By Your Side Hosts AUTISM PARTNERS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, a community resource fair, on Thursday, Feb. 23 February 23, 2012

The open house celebrates the opening of the autism therapy center’s second Chicagoland location

Schaumburg, IL — BY YOUR SIDE, a unique therapy center dedicated to providing Speech and Language therapy, ABA therapy and occupational therapy to children, teenagers and adults with autism, invites families to a special grand opening event at their second location. AUTISM PARTNERS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, an open house featuring a variety of resources for families with special needs children, will be held on Thursday, February 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1920 Thoreau Drive, Suite 180, in Schaumburg.

Families will be able to tour the state-of-the art therapy center, which is set up in a comfortable home-like environment. Additionally, several other organizations and businesses that serve special needs children in the Chicagoland area will have booths at the event. They include:

• Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) was formed in 1973 to provide a full spectrum of recreation services to individuals with disabilities. NWSRA is a partnership of 17 park districts in the northwest suburbs of Chicago committed to supporting community access to recreation for people with disabilities.

• The Schaumburg Autism Society is a grassroots organization dedicated to improve the lives of all affected by autism by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. The Schaumburg Autism Society offers a parent support group that meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Schaumburg Township Building and a Sibling Support Group that meets the fourth Monday of every month at the Kenneth Young Center in Elk Grove.

• Discovery Toys has a 30+ year history of partnering with parents, teachers, specialists, caregivers and children to promote learning through play. Discovery Toys features products that support every aspect of a child's growth: physical, intellectual, emotional and social. There will be items for children to explore and play with that are targeted for different learning styles, with Autism reference symbols indicating the specific learning each toy supports.

• The Red Kite Project at Chicago Children’s Theatre creates multi-sensory, interactive theatre programming tailored specifically to the needs and interests of children on the autism spectrum. Unlike more traditional theatre, Red Kite downplays the use of spoken language and emphasizes a series of sensory experiences rather than the progression of a plot. In addition to theatrical productions, the project also includes Camp Red Kite, a summer arts camp specifically for autistic children.

• Right Fit Sport Fitness Wellness offers an award winning Raise the Bar individualized fitness program for youth and adults with autism spectrum disorders. This innovative "fun" structured fitness and wellness program does not depend on a lot of fancy equipment, glamorous settings or organized sports to achieve real results. Right Fit promotes PLAY as the intervention for essential healthy growth and development. An emphasis is placed on 3 C trainers (commitment, compassionate and credentialed) to implement a sensitive and practical program to improve motor skills and muscle tone, assist in weight management, improve self-esteem, socialization and eliminate self-destructive and self-stimulating behaviors. There are no "can'ts" at Right Fit, which strives to deliver the best in fitness service to help every client achieve fitness and wellness goals!

• Usborne Books & More are educational, imaginative, fun and factual books that children love to read. With over 1,400 titles, Usborne offers something for every age and subject, including Internet-linked and Internet-referenced books. The company publishes non-fiction, fiction, puzzle books, activity books, story books, sticker books and encyclopedias. Usborne Books are visually stimulating with information in bite-sized pieces.

• Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery and Café in Evanston is a full service bakery and restaurant that is 100% gluten free. Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery and Café has been family owned and operated since 2007. With many options for families struggling with multiple allergies or intolerances, Rose’s sets the gold standard for ingredients and flavor in gluten free and dairy free products in the Midwest region. Rose’s will provide samples as well as the opportunity to buy products.

BY YOUR SIDE’s philosophy includes the belief that language is the foundation of all communication and is embedded in every facet of life. Improvement of language skills is directly correlated to quality of life and ability to participate in its activities. These skills are most effective when taught in a natural and relevant environment providing direct instruction and opportunities for generalization with a variety of communication partners.

The floor plan of BY YOUR SIDE is set up to promote and create a natural environment. The center is made up of rooms found in a home with subtle accommodations to support the individual with autism. The facility also includes instruction rooms which are specifically created for one on one teaching of skills in a room free of all stimuli. Language concepts, communication strategies, sensory integration and social skills are then taught within the activities of each of the “home” rooms. Additionally, daily living skills are easily incorporated into therapy with this home design. The center features a living room, kitchen, play room, art room, rec room and indoor playground. The center also includes a clubhouse area for parents/guardians to wait in comfort.

The functional design of BY YOUR SIDE paired with a team of licensed professionals is dedicated to helping each individual become the best version of themselves, teaching them the skills to participate in activities of everyday life.

BY YOUR SIDE’s Schaumburg Center Director Kathryn Neenan, M.S. CCC-SLP/L will lead a team of therapists to carry forward what Executive Director Julie Martin, M.S. CCC-SLP/L, BCBA created back in 2009 at their first location in Burr Ridge. Kathryn and Julie have worked together since 2008 providing therapy to individuals with autism in a variety of settings. Together they have created new programs and developed existing programs to better serve the needs of individuals with autism.

BY YOUR SIDE offers a number of programming options to address the varying needs of the autism spectrum. Frequency and intensity of the program is unique to each individual and determined by the therapy team which includes the family as an important member of that team.

With hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, BY YOUR SIDE accommodates a variety of schedules.

SCHAUMBURG, IL - 1920 Thoreau Drive, Suite 180, Schaumburg, IL 60173.

BURR RIDGE, IL - 16W361 Frontage Road, Suite 131 Burr Ridge, IL 60527.

For more information or to schedule an evaluation for either location, please call
(630) 590-5571 or visit BY YOUR SIDE’s website at www.ByYourSideAutismCenter.com.

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