Soon, Thomas was back in the classroom doing the things he enjoys, like cooking and washing dishes, playing on the computer and taking walks around the track all thanks to a network of people who believe he can make the transition to success. Dawn visited Thomas at home and encouraged him to return to school, relying on the coping skills he had been taught at Damar and also on a creative solution: a pair of earmuffs Thomas could wear to minimize noise. In short order, Lucinda and Dawn were in touch with the folks at Damar, asking for guidance. Classroom noises upset Thomas so much that he didn t want to go to school. The team got its first test shortly after school started this year. For youth like Thomas, it takes that entire team approach, said Damar Autism Specialist Mike Campbell.
At the same time, the gift supported increased connections between Damar staff and Thomas parents, Larry and Lucinda Biltz, helping them prepare their Auburn home for Thomas and helping Thomas prepare for life outside of Damar s nurturing and supportive environment. It also brought Dawn to Damar s campus, where she could see firsthand how the staff worked with Thomas and helped him cope with issues that previously might have provoked an outburst. For Thomas, that gift allowed Damar staff to meet with DeKalb High School teacher Dawn James, who would have Thomas in her classroom this fall. The family responded with $100,000 to establish The Alan and Linda Cohen Family Foundation Autism Transition Initiative. First, when the folks at The Alan and Linda Cohen Family Foundation asked Damar how they could help children with autism, the staff explained that more could be done to help residents make the transition back to life in their communities.
#Bazbeaux the court jester series#
That kind of failure wasn t in Thomas future, thanks to a series of events, some involving people who had never met Thomas.
That s really setting everyone up for failure.
All too often, residential facilities will say a child s ready to go home, and they ll say, There you go, and just send them home, said Kristin Dovenmuehle, Damar s Clinical Supervisor for Autism Services. The challenge: helping 18-year-old Thomas return to his home and school with the same even temper and attitude he had gained at Damar. Once prone to loud outbursts, Thomas flourished at Damar, earning a reputation as a lovable teen who enjoys telling stories and making people laugh. Mike Campbell, Autism Specialistĥ & It takes innovation collaboration Thomas Transition In May of 2010, it was hard to imagine that Thomas Biltz was the same boy who had come to Damar s campus 15 months earlier. 4 Thomas, Larry and Lucinda Biltz, and Dawn James Thomas with Mike Campbell For youth like Thomas, it takes that entire team approach.
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