The ARC of Butte County

ARC’s Respite Care Service offers personalized support to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. A respite care provider is available to provide temporary care and companionship for the individual with a developmental disability or neurological impairment in the home or community.

It’s a New Respite Quarter – April 1st through June 30th

• At least 51 hours are available for you to use.
• The hours are good 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
  
• Call Sandy @ ARC to schedule your worker.
• Call Sandy @ ARC to meet new respite workers.
  
• Have a friend or family member you would like to be your personal respite worker? Contact us!
  

Tom Leonardi

Sensitive to the needs of families living with someone who has a disability, respite care providers furnish one of the supports which maintain disabled individuals in their homes, enhance personal growth and development, and foster independence of all family members.

If you have questions regarding Respite, please, contact Tom Leonardi at (530) 891.5865 or tomleonardi@arcbutte.org

If you missed the “Bridge the Gap” Kick Off event in the ARC Pavilion you missed a lot.

ARC supporters, staff, board members and clients gathered to share stories about how important our programs are… and to officially Kick Off the”Bridge The Gap” annual campaign.

Bonnie Bethel, ILS Coordinator

Bonnie Bethel, ILS/Parenting Coordinator, helped entertain the children while Michael McGinnis (ARC Executive Director) and ARC client’s spoke of their experiences with different programs, instructors and peers. Many expressed their appreciate of how the ARC has improved their lives.

One client, Ted, said he’d be stuck at home watching TV all day if he didn’t have the Adult Day Program to come to. A young father, Joey, spoke of the new healthy meals he can now cook for his family thanks to his Independent Living Skills instructor.

There are an estimated 240,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in California alone.

Sadly, there is a growing population of special needs children right here in our community.  The stresses of everyday life greatly increase when a family is faced with the demands and extraordinary challenges of parenting an individual with special needs.

It is widely cited that over 80% of parents of children with Autism divorce and that 63% of family-member caregivers battle sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety.

It is our hope that the Bridge the Gap campaign will develop and expand the base of support within the community, not just for one year, but for many years to come.

You can see more pictures on our Facebook Page.

If you have questions about this campaign or are interested in participating, please, contact Michael McGinnis, Arc Executive Director.

We would like to invite everyone to attend our first “Bridge the Gap” Campaign Kick Off on Thursday, March 25th @ 5:30pm in the ARC Pavilion at 2040 Park Ave.

You’ll have a chance to learn about ARC services (programs like the Rainbow of Kids Club, Respite and Independent Living Skills), meet clients, board members and staff as well as tour the facility.

The goal of the 2010 Annual Campaign is to:

• Sustain existing programs
• Improve and expand services
• Broaden support within the community
• Educate the community about the value of the ARC
• To “Bridge the Gap” between hope and reality for our clients

Joey & Suzette's Family

There are an estimated 240,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in California.  Sadly, there is a growing population of special needs children right here in our community.  The stresses of everyday life greatly increase when a family is faced with the demands and extraordinary challenges of parenting an individual with special needs.

It is widely cited that over 80% of parents of children with Autism divorce and that 63% of family-member caregivers battle sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety.

Since 1953, the Arc of Butte County has been devoted to providing high quality services for special needs children and adults with developmental disabilities. Joey and Suzette (pictured here) are both developmentally disabled. They are able to keep their family happy and healthy with the help of the ARC’s Family Support Programs. We serve almost 900 families, just like Joey & Suzette’s, who have members with a developmental disability. Our customized programs give parents a break from the stresses of raising a special needs child, helping to keep families healthy, cohesive, and united.

It is our hope that this campaign will develop and expand the base of support within the community, not just for one year, but for many years to come.

Please, leave us a comment if you have questions or contact us at (530) 891.5865 or info@arcbutte.org

Hope to see you all there!


Every Saturday, the ARC’s Family Support staff plan fun, educational activities for special needs children and their siblings. The Rainbow of Kids Club offers varied recreational and social experiences.

Play time is a wonderful educational tool. Children learn about cooperation, team work and social skills to name just a few. Plus play time can be therapeutic…both physically and emotionally.  The ARC’s ROKC gives special needs children the chance to jump, sing, explore and interact with other children in a safe and friendly environment.

Recently, the ROKC had a “PJ’s and Salon” Party. The children and instructors dressed in their favorite jammies, watched movies and played games like FuzeBall or brain teasers. Everyone had the chance to have the hair and nails done.

A fun time was had by all!

There are more adorable pictures posted on ARC’s FaceBook Page. Click here to see them all!

Rene Tousant

The Rainbow Of Kids Club and Older Kids Club have adventures every Saturday. If you have questions, please, contact Rene Tousant.

In this economic down turn, many local non-profits are scrambling to find new ways to generate much needed funds. The ARC of Butte County is one of the many charities struggling to keep programs running after last years’ California State budget cuts.

In 2009, The ARC was forced to close three popular programs leaving many families without support. Since 1953, the Arc  has been devoted to providing high quality services for special needs children and adults with developmental disabilities. Our customized programs give parents and caregivers a break from the stresses of raising a special needs child, helping to keep families healthy, cohesive, and united.

The kind people of North Valley Eye Care understand the difficult challenges these families are facing and are offering to help.

Long time ARC supporter, Dr. Isaac Barthelow, of NVEC, has pledged to donate a $1 for every new FaceBook Fan the ARC can send their way in the month of March.

We ask that every ARC supporter and FaceBook Fan, please, take a moment to visit the North Valley Eye Care FaceBook Page and become a Fan of theirs, too.

Together we can reach our goal of 500 new fans in March!

ARC’s Independent Living Skills Program provides a diverse range of skill training and services that focus on the individual’s personal and social needs. The training enables individuals with developmental disabilities to acquire, maintain and improve their existing abilities to live independently in the community.

Our ILS staff assists each client, based on individual needs, in areas of independent living and behavioral intervention.

Aurelia Rodriguez

ILS Instructor of the Month, Aurelia Rodriguez, works extremely hard with all of her clients. Often having to drive as far as Gridley to work with clients who have limited access to transportation. “She has been very successful with her case load, ” says Bonnie Bethel, ILS Coordinator, “Aurelia offers all her clients professional instruction. Helping them live more fulfilling lives. I was very pleased when a clients husband enthusiastically voted that she be Instructor of the Month!”

Everyone at the ARC wants to thank Aurelia for her dedication to improving the lives of so many!

If you have questions regarding ILS, please, contact Bonnie Bethel or Ray Fennell.

ARC’s Adult Day Program provides many of our special needs clients the opportunity for paid work training in both our Oroville and Chico ARC Stores.

During their ARC Store shifts the ADP clients learn social skills, customer service, counting money and what it takes to run a business.  Some of our clients have true entrepreneurial spirit. Like Maryann..

“The ARC’s Adult Day Program has taught me a lot of different things like how to learn a different language like Spanish, be social and friendly with peers and how to start selling my handmade pot holders.” shares Maryann.

Maryann Rodriguez lives with her grandmother. She loves to make pot holders, work on word search puzzles and watch her favorite movie star Hannah Montana on T.V.

One of Maryann’s peers at the ARC, Erin (who also happens to sell her hand knit scarves in the Oroville ARC Store), noticed her interest in wanting to learn how to hand make pot holders and decided to teach her. Maryann’s pot holders reflect all the hard work that she puts into them.

Maryann looks forward for all the things that the future offers. She would like to learn how to run a business and how she could earn money through her hard work.

Your purchase of one of Maryann’s handmade potholders (Only $5) will help Maryann realize her goal. Thank you.

Read this useful article on Autism at HelpGuide.org.

Thought you would find it interesting. If you have questions about Autism or the ARC’s special needs programs for children, please, contact Bonnie Bethel, Parenting Coordinator or Rene Tousant, Family Support Coordinator.

Early Signs of Autism in Children

As children get older, the red flags for autism increase and become more diverse. There are many warning signs and symptoms, but they typically revolve around verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, impaired social skills, and repetitive behaviors.

Verbal warning signs and symptoms of autism:

• Slow to develop language skills.
• Repeats or echoes certain words or phrases.
• Has trouble expressing needs.
• Used to say a few words or babble, but doesn’t anymore.

Non-verbal warning signs and symptoms of autism:

• Avoids eye contact.
• Doesn’t play “pretend” games.
• Reacts unusually to sights, smells, textures, and sounds.
• Doesn’t seem to hear when others talk to him or her.

Social warning signs and symptoms of autism:

• Appears uninterested in other people.
• Has trouble understanding or talking about feelings.
• Doesn’t know how to talk to or play with others.
• Prefers not to be held or cuddled.

Repetitive behavior warning signs and symptoms of autism:

• Has difficulty adapting to changes in routine.
• Shows unusual attachments to toys or other objects.
• Obsessively lines things up or arranges them in a certain order
• Repeats the same actions or movements over and over again.

If you are concerned your child may have Autism, please, talk to your child’s doctor right away about screening test and intervention services in your community.

Please, feel free to contact the ARC if you have questions.

Author – Activist – Autistic

Dr. Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world.  She was recently interviewed on NPR’s “Science Friday” were she discussed how being Autistic has effected her life and work with animals.

Dr. Temple Grandin

Dr. Grandin didn’t talk until she was three and a half years old, communicating her frustration instead by screaming, peeping, and humming. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized. She tells her story of “groping her way from the far side of darkness” in her book Emergence: Labeled Autistic, a book which stunned the world because, until its publication, most professionals and parents assumed that an autism diagnosis was virtually a death sentence to achievement or productivity in life. You can learn more about her amazing life at www.templegrandin.com

A movie about her life will be on HBO, Feb 6th…

The ARC of Butte County offers classes and support groups for parents dealing with the stresses related to raising a special needs child. Please, contact Bonnie Bethel, ILS Parent Education or Rene Tousant in Family Support if you have questions.

This touching video is from the ARC of Calif. It says it all!