Early Intervention Dad's Edition
A Dad's Perspective on Parenting a Child with Special Needs
A Dad's Journey
We don't often hear from Dads on this subject but they face their own set of challenges while
sharing the responsibility of raising their child with their partner.
Join Rose and Luke Wilson for this month's FREE webinar, A DAD's Journey.
Luke Wilson, Parent Training Coordinator, will share his lived experience and perspective
parenting a child with special needs.
Questions are welcome and encourage during this webinar.
Resources for this webinar
Free Opportunities for Early Steps Families in June 2021!
Fridays and/or Saturdays, 10AM-11AM, Early Steps Joyful Music Therapy Playgroups Online, Led by a Board-Certified Music Therapist. Music enhances communication and social-interaction skills. It’s a fun way for caregivers to interact with their child. No limit to how many playgroups an Early Steps family participates. Just register for each date you want to attend. A family fun kit with maracas and scarves will be given to participating families along with music to download for home use.
Fridays and Saturdays10AM - 11AM. Register Here!
Families can join on any Monday in June, BABY American Sign Language (ASL) Online. Open to all families-Early exposure to signing helps infants develop communication and reasoning skills, and language. Designed for caregivers so baby signs can be used with their child. Caregivers are encouraged to participate with their baby or toddler, but child participation is not required. Register at Silent-hope.com
Friday, 6/4 and Saturday, 6/5-Nathaniel’s Hope Make 'm SMILE-Fari - All children in Early Steps qualify to be a Nathaniel’s Hope VIP.
Register your child as a VIP and get a VIP Membership Club ID # at:
2021 Make 'm SMILE-Fari | https://nathanielshope.org
Sign up for the VIP Membership Club (free) and see the many ways Nathaniel’s Hope brings joy to families.
Once you get your VIP Membership ID Club Number you can show it at any Twistee Treat the 3rd Wednesday of each month for a free Kiddie Ice Cream Cone.
Thursday, June 10th from 10AM-5PM, The 2021 Women’s Virtual Summit offers a full day of personal healing and growth for women in varying stages of life. Women who hold diverse interests and needs and share a desire to better take care of their own health and well-being, so they can in turn support the health and wellness of their family members. FREE! There is no registration fee for this event. If you would like to participate, please complete the online registration form here. After registering you will receive your personal Zoom link. Registrations will be accepted through Friday, June 4th, 2021. After the event, each registrant will be mailed special materials, as long as supplies last.
Friday, June 11th-Sunday, June 13th, The 23rd Annual Family Café-70 Breakout Sessions-In Person or Virtual-Hyatt Regency Orlando, Free for ALL Families in Early Steps! Highly recommended for Early Steps Families. Visit www.FamilyCafe.net to learn info about all events under the Family Café umbrella. The full event program is now available. You can view it here. There is also an Exhibit Hall. If you choose to participate virtually, some of the content from the in-person event will be livestreamed on the Family Café Facebook page, as it happens. Everything that is scheduled for the main ballroom, including all three keynotes, the Governor's Summit, and one breakout session in each of the ten time slots will be streamed on the Family Café Facebook page.
Ongoing Opportunities Project Harmony-Enhancing Relationships/Empowering Careers-The UCF Marriage & Family Research Institute is offering a series of workshops for couples at no cost. Participants will learn practical tools for keeping healthy and harmonious relationships. The program also pairs every couple with a Family Coordinator that supports the participants in achieving program-specific goals and can provide them with community resources such as: mental health services, services relating to careers, and more. For a limited time, couples will be able to choose to participate in one of two formats: online or in-person. For the in-person sessions, childcare is offered for weekend times. Childcare is in the same building as the classes for the couples. In person sessions will have approximately 6 couples. In person sessions will have a meal in a box that participants can take home with them after each gathering. Couples who choose the online option will be able to participate at their own pace but must have the modules completed within 6 weeks of starting. The couples doing the online option must commit to 4 zoom meetings, 30 minutes each with a relationship coach.
Eligibility for this project: 18 years or older and in a committed relationship.
Every couple will complete a qualifying survey prior to being scheduled for their Welcome Call. Limited spots available. If you are ready to get started, please call UCF at (407)-823-1748 today! Website: Mfri.ucf.edu For participation in Project Harmony, every couple will receive: Direct access to a Family Coordinator - Up to $100 in electronic gift-cards per person - Certificate of completion from the UCF Marriage & Family Research Institute.
Deliver the Dream - www.deliverthedream.org to see the free monthly virtual programs offered to any family who registers. Once a family registers, materials for the upcoming virtual events are mailed to the family. These are FUN ways to strengthen your family through bonding experiences.
Access Ability; DEVELOPability and Moving Forward Online Learning Experiences each have a $39.00 registration fee, (includes resource books which will be mailed to those who register). This fee can be reimbursed to Early Steps families who e-mail Rose.Lumm@orlandohealth.com, put REQUEST in the subject line, and complete/submit the short form provided by Rose prior to starting the Online Learning Experiences. Go to www.abilitiesworkshop.com to learn more about the speakers, topics and the organization that hosts these experiences, “Abilities Workshop.”
Access Ability Parent Online Learning Experience This 4-part series, with National Expert Speakers, focuses on Hope, Resources, Therapy, Medical, Financial and Emotional planning to equip caregivers to be champions for their child. Once registered, approximately 6 hrs of online presentations will be released. The content will be viewable by registrants for 30 days.
Moving Forward LIVE Parent Online Learning Experience This 4-part series has speakers from Florida organizations that support, educate, and provide services to families who have a child with a Developmental Delay. Once registered, approximately 4 hrs of online presentations will be released. The content will be viewable by registrants for 30 days.
DEVELOPability Parent Online Learning Experience This 3-part series is for families with a child who has a neurological developmental delay, such as Autism, which results in a difference between their developmental age and chronological age. National experts will share techniques and intervention concepts that will help bridge the gap. Once registered, approximately 2 hours of new online presentations will be released for viewing each week, for three weeks. The content will be viewable by registrants for 30 days.
FND Parent Education Network
Phone: (800)825-5736
Luke Wilson - lwilson@fndfl.org
Luke is a Parent Training Coordinator for the Parent Education Network (PEN), a Family Network on Disabilities (FND) project. Luke brings over 20-years of experience navigating special education and the systems of care serving youth, families, and adults living with behavioral, developmental, emotional, medical, mental health, substance use, and trauma-related disabilities. Luke leverages his lived experience and skills as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist and Group Facilitation Specialist to support, encourage, and empower other parents of youth living with disabilities.
Early Steps of Central Florida
Rose is a Family Resource Specialist for Early Steps of Central FL. She taught for Orange County Public Schools before coming to Early Steps. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking through the FL Developmental Disabilities Council. She has served as a Board Member for UCP and the Spina Bifida Association of Central FL. Rose is active in the FL Family Leaders Network. Rose is the proud mother of twins plus one. Her son who lives with Spina Bifida was in Early Steps. Rose is honored to help empower Central FL families on their parenting journey.
If you have any questions, please contact Rose Lumm