New If only there was a map.. · 2014. 3. 31. · If only there was a map.. By John Willson, SOAR Executive Director I had an opportunity to present at the National Learning Disabilities

If only there was a map..By John Willson, SOAR Executive Director

I had an opportunity to present at the National Learning Disabilities conference in California earlier this year. The title of my workshop was “If only there was a map:

Helping children navigate the trail to adulthood”. For many years SOAR has been imple-menting concepts developed at the Frostig Institute regarding Life Success Attributes as a strategy to help children attain more success as they proceed with their journey. I would like to walk you through some of the basic concepts from the workshop in an effort to provide parents and professionals some tools to help nurture success and resilience in children diagnosed with LD & AD/HD.

Helping children become more self-aware of their strengths and challenges is a critical component to nurturing success. While it is important to know what your challenges may be, it is even more critical to know what your gifts and strengths are. I believe it is much easier to use your abilities to overcome obstacles then simply focusing on your challenges.

It is also important to begin to understand what motivates an individual child. Motivation can be such a mov-ing target. Different people are motivated by different things. Individuals who desire power and control require choice, clear expectations, and some level of accountability. Children motivated by rewards require a meaningful and thoughtful approach to providing benefits for their accomplishments. If prestige is a primary source of mo-tivation then insuring that child receives continued validation, along with public acknowledgement is key. Some people really appreciate praise and encouragement. Being very careful with the kind of praise you give is critical to nurturing the success of these young people.

As you find ways to promote self-awareness, it is just as critical to help children learn to make good decisions through reflection and problem solving. I am particularly fond of a system called APIE (assess, plan, implement, evaluate). Techniques include helping children learn to assess problems, make good plans / decisions, implement those ideas, and then evaluate outcomes and look for new ideas and solutions.

Another important strategy related to navigating the trail to adulthood is learning how to utilize support systems in a meaningful and powerful way. Stake holders will benefit from learning to use an array of teaching methods that compliment a variety of pathways to learning. Parents need to be informed regarding their children’s peer support group, insuring they have supportive friends. It is critical to maintain healthy communication between parents, professionals, and teachers. Finally, be willing to modify support structures as needed.

Using a healthy communication model is also critical to success. Create working patterns which include reflec-tive listening and agreed outcomes. Additionally, insure your child has a way to verbalize their frustration or displeasure with you as they become emotionally charged. Learning when to engage in dialogue and when to back off and let things settle down can be the difference between poor and healthy communication.

While these concepts may seem simple on the surface, as we know with this population of children, nothing is quite as it seems. Therefore, developing a cohesive set of intervention strategies we nurture our children towards adulthood is critical to their success.

INSIDE THISNEWSLETTER:

SUMMER PREVIEWGAP YEAR AT SOARSTAFF MEMBER PROFILE

ACADEMY UPDATECONTRIBUTORSPHOTO CONTEST

WANT MORE TIPS ON MANAGING ADHD/ADD/LD??? Join us for “Strategy Saturdays” on Facebook and find more resources on our blog http://soaradhd.wordpress.com/

Volume XXVII Success Oriented Achievement Realized Spring 2014

As I drove into work today, a beautiful layer of ice covered the branches of the trees and sparkled in the morning sun. Beautiful

as that was, I will be happy to leave that all behind! I look forward to the upcoming summer and the return of my favorite people – SOAR campers!

We have some exciting developments this summer at SOAR. And one of these developments is happening right outside my window – the revamping of our High Ropes Course! We are currently in the pro-cess of adding a brand new element called Walking The Plank. This element entails traveling over a series of suspended planks and small platforms, all while approximately 30 feet in the air. At the end of this new element is an even bigger surprise – a brand new zipline! This zipline will allow students to fly over some of the main areas of base-camp to an exit platform near our low ropes course. This new flight path will also allow students to choose additional fun during the zip, like being cooled down by water guns as they pass by or attempting to drop bean bags into targets on the ground! Another exciting development is the creation of our Peru Spanish Im-mersion Semester. Previously only available to our Academy students, we have opened this course to any student wishing to pursue Spanish 1 and 2 credit while being immersed in the culture and beauty of a South American country. Students will spend six weeks living, work-ing, and exploring Peru, learning conversational and written Spanish as they interact with native Spanish speakers. Students will live and work in the coastal town of Mancora and then depart for expeditions that include backpacking, ice climbing, exploring the jungle basin, and traveling to the Galapagos Islands. Space is extremely limited so call now if you are interested in finding out more.

To find out more about these and the multitude of other courses we offer throughout the US as well as Central and South America, visit us at our website at www.soarnc.org .

SUMMER PREVIEW By: Laura Pate, SOAR Director of Operations OPEN

HOUSESATURDAY, APRIL 12TH10:00 AM - 2:00 PMBALSAM*NCPLEASE CALL 828-456-3435 TO RSVP

STAY CONNECTED:

We are in the process of updating our websites! Check back soon

www.soarnc.orgwww.academyatSOAR.org

www.GAPatSOAR.org

SOAR PHOTOCONTEST WINNER:RYAN PRESTON

We are thrilled to announce our GAP Year at SOAR Program! Based out of Eagle

View Ranch in Dubois, WY, this program pro-vides young adults, ages 18-24 the opportu-nity to discover their interests, develop their

independence, and create a path to their future. This pro-gram will combine residential living with adventure based field expeditions. We are now accepting applications for Fall 2014 / Spring 2015. Call us or visit www.GAPatSOAR.org for more information!

What is a GAP Year?“A gap year is about what happens after school, how you make decisions, how you figure out who you are, where you want to go, and how you need to get there. It’s about the skill set you need to live your life.” –Gail Reardon of Taking Off

UP CLOSE WITH...Lynne Neaves, SOAR Admissions DirectorWhat is something people are surprised to learn about you? One thing that surprises people is that I am a North Caro-linian who has been away from my home state for 18 years. After living happily in Saskatchewan, Canada, and north central West Virginia, SOAR helped me get back home! What do you like about working at SOAR? I like working with others who share the same philosophy I have about individuals with ADHD and learning disabilities and know that often our campers’ and students’ strengths outweigh challenges they may have. The earnest caring for the campers and students we serve also is evident among the staff, and I like being a part of such a team.On a lighter note, I love my drive or walk to work every day! Where else could I have the experience of traveling through forests, scenic views of mountains, past the Blue Ridge Parkway, and even drive under a small tunnel. The location

of my workplace, Balsam base of SOAR, is a magical one, and I find it to be a wholesome environment for work.

If you could travel one place in the world, where would you go?I like exploring almost any area in the US or Canada, but one place I’ve wanted to visit, not as a tourist but for a few weeks, is the Basque area of France and Spain. I once helped an indi-vidual who spent most of his life there improve his use of English and learned from him of the uniqueness of his homeland. His native language was Basque and not Spanish or French, and he liked reminiscing about the peas-ant, village culture and food of growing up there.

THE ACADEMY AT SOAR By Sophie Allen

This summer will be my fifth year at SOAR! When I look back, I am amazed by how much this program has evolved. Last summer I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Jonathan and

Wandajean Jones: The Founders of SOAR. I distinctly remember Jonathan describing the first semester of the Academy. I heard his passion for his realized dream as he painted the picture of the very first Semester in the fall of 1991. There had been growing interest in a yearlong program that reached past the summer months. So Jonathan bravely built a radical experience for a team of young adults. They jumped into a fifteen passenger van and road tripped to the Southwest from the East Coast! The program continued to grow in the fall of 1993 when we begin our first Appalachian semester. Our Executive Direc-tor, John Willson, was a Field Instructor on that course. The team was literally dropped off on the Appalachian Trail with everything they needed to survive in the wilderness. They backpacked whole sections of the trail; from Vermont to Massa-chusetts, The Shenandoah’s, and the Smoky Mountains in NC to Springer Mtn. in Georgia. Now in this present day, our program has grown into a Accredited Boarding School. We travel all over the world. When

we awake, we could be with our students exploring the depths of the Grand Canyon, the sandy beaches of the Everglades, or even the quiet darkness of a cavern in the Appalachian Mountains. We canoe through the ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico, surf the waves of the pacific, zip line through the rainforests of Costa Rica, and backpack through America’s most beautiful parks. Our teams this spring are halfway through their Spring term at the Academy. North and West House have explored the Ten Thousand Islands in Everglades National park and earned their Scu-

ba diving Certifications in the Florida Keys. Our teams have also experienced new activities that we have never explored before at the Academy. Both teams had the amazing opportunity to swim with Manatees in the Chrystal River and pilot a small plan in our Young Eagles program. We are all so proud of all the work that they have completed academically and how much they have grown into confident young adults. We are excited to continue the great legacy that Jonathon Jones sparked in 1991. The Academy has evolved so much over the years as it continues to offer a unique educational experience to our students. I cannot even fathom the opportunities and adventures that lie before us in the future.

Lindsay Bridges Paul & Dennis Conrad Lori & Hector CoraJane Dembert Lena & Tobin Gerhart Girl Scouts #30586 David & Sharon Gitman Stephen Leonard

Susan Carle & Henry Friedman Charlene Hovatter Paul & Dayle Komlosi Tamara McKenney Jim & Michele HarrCindy & Mikel Laird Pam Lee

Andrew Light Mark Linzer Anne Lynn Chris Lyon Dolores Michael Sandra Mejia Charles Mitchell Sharon & Mark Naes

Robert & Donna NorthwayDonna & Paul Nystrom Tina Oskinski Andrew Rapoport Christy Schultz Suzanne Bessette-Smith Robert & Kim ToweThomas Towery

YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Legacy: $50,000 +Betty and John Allison

Summit: $25,000+ Jennifer and Trip Amos

Jane & Mitchell MayMargery Doppelt and Larry Rothman

Alpine: $10,000+Anonymous (2014)

The James E and Constance Bell Foundation

Mountaineer: $5,000Sarah and Paul Auvil

Katie and Thomas Muno

Charlotte South Rotary, in Memory of Tyler Young The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Benefactor: $1,000+Donna & Jeffry Eskind Cherrie Farnette Hal Hunter Peter Hortensius James H. Jones

Caroline & Thomas Moore Terry & John Norris Star Tofil Josh Willson

Dana Blankenhorn Christine & Steve Chapman Becky & Josh Dover Reann Dukes

Guide: $500+Paul Hiltman Tina Fein & Rick DinitzPam & Eldon Mitchell Susman & Asher Foundation

John VitasJohn and Dorothie Willson Jena & Steve Young

Paul and Ann Friedman Irene GoodmanJoseph & Elizabeth Hartog Michelle Kacergis

Explorer: Up to $300James & Joanne McAvoy Barbara & Cliff MiercortKaren & Stephen Pittleman Kirk Porter

Steve and Jennifer Rusk Bruce Silver Stacy Von Berg

We celebrated an extraordinary year in giving and were able to provide more scholarship assistance to students then the year before. You doubled our goal of $90,000 in giving support last year. Your contributions are the foundation

in furthering the goals and dreams of the youth we serve. With your help SOAR was able to complete the following: • Provided scholarship support of $50,000. A $20,000 increase from last year. • Funded Memorial Scholarships in the names of: Ed Kesgen, Betty Jones, John Willson Sr. & Tyler Young • Created scholarship assistance for the Academy at SOAR ($300,000 in support over the next 20 years) • Paid off the note on our new school building, Achievers Hall • Completed the High Ropes course zip line redesign • Expanded one of the Adirondack style camp shelters

thankyou

SOAR would like to recognize the following for their gifts and support in 2013:

Adventurer: Up to $100