Play Time: One Mom’s Mission to Give Kids on the Spectrum Some Fun
By Jackie Ceonzo, Founder/Executive
Director, SNACK
As featured in YAI Autism Matters Newsletter - Summer 2009
I am the mother of two boys: Andrew is a
typically developing 10- year-old; Joey, my 14-year-old, is on the autism
spectrum. Joey loves to play basketball, swim, listen to music and attend
birthday parties. He doesn’t really talk and he needs help with most things. He
is also now bigger than me and his dad. Luckily, for now, he’s happy most of
the time.
Our journey began when Joey was diagnosed with
epilepsy when he was 14 months old. When he was about 7, the seizures subsided
as mysteriously as they had come, and we were faced with a little boy who was
not toilet trained, unable to make his needs known to us and classified as
having autism. We decided that it was about time this guy had a little fun.
Kids on the spectrum tend to not have a lot of
play dates after school. They aren’t given the opportunity to play, to run, to
swim. We thought there was something wrong with the fact that Joey’s only
after-school activities involved occupational, physical and speech therapies.
For the most part, children with autism can be taught play and leisure skills,
but they can also exhibit challenging behaviors that only those who are
familiar and trained can handle effectively. Kids on the spectrum need to be
with other kids, doing things kids do, under the supervision of those who can
pull them out of their own little worlds of self stimulation and into ours.
Andrew, my typically developing son, has always
been able to take sports, music, art or swimming, without being on a waiting
list. We wanted the same for Joey and other children like him. But because of
his specific needs, Joey was turned away from several special needs recreation
programs. We have always participated in many programs that are volunteer-run and
free of charge. They have their special place in the recreation arena but we
wanted a dependable source of respite, as most parents do. So we decided to
start our own program. It’s called SNACK or Special Needs Activity Center for
Kids and it’s designed to fill the void in recreation services for children
with challenging behaviors. We realized that SNACK would need to be staffed
properly by people familiar with Applied Behavior Analysis; it would have a
high ratio of staff to children; and most importantly, it would provide a lot
of love and hope. We also realized that it would be expensive to run and that
we couldn’t do it for free. We reasoned that if we pooled resources and shared
with others, we could reduce the hourly outlay and help those who could not
afford it, while providing our kids with a chance to have fun and make friends.
Joey still needs a lot of help with many things,
but he has a quality of life as close to his brother’s as we could give him — and
so do dozens of other kids.
On the Home Front - The struggle for support endured by families with special
needs children
by Jackie
Ceonzo, Founder/Executive
Director, SNACK
As featured in PARENTGUIDE News, May 2007
Living life with a
developmentally-delayed or disabled child is a challenge no one is prepared
for. I equate the experience to the first few years as a new parent— the
progress is fabulous, but there’s always a new challenge around the corner.
Like when a toddler learns to walk, it’s so great, but then he’s into
EVERYTHING! With a child who has developmental disabilities, however, it seems
the highs and lows expected during early childhood never end.
In the beginning, when you first learn of your child’s special needs, Early
Intervention (EI) is a wonder. Many people are eager and willing to help you
fill your child’s need for services. Many children graduate from EI to the
mainstream. Children who don’t, ages 3-5, go to their local school district’s
Committee on Pre School Education (CPSE) for support and services. These
children are classified as Pre Schooler with a Disability regardless of their
actual diagnosis. Many children are considered mainstream after the CPSE stage. Those children
ages 5 and older who continue to need support services are referred to their
local Committee on Special Education (CSE). At this stage, a classification is
determined, such as autistic or speech and language impaired. In sum, there are
nine categories in which no one wants to place their child. This is when the
struggle for services begins as well.
Link to
read Full article: http://parentguidenews.com/Catalog/ChildDevelopment/OntheHomeFront/
From A Mother's Struggles, an Answer for Many Parents
East Side after school program caters to children with special needs and their caregivers
by Sue Sipprelle, Our Town and West Side Spirit, MANHATTAN MEDIA, February 22nd, 2007
Jackie
Ceonzo’s son, Joey, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the
age of 2. He experienced multiple daily epileptic seizures until he was
7. When the seizures ceased and Joey began attending school, Ceonzo
wanted him to learn to play. But there were no recreational programs
available for him. He was nonverbal and not toilet trained, and the few
programs that did exist could not accommodate his special needs. Four
years ago, when Joey was 7, Ceonzo decided to take matters into her own
hands and founded the Special Needs Activity Center for Kids, called
SNACK…an after school and weekend program that includes art, music,
drama, movement, and games, as well as snack time. The program is also
available during school vacations and over the summer. SNACK uses the
pool and gym of St. Bartholomew’s Church, at 109 East 50th Street, for
one-on-one swim lessons, sports skills classes, and a soccer clinic.
Additionally, SNACK also coordinates occasional lectures for parents of
children with special needs….“Jackie’s program is unique,” said Dr. Amy
Davies Lackey. Lackey is division director at the Manhattan annex of
the Hawthorne Country Day School, which educates children with
disabilities…“The environment at SNACK sets up kids for success in
making friends, engaging in social interactions, and for participating
in leisure activities,” Lackey said. “Her staff is outstanding –
trained and well-prepared”.…SNACK became a nonprofit organization this
month, and Ceonzo hopes that its new status will enable her to realize
her dream of expanding the program to other sites in Manhattan and
other cities. She receives many inquiries from parents both in the New
York metropolitan area and across the country who are desperately
seeking similar programs for their children with developmental
disabilities.
Click on the link to read more... http://susansipprelle.com/joeyA.htm
SNACK Founder Jackie Ceonzo Named NYer Of The Week For Second Time
NY1 News - June 17, 2005
Last
year NY1 profiled a woman, Jackie Ceonzo, who runs an after-school
program for developmentally disabled kids as our New Yorker of the
Week. After the segment aired, calls came pouring in to the station
from viewers wanting to know more about this New Yorker and her
program...So, for using her love as a parent to inspire a program that
has blossomed for others in this city, Jackie Ceonzo is, again, our New
Yorker of the Week. View Video above to see NY1 segment on SNACK
Parent Opens Play-Place For Autistic Kids
NBC4
News "Family Matters" feature segment by Carol Anne Riddell, Education
Reporter; also featured on WNBC.com - February 24, 2005
Like
all parents, Jackie Ceonzo wants her 9-year-old son to have a safe, fun
place to play after school. But Joey is autistic, and finding that
place proved difficult...And that is how SNACK -- the Special Needs
Activity Center for Kids -- came about...Children at SNACK take music
and art classes, do group activities, and even play soccer...though the
focus is play, there's also work being done as staffers reinforce
appropriate behavior...Parents said it's a great experience too, seeing
their children play and spending time with other families. View Video above to see NBC4 News segment on SNACK
SNACK Founder Helps Children With Developmental Disabilities
NY1 News - December 03, 2004
NY1’s
latest New Yorker of the Week helps developmentally disabled city kids
have fun and learn basic skills through a program called the Special
Needs Activity Center for Kids, or SNACK. But for founder Jackie
Ceonzo, a working mother, guiding these kids is not just necessary,
it's personal. View Video above to see NY1 segment on SNACK
