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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 110 children have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
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Over 8000 students in the Los Angeles School District have Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
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Dear Friends of UCP,
April is Autism Awareness Month and we would like to take this opportunity, for those of you that do not know about our program to introduce the UCPlay Project and celebrate the achievements of our students. Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects an individual’s social and communication skills. Many people with an ASD experience behavioral challenges and developmental delays.
The UCPlay Project is United Cerebral Palsy’s theatre and drama program dedicated to students with an ASD. We tailor arts education to assist children to develop social relatedness, creativity and self expression. Without UCPlay many students with special needs would not have access to arts programming and not receive an equal education.
UCPlay began as a pilot program in October 2008 with 14 students in two classes, since then over 500 children have participated in the UCPlay Project. We currently provide eight classes in the Los Angeles Unified School District, seven classes in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and two classes in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. |
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"The UCPlay program has been wonderful in the classroom. We've had students who have never participated in any other group activity that look forward to it every week. They love the music, the movements, they love everything about it. It has been such a successful program, the kids really enjoy it. To see the students who do not want to participate in any other group activity want to participate in UCPlay has been the highlight of the whole year."
Lisa Szilagyi
Special Education Teacher, Malibu High School |
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"The children of families we represent often do not receive quality communication, social, or behavioral interventions that have been shown to significantly improve their quality of life. This project is not merely desirable, it is essential if we are to provide an equal education to students traditionally overlooked and underserved."
Carolyn Gelfand M.Ed.
Autism Specialist, Los Angeles Unified School District |
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We would like to say thank you to some wonderful people whose generous support allows us to continue to expand our program in a climate that is seeing huge cuts to services and programming for students with special needs.
It is both a privilege and a joy to teach UCPlay, thank you to the Malibu Special Education Foundation, the Santa Monica Education Foundation, students at Crossroads School, teachers and families for their support and making all we do possible. |
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For more information regarding the UCPlay Project, please contact Olivia Karaolis, Program Manager at 818.782.2211, ext. 605 or by email at:
okaraolis@ucpla.org |
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