Guam CEDDERS Celebrates 25th Anniversary

by Jenika Ballesta CEDDERS CORE Developmental Disabilities

What began as a University Affiliated Program at the University of Guam on February 14, 1993, has evolved into a dynamic organization twenty-five years later that continues to build bridges with partners to create stronger linkages, programs, services, and supports to positively impact the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Various stakeholders including people with disabilities and their families, the Lieutenant Governor of Guam, Senators, University leaders, government and non-profit organization representatives, friends, and staff gathered on February 13 at the Westin Resort Hotel to commemorate and celebrate this major birthday and milestone.

 

Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio signs a proclamation declaring March as DD Awareness Month. Proclamation signing was part of the celebration held at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
Dr. Robert Underwood, June De Leon, Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, and Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio pose for the camera after a proclamation signing.
June De Leon, Dr. Robert Underwood, Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, and Amanda Shelton; Staff from the Office of Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, smile during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
On February 18, 2018, Guam CEDDERS received a resolution from the 34th Guam Legislature in recognition of 25th years of service (L-R)June De Leon, Senator Joe San Agustin, Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Senator Dennis Rodriguez, and Dr. Robert Underwood.
Dr. Robert Underwood, University of Guam President; Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Guam CEDDERS Director, and Dr. Anita Enriquez, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, pose for a picture during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, June De Leon, and Dr Robert Underwood smile for the camera during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary at the Westin Resort Guam.
Bonnie Brandt, June De Leon, Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, and Ben Servino smile with a beautiful cake provided by LSG.
Guam Developmental Disabilities Council members pose with Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio. Members from various agencies came to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Guam CEDDERS which was held on February 13, 2018 at the Westin Resort Guam.
Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Guam CEDDERS Director and Erlinda Tydingco, Self-Advocate; pose for the camera during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
Candace Perry, Self-Advocate, smiles for the camera during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
Moses Puas, Self-Advocate, smiles for the camera during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.
Barbara Johnson, Self-Advocate, smiles for the camera during the Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary celebration at the Westin Resort Guam on February 13, 2018.

Here are more pictures from

Guam CEDDERS 25th Anniversary Celebration

 

 

Project Fitme Held Quality Improvement Meeting with EHDI Partners

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Guam Early Hearing Detection & Intervention
The Guam EHDI Diagnostic Audiological Evaluation/Early Intervention (DAE/EI) Quality Improvement (QI) Team met on February 5 to discuss the current status of DAE completion rates. The meeting also developed strategies and a plan to facilitate improvements to increase the timely completion of DAEs. Attending the meeting were (L-R) Keith Villaluna, Guam EHDI Surveillance Specialist; Marie Wusstig, Guam EHDI Project Coordinator; Pat Mantanona, Guam Early Intervention System Program Coordinator; Susan Dugan, Guam Positive Parents Together (GPPT) Deaf/Hard of Hearing Project Coordinator; Renee L.G. Koffend, AuD., Guam EHDI Audiological Consultant, and Terrie Fejarang, Guam EHDI Project Director.

State Rehabilitation Council Outreach Committee Training and Work Session

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Training Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) Outreach Committee held their Training and Work Session Meeting on February 5 at GSAT House 19 Dean Circle. Attendees included, (Sitting, L-R) Lou Mesa, SRC Chairperson; Jeanette Yamashita, Member; (Standing, L-R) Leah Abelon, Outreach Chairperson; Erlinda Tydingco, SRC Vice Chairperson and Outreach Committee Member; and Laura Taisipic. The SRC Outreach Committee oversees all program planning and program review related to providing outreach to the disability community and state and federal collaborators.

Guam CEDDERS provided GSAT and Akudi Brochures to Naval Base Guam School Liaison Officer

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Model Services Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
Guam CEDDERS provided GSAT and Akudi brochures and copies of the 2017 Neni Directory of Services for Young Children to Barbara Askey (right), Naval Base Guam School Liaison Officer, on January 16, for the upcoming Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP) Workshop for military parents who have children with special needs. School Liaison Officers help connect military families, commands, and Kindergarten – 12 th Grade schools.

Guam State Rehabilitation Council Executive Meeting

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Model Services Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
On January 11, the State Rehabilitation Council, held its first Executive Meeting at the DVR Conference Room. (Front row, L-R) Jeanette Yamashita, Planning and Resource Committee Chairperson; Laura Taisipic, Planning and Resources Committee Vice Chairperson; and Barbara Johnson, Services Committee member. (Second row, L-R) Ben Servino, Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities (DISID) Director; Erlinda Tydingco, SRC Vice Chairperson; Lou Mesa, SRC Chairperson; Pete Barcinas, SRC Secretary; Leah Abelon, Outreach Committee Chairperson; and Edmund Cruz, Services Committee Chairperson. The State Rehabilitation Council provides clients of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation with a mechanism to influence the direction of the rehabilitation programs in Guam at the System Policy Level.

GSAT Advisory Council Executive Meeting

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Model Services Guam Systems for Assistive Technology Uncategorized
The GSAT Advisory Council Executive members held their quarterly meeting on January 9 at GSAT, House 19. (Pictured L-R, clockwise) Barbara Johnson, Secretary; Ben Servino, Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities (DISID) Director; Lou Mesa, Chairperson; Leah Abelon, GSAT Center Coordinator; Evangelis Babauta (standing), ASL Interpreter; Evelyn Duenas, Vice Chairperson; and Josephine Cortez, Member at Large. (Not shown) Dawn Maka, Member at Large. The executive members meets to developand approve the agenda for the upcoming GSAT Advisory Council General Membership Meeting on January 23, 2018.

Individual Receives Assistive Technology from the Helen Keller National Center

by Jenika Ballesta Community Services: Technical Assistance Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
On January 12, 2018, Leah Abelon, GSAT Center Coordinator, provided technical assistance to Clifford Ray Hackett, who was the first recipient of technology through the iCanConnect – The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) administered by the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC).  The NDBEDP is a national program designed to help the many thousands of people in the U.S. with significant combined hearing and vision loss to connect with their family, friends, and community through distance communication technology.  For those who qualify for the program and meet income eligibility guidelines, equipment and training for distance communication is provided for free. Guam CEDDERS  recently established a collaborative relationship with HKNC to assist with demonstration, training, and technical assistance of Assistive Technology for individuals who are eligible for program support.

Interdisciplinary Training for Guam Early Interventionists

by Guam CEDDERS Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Preparation
CHLA Consultant Dr. Irina Zamora (left) responds to a question from one of the parents during the evening session, with her colleagues sitting next to her: C. Blake French, CHLA Speech Pathologist, and Dr. Shelby Surfas, Occupational Therapist.
Guam early Intervention and preschool providers take a team photo with the CHLA Consultants.

In partnership with the University of Southern California, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (USC-UCEDD) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Guam CEDDERS facilitated a four-day interdisciplinary training conducted by three CHLA consultants: Irina Zamora, Psy.D., Shelby Surfas, OTD, and C. Blake French, M.S., CCC-SLP.  Thirty early intervention and preschool providers from the Guam Department of Education and Department of Public Health and Social Services attended the four-day training on December 4-7 at the University of Guam School of Business Building Room 129.  The purpose for the training was to build capacity of early interventionists (EI) on the early identification and delivery of services for young children with developmental delays.  The interdisciplinary training curriculum was designed to increase the knowledge of EI providers in the following topical areas: 1) social-emotional development of young children; 2) language development of children with disabilities; 3) strategies to address language delays in young children; red flags for autism; 4) partnering with parents when providing early intervention services; 5) sensory differences in young children; 6) feeding challenges and feeding therapy; and 7) understanding and addressing the impact of trauma in children with disabilities.  The training curriculum was delivered within the Guam EI program’s coaching model and framework for implementation and sustainability, which included “live practice” of the strategies reviewed with young children and their families.  In addition, the CHLA consultants facilitated an evening dialogue session with nine parents of children with developmental delays.  The session, “Supporting Your Child in Early Intervention,” provided an opportunity for parents to share their successes, challenges, and to ask questions of other parents and the CHLA consultants.  At the end, one parent remarked how she learned so much from listening to other parents share their stories.

FSM Receives Consultation on Autism Spectrum Disorders

by Guam CEDDERS Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Preparation
Dr. Irina Zamora (standing), confers with Maureen Villagomez, Pohnpei State Special Education Teacher, during the school personnel session review activity on December 1.

Guam CEDDERS’ June De Leon facilitated the on-site consultation, from November 27 to December 1, in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).  The focus of the on-site consultation was to support FSM’s efforts to improve educational results for students with ASD.  Irina Zamora, Psy.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and Ms. De Leon conducted the on-site consultation, which included classroom and home visits, and parent and school personnel sessions.

The classroom and home visits were opportunities to learn from family members and school personnel on the needs of children with ASD in the FSM.  The two 2-hour parent sessions, attended by 32 family members and service providers of children with ASD, included an overview of ASD and dialogue on the “what and why” of ASD.  At the end, family members shared that the behavioral strategies, such as calming techniques, visual supports, and schedules were helpful to them in supporting their child with ASD.

The two-day school personnel session was attended by 50 service providers from Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Yap.  The session, “Working with Children with ASD: Early Identification and Intervention,” incorporated the needs observed and discussed during the school and home visits conducted earlier in the week.  Similar to the parent sessions, the school personnel session included the “what and why” of ASD and strategies to support children with ASD in school.  At the end, school personnel reported that they will be able to use the behavioral and sensory strategies, visual supports, and schedules in their classroom to support children with ASD.