Re: Integrations Treatment Center in Wickliffe

[Guest guest]

Hi Beth, I actually was looking into services for a friend and remembered ITC, called them and spoke with Lynette. She is a very compassionate and dedicated person. She truly cares about the kids that she works with and I found her very easy to talk to. I really don't know the exact answer to your question about ACE, it did not come up in my conversations with her. I got the impression that they were more of a consultative resource for ACE. Lynette has a lot of great ideas and many of them revolve around family support, which I feel is lacking in other programs in the area. I did visit the facility and although they are still moving in, I thought it was organized and well laid out. It reminded me of my son's current classroom, which is free of a lot of distractions and organized (exactly how he needs it and likes it) In fact, my son's Intervention Specialist started at ITC as a music

therapist and follows a lot of Lynette's SUCCESS principles. I love our teacher and she got a great training at ITC. I met the special education teacher and the speech therapist during my visit and they were very nice and seemed to interact very well with the children. The kids were all engaged in a parachute activity when I was there and they even got a little boy who would not initially participate to join in. I like the transdisciplinary approach in that all of the therapists work together to achieve the child's goals. I do know a few kids personally who have gone through this program and are very successful now. I am sure if you contacted Lynette, she could tell you more about them. I hope this helps. Lauriestarfish1995 <starfish1995@...> wrote: Laurie,Thank you SO much for clarifying all of this. I am interested in ITC, and spoke with Lynette this morning and love their integegrative treatment approach model and sensory ntegration "base". This seems from my experience to be the thing my son responds to best.I do have a couple questions that I did not get a chance to ask Lynette and wondered if you knoew the answer:Do you know why S.F.A. transferred ownership of ACE Academy to a private entity in June 2007. Was there a "falling out" so to speak?Are their any parents on this list who have their child at ITC either full time or part time, and what has

been your expereince? If you wnat to e-mail me privately, plese feel free to do so and I will keep all feedback confidential.What is the phsycial set up of ITC? Does it look more like a therapy or tutorin center or is it set up like a school? Does it have modern equipment and amenities? In other words is it an aetstheically pleasing place for our kids to spend their days? May seem trivial, but I think that this is an important consideration for our kids.What are the teachers and therapists like there? Are they highly trained and expereinced? Are they fun? Are they getting results?I am grateful for any feedback. I do not want to uproot our family without first being VERY sure the placement would be the right place for my son.Thank you,Beth--- In , Laurie Kowalski <lyndhurstmom3@...>

wrote:>> > > Note: forwarded message attached.> Hi All------> I just spoke with the director at ITC and she told me that ITC and ACE Academy are now and always have been separate entities. She was one of three or four people who helped ACE come into fruition under the ownership of a non-profit organization known as S.F.A. At the request of S.F.A., ITC was involved during ACE's formative initial year, until S.F.A. transferred ownership to a private entity in June 2007. During their formative year, ITC helped ACE with their start-up because S.F.A. recognized that ITC specializes in comprehensive programming for children with autism as they have for over 15 years. This includes both direct therapy and education for children and mentoring, training and education for professionals in school districts and medical staff in hospitals.> She went on to tell me that the staff at ITC are

Autism Specialists and they offer outpatient therapies including: Occupational Therapy (Sensory Integration focused), Speech/Communication Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychological services/Behavioral Supports, Recreational programming, Special Education Support/Tutoring and Music Enrichment programming. They also offer partial day or full day-treatment programming (10-30 hrs/week) to either supplement or be used in lieu of local school placement. They are also one of the first providers in the State of OH for the Autism Scholarship Program. In addition, they have on staff Dr. who is an Augmentative Communications Specialist. You can reach them at (216) 965-6106 for more information or if you want to schedule an appointment. They have newly relocated to 28700 Euclid Ave. Mailbox 120 Wickliffe, OH 44092 on the campus of Borromeo College. You can e-mail at lynettesw@...> > Laurie>

> P.S. on a personal note, it sounds like a wonderful, comprehensive program and I know many families who had much success in working with them. The director, Lynette is a very enthusiastic person who is very dedicated to helping kids with autism.