SeDoMoCha busy for Autism Awareness Month

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Once again in 2014 events throughout April at and involving the SeDoMoCha School will help promote Autism Awareness Month. Activities include students and staff creating puzzle pieces for the Tree of Leaves, Light It Up Blue Day and the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team taking part in the annual Walk for Autism on April 27 in Bangor.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    GROWING AUTISM AWARENESS — All students and staff at the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft created a puzzle piece for two Trees of Leaves for Autism Awareness Month. Each piece contained what the creator could do to show kindness. A month of events for autism awareness will culminate in the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team taking part in the annual Walk for Autism on April 27 in Bangor. Registration, pledges and donations to the team can be made at http://www.firstgiving.com/team/256553.

    Special education teacher Andrea Philbrick-Cooper said the Department of Education and University of Maine have joined together for Maine Autism Leadership Teams across the state. “Each school district can become a team,” she said. “We have six team members who have been getting training working with students with autism.”
    On the glass wall of the conference room in the main SeDoMoCha lobby is the “Tree of Leaves” along with the words “Autism Awareness is Growing.” “Each of the students and staff created a puzzle piece talking about what they can do with kindness,” Philbrick-Cooper said. “It started with a few pieces and it’s been growing.”
    All students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8 created puzzle pieces for a pair of trees — puzzle pieces are used to symbolize the mystery and complexity of autism. Among the ways the puzzle piece creators said they can show kindness are “be patient”, “helping others”, “caring for others” and “accept your friends as they are.”
    “We have a display at the end of the hallway that has resources,” Philbrick-Cooper said. The information for passers-by to see includes what autism is, how children with autism communicate, causes of autism and more.
    SeDoMoCha also has a resource library of books, donated by the parents of a student, on autism and related issues that are available for parents and staff to borrow. Special services clinician Shirley Kirkpatrick said the books are all catalogued and take up about two shelves.
    “We are sending out daily briefs to all school personnel,” Philbrick-Cooper said. She explained the paragraph to faculty and staff contains information such as how someone is diagnosed with autism and how they can work with such students.
    “We did a lot for Light It Up Blue Day,” she said for World Autism Day on April 2. “SeDoMoCha Lights it Up Blue” included students and adults being encouraged to wear blue clothing, a blue lunch and class pictures with banners which were on display on the television in the lobby. Students in middle school had guidance lessons focused on autism awareness.
    Throughout Autism Awareness Month blue lights are on at the main school entrance. Letters were sent out to businesses in the greater SeDoMoCha area to encourage these establishments to also “light it up blue” and let the owners know what is going on at the school for autism awareness.
    “The week before vacation we have theme days so all students and staff are encouraged to wear blue,” Philbrick-Cooper said about the first day’s plan. The remainder of the theme days April 13-18 are be unique — mismatched clothes, be a friend — twin day, we all shine in our own way — bright colored clothing and we are all the same and we are all different — wear a hat.
    For the fourth year in a row, the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands, comprised of faculty and staff, students, families and members of the community, will be taking part in the Walk for Autism. This year’s walk, the 12th annual event, is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 27 — rain or shine — with two miles at the University College campus in Bangor.
    “Anyone can sign up or make donations,” Philbrick-Cooper said, with proceeds benefiting the Autism Society of Maine. Registration or donations to the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands can be done at http://www.firstgiving.com/team/256553. Those with experiencing troubles with the link or with questions can contact Kirkpatrick at 564-6535, extension 1140.
    On the website donors can choose to pledge contributions for individual SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team members who will be walking at the end of the month. The SeDoMoCha Helping Hands has had the largest amount of funds raised and greatest number of participants of any single group at the various Walks for Autism across Maine in years past, and organizers are hoping to set new team records in 2014.
    This year the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands will be selling T-shirts as another fundraiser for the Autism Society of Maine during Autism Awareness Month.

An autism awareness ribbon