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Learn About The Autism Diagnosis Education Project
Tue 25 Oct 2011 15:13

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Check Out Our Parents' Support Group!
Tue 07 Jun 2011 13:23

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The 2012 Board Meeting Schedule
Wed 22 Dec 2010 14:37
The following dates are for the Administrative Board Meetings, typically held the fourth Monday of each month.
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Our Name is Now "The Greene County Board of Developmental Di
Mon 15 Jun 2009 14:28

The Ohio House of Representatives voted unanimously in June to remove “mental retardation” from the Ohio Department of MRDD and all 88 Ohio County Boards of MRDD. Our organization will now be known as the Greene County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

The House voted June 10 on Senate Bill 79, which was introduced by Senator Jimmy Stewart, of Athens County. In addition to all 99 members voting for its passage, about two-thirds of House members showed even stronger support by signing their name as co-sponsors of the bill.

The House version of the bill was introduced by Rep. Deborah Newcomb and Rep. Debbie Phillips, Stewart’s replacement. Because of a couple of amendments to the bill, it will go back to the Senate for final approval next week, but no additional changes are being considered.

“Every legislator understood that this bill wasn’t about money or politics. It was about the people with developmental disabilities in Ohio and their families,” said Linda Oda, director of communications for the Ohio Association of County Boards of MRDD, which also is expected to make a name change in the near future. Oda said the name change is part of the continuing evolution for people with developmental disabilities.

The “Name Change Bill” – as SB79 was commonly known – came about almost two years ago when people with developmental disabilities in Athens County visited their Board of MRDD and requested the change. After about a year of discussion, the self-advocates were back at a board meeting. That time, the board acted immediately, and then-Representative Stewart was asked to introduce legislation to abolish “mental retardation” statewide.

And Athens County didn’t wait for the bill to pass. They immediately began doing business as a Board of Developmental Disabilities (DD). There are also nine other County Boards of MRDD “doing business as” County Boards of DD. However, in 1991, Delaware County was the first to drop “mental retardation” from its name.

Many other County Boards of MRDD also wanted to drop “mental retardation,” but were prohibited by their prosecutors, who interpreted the Ohio Revised Code in such a way that would not allow County Boards of MRDD to do business under any name other than the state-sanctioned title.

Oda said much of the credit for the passage of the bill should be givens not only to the self-advocates of Athens County, but also advocates for the developmentally disabled from throughout Ohio.

If you have or know a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, check out Greene County Board of MRDD's P.L.A.Y. Project (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters).

Based on the National Academy of Sciences' recommendation to begin early (18 months to 5 years old), the P.L.A.Y Project is designed for young children on the autism spectrum. The project is defined by an intensive amount of early intervention that is engaging and has a strategic direction.

P.L.A.Y. Project interventions also are used successfully with children who have not been diagnosed on the autism spectrum but whohave sensory intergration, behavior concerns or difficulty relating with others. With use of video recordings, families are able to be coached by a home consultant about ways to successfully engage their child so that their play becomes more meaningful.

Four Oaks has a team of professionals who have been trained by Dr. Richard Soloman, M.D., the creator of the P.L.A.Y. Project. Dr. Soloman is a colleague of Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a world-renowned developmental pediatrician who developed the D.I.R. (Developmental, Individualized and Relationship-based) Model.

Greene County Board of MRDD's "Supports for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" was the first such standard to be accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Favilities), an independent, nonprofit accreditor of human service providers in the areas of aging services, behavioral health, child and youth services, employment and community services, medical rehabilitation, and opioid treatment programs. The CARF family of organizations currently accredits more than 5,500 providers in more than 19,000 locations on five continents.

Four Oaks team members are available to discuss the appropriateness of working with your child. Please call 937-562-6779 or 937-222-7474 and ask Janel to schedule a phone consultation.

P.L.A.Y. Project consultants: Beth Brennaman, Jennifer Groetz, Diana Martin, Katie Resse, Lauara Wallenburg, and Cindy Whitaker.

Greene, Inc.'s Atrium facility is about to celebrate the two-year anniversary of its opening.

The Atrium, a 20,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art habilitation facility houses a new and improved workshop, classrooms, a learning kitchen, art therapy and pet therapy rooms, and a roomy cafeteria while providing services, support and employment opportunities for people with lifelong disabilities. The entire building also is air-conditioned, an important feature the previous building did not have until recently.

The Atrium was officially opened in November 2009. The pictures posted below show the Atrium in its completion.

Greene, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation specializing in vocational training, employment and community integration services for individuals with disabilities. Founded in Xenia in 1971, it employs many of its clients in its laundry and secure-document services, as well as in janitorial enclaves.

If you'd like to schedule a tour of the building, please call Greene, Inc. at 937-562-4200.