BLOGS

This has been a tough year, for many reasons that are unique to each of us. However, each day we get up and take care of business all over again with no one really knowing the truth about our situation or what it is like to walk in our shoes. I heard this past weekend that leadership is “making tough decisions when no one else has the entire picture that led to those decisions.” In our world at the Board of DD, that also relates to the topic of this blog. In late 2021, we gat

Ten parents/caregivers just wrapped up a 14-week parenting class here at the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities, called Incredible Years. Incredible Years is a program for parents, supported by over 30 years of research. The goal is for parents to develop skills to help children regulate emotions, while promoting their social and academic skills. We have two, trained Incredible Years facilitators, Erin Koenig and Kristen Miller , who did a wonderful job leading

My husband, Nick, and I reside in Delphos. We have four little girls, Madelynn, Lillian, Hazel, and Aubreigh, and a dog named Letti. Recently, in our surrounding communities, we have been involved in search efforts for two children who wandered off and were missing – both of whom had autism. This really hit home for us, as we have a daughter who doesn’t speak and has autism; she does not understand the dangers of wandering off. These tragedies have opened our eyes to how fast

Do you have winter blues? Are you tired of the cold or the darkness? Are you ready to have sunshine on your way to work and on your way home? Sunset is 6:16 p.m. today. That is two minutes longer than yesterday. With winter comes the possibility of bad weather. This blog is to address some of the comments we have heard about winter weather in our area, and how our affiliate agencies handle weather delays or cancellations. Also, to answer questions about how we handle delays a

Throughout 2019, you received a lot of information about the increase in Direct Support Professional (DSP) wages. We wanted to share this statement from many of our partners in the field – The Arc of Ohio , Ohio Association of County Boards , Ohio Health Care Association , Ohio Provider Resource Association , and Ohio Waiver Network . If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 419-221-1385. RESIDENTIAL HOMEMAKER PERSONAL CARE RATE INCREASE BACKGROU

A DSP is a Direct Support Professional – you might know them as home health aides, caretakers, or staff. No matter what you call this profession, it is absolutely critical in the lives of people with developmental disabilities. Brooke Miller has been as DSP since 2011, and she can’t imagine doing anything else. “I love being a Direct Support Professional, and I want more people to try it. There is so much good in this job,” she says. Brook is a Program Coordinator at COR Serv

When the New Year rolls around, many people look for a fresh new start, whatever that may mean to them. Some people may promise to eat healthier, some may promise to get rid of negative thoughts. Whatever it may be, the New Year gives people the chance to make positive changes in their lives. As a parent, we’re always questioning our methods. What can we change to make our children’s lives better? What can we do to create more positive life experiences for them? We’re always

While the holiday season is meant to be a joyful and relaxing time, it sometimes ends up being something totally different. Sure, we still enjoy the time with family and friends, but just how much stress and anxiety did we have to go through to enjoy that moment? With the holidays comes holiday parties, gifts, baking, and a lot of cleaning. It can be pretty stressful, especially when you’re a parent. This holiday season, try out these tips to minimize your stress and have hap

Groceries. Bills. School activities. Errands. As a parent, there are too many things to worry about in just one day. When you wake up in the morning, it probably doesn’t seem possible to get everything done that needs to be done. Not only are you on a time limit, but these tasks can cause a great amount of stress when you aren’t sure how to manage them in an organized and effective way. There are a lot of shortcuts you can take in order to eliminate stress and get things done