Their Common Life

By Jack McCallum from Bicycling

Bobby Lea is quiet. Syd Lea is exuberant. Bobby is an Olympic bike racer. Syd is a Special Olympics bike racer. One of these brothers just might need the other more than anyone ever imagined.

When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life.
—Antisthenes, Greek philosopher

ON A CHILLY AUTUMN morning in Washington, DC, with the sun still catching its last bit of sleep, the Lea family clusters around the youngest, Syd, 26, getting him ready for a 110-kilometer ride they will take together at the Audi Best Buddies Challenge, an event that pairs mainstream and intellectually challenged riders.

Read more HERE.

Disabled children get left out

Unless you have a child with a disability in your family, you probably don’t realize how lonely these youngsters are. Some of them struggle harder with social isolation than their physical and intellectual limitations.

According to a study just released by Dr. Anne Snowden of the University of Western of Ontario, 53 per cent of these kids have no close friends or just one. Three-quarters don’t participate in any community programs (sports, recreation, arts, cooking, computers, music). Fifty-four per cent of their parents struggle with constant stress to meet their needs.

Snowden headed a team of researchers from the Kids Health Foundation, the Special Olympics, Community Living Ontario and the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. What it found was that preschool children are generally well-served by community agencies and elementary schools do their best to include children with disabilities in classroom activities. But around Grade 5 or 6, these kids fall by wayside as their peers compete to be cool and join the “in” group.

Boys, who have a much higher incidence of developmental delays than girls, have a harder time fitting in.

Those who manage to finish high school have enormous difficulty getting the training they need to qualify for a job. Many never get a chance to use the skills they have.

Part of the problem, Snowden said, is that smaller communities don’t have resources for these children with disabilities. But even in major cities parents don’t know what services exist, they lack transportation to get their kids to suitable programs or they can’t afford the enrolment fees.

Read more of Carol Goar's The Star article HERE.

Children With Disabilities More Likely Overweight Than Peers

Getting kids to exercise and eat right is challenging enough. But what if they will only eat foods that are yellow? Or don't have the same feelings of being full as other people? What if the medicine they take to control some of their behaviors makes them gain a lot of weight, fast, or makes them very lethargic?

For students with disabilities, these are all real scenarios, compounding the challenges many children have to stay fit, notes a new report from AbilityPath.org, an online community for parents of children with disabilities and the professionals who work with them.

But too often, children with disabilities—"the population that's most affected" by challenges with obesity—has been left out, said Sheryl Young, the CEO of AbilityPath.org. "Today we're changing that conversation."

Statistics from "Finding Balance: Obesity and Children with Special Needs," show that children with disabilities are 38 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers.

read more of Nirvi Shah's On Special Education article HERE.

Special Olympics helped Georgetown man with autism find his voice

Barbara Campbell once wished her little boy would say something. Anything.

Autism rendered her son, Ryan Barts, silent in his first few years.

Things have certainly changed.

"I'm a celebrity in Central Kentucky, I am, maybe in Kentucky," said Barts, now 22. His speech takes on its own particular cadence, especially when he is excited. "It's a wonderful thing, it is, a wonderful thing."



Read more of Mary Meehan's Kentucky.com article HERE.

Eric Thompson wins Oregon's Lou Burge Special Olympics Award

Special Olympics Switch Bowling

Events start Saturday, September 11th to view flyer click on: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0By8AZuDXQ-HJOWFiZGRkODYtNjQxNC00MWZlLThhZDUtNDRmNzgzZjhkYjdi&hl=en

Summer Offerings

June 3, 2010
Tri-Valley SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area)
E-Connection

The Tri-Valley SELPA does not endorse or recommend non-SELPA events, but
strives to keep our parents and educators informed of opportunities for
special education staff and special education students and their families.
We do not advertise events by "private-for-profit" agencies asking fees.
Please disregard this email if you are not interested.

________________________________________

> SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS OFFERING GOLF
> BAY AREA OUTREACH AND RECREATION PROGRAM IS SEEKING AMAZING YOUTH
> BAY AREA WALK 2010 FOR AUTISM SPEAKS - JUNE 5, 2010
> SPECIAL GALA 'MURDER AT THE KO CORRAL' - JUNE 25, 2010

# # #

SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS OFFERING GOLF
Special Olympics is offering Golf starting the first Wednesday in July for
ages 6 & up. No fee to participate. Registration is required. For more
information contact Louise Glueck at [ mailto:louiseglueck@yahoo.com
]louiseglueck@yahoo.com

# # #

BAY AREA OUTREACH AND RECREATION PROGRAM IS SEEKING AMAZING YOUTH!
Summer is upon us and that usually means parents and providers are trying
to find opportunities for children to continue the
-- progress they have made during the school year, as well as develop new
skills and have some fun experiences. That is where we, BORP, comes in.
As you may or may not know, BORP (Bay Area Outreach and Recreation
Program) has been providing sports and recreation opportunities to
individuals with physical disabilities for over 30 years. We have worked
hard at packing our summer schedule full of activities - now all we need
are more youth! From cycling and basketball to rock climbing and baseball
games, BORP has something to satisfy everyone. Recently, with the help of
Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation, we were able to purchase sleds
to start a sled hockey program, so we have that, too!

Please read and print the attached form, post it in your offices, forward
it to other colleagues - fill it out and send it in! We are looking for
some outstanding youth and we are sure you know some.

For more information on BORP's programs, visit our website at [
http://www.borp.org/ ]www.borp.org.
Please contact Erin at [ mailto:erin@borp.org ]erin@borp.org or Trooper
Johnson, Youth Sports Coordinator, at [ mailto:trooper@borp.org
]trooper@borp.org with any questions.

We look forward to meeting these amazing youth!
Thank you for all you do,
Erin Burton
Youth Transitions Coordinator
Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)
510-849-4663
[ http://www.borp.org ]www.borp.org

# # #

BAY AREA WALK 2010 FOR AUTISM SPEAKS - JUNE 5, 2010
Autism Speaks in a non-profit organization that raises money for research
and support, resources and education of all w/Autism. The "walks" are the
single-most effective way to bring "Awareness" to our communities, and the
easiest way to raise money to support autism research, with a goal to find
a cure!

I'd like to set up a "Pleasanton Team" of walkers, supporters and
fund-raisers in our most awesome community of caring parents, loving
children, Teachers, Sports Leagues, Scouts, Cheer Squads, and anyone
willing to give a little time to help support this cause. (financial
donations are greatly appreciated, too!) The 2010 Bay Area Walk Now for
Autism Speaks will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at History Park in
San Jose.

Please send me an e-mail if you, your Associations, Organizations,
families, my friends, would like to be a part of this Team. I can picture
us now.... 4-H, Scout Troops, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES all coming together, in
uniforms, walking together, representing PLEASANTON!

Thanks for your support!
Andrea y. Mosley
andreawhy@yahoo.com

# # #

Exceptional Needs Network
SPECIAL GALA "MURDER AT THE KO CORRAL" - JUNE 25, 2010
Exceptional Needs Network will be holding a special gala "Murder at the KO
Corral" to raise funds to send developmentally delayed children to Camp
Arroyo. Due to state of California budget cuts and the complete loss of
ALL regional center funding, ENN must raise all funds to hold this annual
summer camp at Taylor Family Foundation's Camp Arroyo in Livermore. One of
the caveats of using the TFF facility is that camp must be 'free' to the
attendees/children. Thus, ENN is in a catch 22 situation -- they cannot
get state/regional center funding (as they have for the past 10 years) but
they can't charge parents either.

Because the need for ENN's camp is so great - the board wanted to try and
raise the necessary funds to provide this respite experience to campers
and their parents. Their goal is ambitious-- they must raise $20K!

ENN has already signed up 90 children for two summer sessions in August
and has 45 students on the waiting list for a Fall weekend camp. However,
unless they can raise funds to cover payroll, insurance and taxes for the
camps, they will be cancelled.

"Murder at the KO Corral" will not only be ENN's avenue to raise funds,
but will provide a wonderful night out for attendees! It will feature a
silent auction, dancing, great food catered by A Tasteful Affair -- and a
'murder mystery play.' Tickets are only $75 each and sponsorship
opportunities are available. Tickets can be purchased online via the
ENN website: www.ennetwork.org
See flier attached

Special Olympics Track and Field

Click on the image to enlarge