September October PWBN Newsletter (3)

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6 Caring Mom Helps Nurture Children with Autism By Debra Forman Several years ago, Linda Kuepper sat at her kitchen table with her husband, Frank, and worried about their son, Michael, after he was diagnosed with autism. They were filled with questions: What would his future look like? Would he have friends and an active social life like his older brother? Or would his life primarily be filled with various therapists and caregivers who constantly paraded through their Richboro home? Linda Kuepper vowed to help him and his peers have a rich and active social life, despite any obstacles they may have faced in their speech, social skills, or overall development. There was no game plan or blue print for helping a child with autism. So, the loving mom of two sons, wrote her own. She started a non-profit, grass-roots charity, The Autism Cares Foundation, to help children, teens, and young adults with autism and their families. This is an important endeavor because of these sobering statistics: Today, there are 1 in 68 children who are currently diagnosed with autism; and 1 out of 42 boys. But for the local families life is much brighter. What Linda started for Michael, now a 17-year-old senior in high school, has literally changed the lives of hundreds of children, teens, and young adults with autism, by providing up to 150 free annual events and life enrichment programs; more than 700 such activities so far. Each week participants, their siblings, parents, and grandparents, enjoy various events, including sensory-friendly movies, FitLife classes, Glee Club, Fun Club, monthly bounce parties, swimming, Phillies games and other sporting events, teen proms, holiday parties and more. These young people now have the opportunity to socialize and connect, while their family members help and support one another. They have all taught the greater community about the vital values of PWBN Reading Chapter Now available at Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Maya Angelou
7 kindness, patience, acceptance and love. "When you see the smiles on their faces, it tells the whole story," says Kuepper, whose son, Michael, attends many of the events and programs. “We are helping these families improve and enrich their lives every day and build on a future that will truly make a difference.” The long-term goal of the Foundation is to develop a Life Enrichment Community, the focus of which will be a comprehensive Autism Resource Center to help with the long-term needs of young people with autism and their families. This group has been a non-profit charity in Pennsylvania for several years, and was recently certified as such in New Jersey and New York, with Delaware expected to follow soon. "What started with our one child has become a huge extended family. We could not be more proud of the children, their families, and our volunteers,” explains Kuepper. “Everyone involved with the Autism Cares Foundation puts his or her heart into helping change the world – one individual at a time." ☐ hold its 6 th Annual Race for Resources fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Tyler State Park Center for the Arts in Richboro. For further information please go to: www.raceforresources.org or www.autismcaresfoundation.org, or call: 215-559-2273. Debra Forman is the founder and senior writer/editor at Wallace Media Services, a full-service public relations, promotions and social media firm. Contact Debra at: dforman@autismcaresfoundation.org. PWBN NW Philadelphia Chapter PWBN Quakertown Chapter The Autism Cares Foundation will “The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” Albert Einstein
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September October PWBN Newsletter (3)

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