley Transit has been updating their policies and programs to better service the area. Besides the inter-city bus, Megabus, and Amtrak, they also offer services like GO Transit, Make The Ride Happen, LSS, reduced fare, and more. Currently, students at Fox Valley Tech, Lawrence University, and Appleton Area School District can ride the bus for free with current ID. If you would like more information on how to get from A to B using public transportation, please contact Valley Transit’s mobility manager, Sarah Schneider at 920-832-1627 or email Sarah.Schneider@Appleton.org.

September 2023 Wrap-UP

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

This month at Inclusion has been all about getting to know our awesome new clients and setting up routines and schedules. Our clients have been learning their way around the kitchen as well, brushing up on kitchen safety and making simple recipes. Each day, clients serve themselves for lunch and make their own snack. We have also been teaching basic cleaning skills to promote independence and a clean learning environment.

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY:

Our community shout out this week is to Innovative Growth LLC.

Innovative Growth provides exercise therapy to work on goals and needs tailored to each individual client, no matter the ability. They offer one-on-one therapy or group sessions in a sensory-friendly gym.

DID YOU KNOW?

What we have found is that many families do not have enough information about post-graduation resources, so today we want to share a little information about IRIS.

IRIS is a self-directed long-term care option for adults with developmental or physical disabilities over the age of eighteen in Wisconsin. If you are financially eligible for Medicaid, you may have access to IRIS funds from the government. With a predetermined budget, a consultant will help you set up and manage a Support Plan to meet functional, employment, and social long-term care needs.

For helpful resources and links to applications, please check out this website for more information. Inclusion Community Center, LLC is a vendor through IRIS.

OUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS

Does your family member benefit from having visuals?

Inclusion Community Center uses visuals daily for schedules, tasks, and routines to help promote independence. We LOVE the Icons for Slides and Docs extension in Google Chrome. In minutes, you can create simple, high-contrast visuals for whatever is needed for free!

For those who struggle with communication, we also love using recorded buttons. To introduce them to clients, we record clips of favorite songs or movies to initially promote the use of the buttons, with a visual taped to the button. When the interest is there, we change each button to simple phrases for making requests (“milk, please” or “I want a movie”) which allows for independent communication. The recordings can range from seven seconds up to thirty seconds.