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ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page i ACHIEVEMENT CENTERS FOR CHILDREN 2017 Annual Report # # # ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page ii # # # AchievementCenters for Children Our mission is to empower children and adults with disabilities and their families to achieve their greatest potential. ounded in 1940 as the Society for ACCREDITATION AND LICENSURE FCrippled Children, we now serve children The Achievement Centers’ programs and and adults with a broad range of disabilities services are licensed and accredited by: and special needs including autism, cerebral Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation palsy, Down syndrome, and other physical, Facilities (CARF), ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga developmental, neurological and emotional County, The American Camp Association, challenges. Our unique, comprehensive The Professional Association of Therapeutic service model weaves together education Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), and autism services; therapy services and Medicaid, Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Intensive Therapy Clinic; recreation, camp Services, Ohio Department of Developmental and sports programs; and family support Disabilities, Ohio Department of Education, services to meet the needs of the entire Ohio Department of Mental Health and family and provide the best outcomes. Addiction Services, and the Ohio Department The agency serves children from birth of Health. The Achievement Centers earned a through adulthood, with a special focus 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, the highest on children from birth through age five. rating possible. The Achievement Centers for Children is proud to be a United Way Over 2,500 children and adults from partner agency. throughout Greater Cleveland and beyond received services last year at our three locations, as well as throughout the community in child care centers, schools and homes. ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page 1 Julie Boland, Chair, Board of Directors and Sally Farwell, President & CEO Dear Friends, Here at the Achievement Centers, we know how crucial hope is to success. For children with “Hope can be a disabilities and their families, the road is often winding, and hope is necessary both to see what’s possible and to sustain the energy necessary for forward momentum when the path gets rough. powerful force. For this reason, we work tirelessly to provide our clients with the hope they need to achieve Maybe there’s no their goals and meet their potential. Many of the families we serve are on unexpected, unfamiliar and often difficult journeys. actual magic in it, but We partner with them, starting where they are, and provide them with the skills and supports when you know what necessary for achievement. Through our holistic approach to service provision, our innovative programs, and our refusal to stop trying, we partner with our families to achieve outcomes you hope for most they may have felt or been told were impossible. and hold it like a light As you’ll see in this report, we are continuing to invest in the future of the agency and in within you, you can each child or adult and their family. We refuse to stop seeking innovative solutions to difficult problems, and feel strongly that no child should be limited by their family’s financial make things happen, circumstances. We couldn’t do this work without you. Community support—your support— is critical to our ability to provide our families with life-changing programs and services almost like magic.” regardless of their ability to pay. Thank you for your belief in our mission and our work. Thank you for your continued support. —Laini Taylor Thank you for maintaining hope and creating magic. Sincerely, Sally Farwell, MEd Julie Boland President and CEO Chair, Board of Directors ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page 2 hen you first meet Rachel, you immediately sense her contagiously warm and caring personality. Rachel excitedly calls Camp Cheerful her “second home.” She started coming to Camp Cheerful to ride horses in our Therapeutic Horsemanship program communicate with a friend who cannot at age 16. Rachel has been hooked on speak and does not know any signs. horses and Camp Cheerful ever since, During the day, Kristie, our staff member attending summer day camp and weekend assists Rachel in learning new signs. respite camp through the years. In the evening, Rachel researches new Now 27 years old, Rachel is part of our signs online to share with Kristie the next year-round River Rock Adult Day Program, day. On Sundays, she is learning to where everyone calls her their friend. participate using signs at her church during She especially enjoys swimming, arts and Mass. Rachel enhances the lives of those crafts, Jazzercise, band classes, cooking, around her with her compassion and and field trips such as going to the dedication to learning sign language. Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Our staff at Camp Cheerful learns what Metroparks Zoo, and restaurants. interests each individual, then helps them More importantly, her personal goals and to build on their abilities, adapt to ambitions are nurtured by our day program challenges, and have fun in our unique staff, including her current passion, outdoor environment. Rachel, together learning American Sign Language. with her River Rock “family,” is learning useful skills that enhance her life by Signs of Kindness sharing her gifts of communication at Camp Cheerful and in our community. As a child, Rachel could not speak and We are walking hand-in-hand with her used sign language until she began opening doors to her future opportunities. speaking at age five. Today, she’s driven to re-learn sign language to teach and Visit our website to learn more about Rachel, and her story of achievement in our Therapeutic Horsemanship Program. ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page 3 Rachel and her mother, Nancy, at Camp Cheerful. —RACHEL ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page 4 “Landon’s a cool kid. He especially loves learning about the weather—he’s our little weatherman.” —SAHARA, Landon’s mother ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/13/17 5:10 PM Page 5 andon is a very inquisitive Landon enjoys sensory activities ten-year-old student in the with Holly, his Achievement Centers Autism School. He is speech-language very computer savvy, and is especially pathologist, in our interested in science and technology. Westlake pool. When he came to the Achievement Centers three years ago, he had frequent behavioral All in for Landon “meltdowns,” and had difficulty “The Achievement Centers’ holistic Sahara said, “Landon’s a cool kid. He communicating. We are all very proud of approach is most beneficial for Landon and especially loves learning about the weather the progress Landon has made in our for our family. They know Landon so well, —he’s our little weather man. He shares Autism School for the past three years! and take everything about him into account what he’s learned in yoga class at school to help him reach his goals. Everyone from with us, too. I tell everyone that Landon Landon is the second youngest in a family the receptionist, to his teachers, aids, will be fine, thanks to his Achievement of seven children. As a baby, Landon’s therapists, and parent educator, are all Centers’ Autism School team.” parents noticed his far-away stares and that experts and give their best as a team to help noises bothered him, but thought he was Landon, and our family,” said Sahara. not a “content baby.” His mother, Sahara Last year, over 600 children and said, “Landon never looked at us like we Though he still has some difficult days, young adults with autism spectrum were his parents. He’s always looked at us he is better able to express himself, control disorder (ASD) were part of our like we were strangers.” After receiving his his behavior, and is improving his level programs. We specialize in early inter - diagnosis of autism and learning that of patience. Not everything has to be vention services, providing tools and Landon was hearing sounds louder than “Landon’s way” anymore. By giving him opportunities for children with autism others, they started to better understand tools to help him communicate, he focuses to adapt to their particular challenges, him. more on his school work and is very and to grow in independence. proud of his achievements. ACC AR 2017 MECH_Layout 1 9/12/17 10:35 AM Page 6 more connected as a group, and to offer more ways to help the agency,” said Courtney. Associate Board members play a very important role for the Achievement Centers by donating their time, expertise, connections, and financial support. Many members volunteer with our Adapted Sports or Therapeutic Horsemanship programs, while others are involved in various agency committees working with members of our Board of Directors. Courtney relayed that the growth in membership was through members “that were excited, passionate and dedicated who asked Associate Board Lends a Helping Hand their friends and colleagues to join them.” ourtney Foster, a Director at and the children, and after I learned “Donating can be rewarding, but seeing KPMG, joined our Associate about what the agency does for everyone, the results is even more rewarding,” said Board at the recommendation of I thought “that’s really a worthy cause.” Courtney. a colleague, and saw a video featured in Under Courtney’s leadership as president, The Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com about a the membership on our Associate Board boy named Joey who learned to walk in has not only grown to 47 young profes - our Intensive Therapy Clinic.

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