Stories | The Arc Alliance

Hamburg State Center Closure Hearings

In support of Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, The Arc Alliance has been advocating and working with legislators and administrations for decades to resolve the five remaining state funded centers. The Arc Alliance is proud to commend Governor Tom Wolf, Department of Human Services Secretary Ted Dallas and all those in support for their courageous action in announcing the closure of the Hamburg State Center. Secretary Dallas expects the closure to take approximately 18-24 months. “For the 30 years I have been CEO of The Arc Alliance, our goal has been to provide individuals with the freedom of choice and support to live as independent a life as possible. Research has shown, people with developmental disabilities function better when living in the community with [...]

By pleo|2017-02-01T11:18:29-05:00February 1st, 2017|Arc news, Blog, Blogroll, News & Views, Stories|0 Comments

December 2016 Newsletter!

By pleo|2016-12-16T10:41:08-05:00December 16th, 2016|Arc news, Blog, Blogroll, Stories|0 Comments

A Little Boy & His Physical Therapist
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A Little Boy & His Physical Therapist

Blog, Blogroll, Stories

A Little Boy & His Physical Therapist

"Our son Dylan suffered a perinatal stroke at birth. Through Early Intervention, Dylan worked with therapists from The Arc Alliance. We cannot say enough about Dylan's physical therapist, Beth Werkheiser. She had started working with him when he was a month old. She quickly became part of our family. Not only was she incredible at teaching us stretches, exercises and daily activities to improve Dylan's everyday functions, but she also formed a bond with Dylan (and our family) that we will be forever grateful for. She is an asset to The Arc Alliance organization and any child would be lucky to receive her care! Dylan's Occupational therapist, Lauren Palladino also played a large role in the successes Dylan saw from his therapy. Together they [...]

By pleo|2016-07-12T10:24:52-04:00July 12th, 2016|Blog, Blogroll, Stories|0 Comments

Early Intervention was the best decision – by Erica Mash
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Early Intervention was the best decision – by Erica Mash

Autism, Stories

Early Intervention was the best decision – by Erica Mash

At my son’s second birthday party, I observed my best friend’s child try to engage my son in play, he ignored her. At his 2 year old checkup (a week later), our pediatrician asked approximately how many words does he have in his vocabulary. My answer (as it turned out) led to a discussion about Early Intervention. My son’s diagnosis was life changing. Hi, my name is Erica and I have a son with ASD. His name is Joey and was receiving services from The Arc Alliance. Tara Yerger (Service Coordinator) has been so helpful in Joey’s care. She came over my house on Christmas Eve (of all days) to help with my son’s MA (Medical Assistance) application. Tara’s dedication to her job is [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-24T12:00:40-04:00July 14th, 2015|Autism, Stories|0 Comments

What I Want for my Birthday
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What I Want for my Birthday

Down Syndrome, Stories

What I Want for my Birthday

Today is my birthday. I’m not sure if it’s the maturity that comes with age or the fact that I’ve learned from my little guy with Down syndrome that it’s not all about me, but when I’m asked the question “what do you want for your birthday?”, it’s not material things that come to mind. In the four and a half years since my son was born, I’ve been motivated to give back, help people along in their special needs journey, and connect people who can help with organizations and people who need help. My hope is that as I continue on this journey, I will make an impact, be an influencer, drive change. So this year, my answer to “what do you want [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-22T15:54:40-04:00July 7th, 2015|Down Syndrome, Stories|0 Comments

Our Family’s Journey – by Allison Mallee
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Our Family’s Journey – by Allison Mallee

Autism, Stories

Our Family’s Journey – by Allison Mallee

My name is Allison Mallee and I am the mother of a wonderful four year old boy named JP Mallee. I am writing this article to share our family's journey and to express our sincere gratitude and thanks for the support provided by The Arc Alliance and the multiple wonderful people we have met through their organization. My husband and I tried for multiple years to get pregnant to no avail, we went through multiple rounds of IVF and were on the brink of giving up when a miracle occurred. After multiple hormone injections and doctors visits and needles and setbacks, we were finally told that our determination and prayers had paid off and that we were going to finally be parents. After what [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-23T08:43:33-04:00June 18th, 2015|Autism, Stories|0 Comments

Our Journey in the Special Needs World – by Sandy Katz
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Our Journey in the Special Needs World – by Sandy Katz

Down Syndrome, Stories

Our Journey in the Special Needs World – by Sandy Katz

When I reflect on the start of our journey in the Special Needs world following the birth of our baby girl with Down syndrome, I think of our Early Intervention team at the Arc Alliance (then MARC!). I am so grateful for the foundation they helped me establish. Within a month of her birth, a team from The Arc Alliance had come to evaluate Brianna and see how they could help. I remember in addition to feeling overwhelmed by the diagnosis, an odd feeling about having these “strangers” ~ social worker, and speech, occupational and physical therapists~ in my home on a regular basis. Within a very short time, these strangers became friends and Brianna and I looked forward to their visits. The team [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-23T15:09:55-04:00June 16th, 2015|Down Syndrome, Stories|0 Comments

“Achieve with us” – by Julie Gerhart-Rothholz
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“Achieve with us” – by Julie Gerhart-Rothholz

Down Syndrome, Stories

“Achieve with us” – by Julie Gerhart-Rothholz

The most prominent statement on The Arc Alliance's webpage is "Achieve with us", and the actions of Arc therapists demonstrate a commitment that makes that happen. I became very familiar with and grateful for The Arc Alliance when my son Evan was born with Down syndrome. It's difficult to describe feelings parents have when they receive an unexpected diagnosis, but in an instant, your carefully laid plans are interrupted and your world tilts on its axis. My husband and I knew immediately that Early Intervention (EI) was critical, and we called to obtain EI services upon leaving the hospital with our son. Evan's EI case landed at The Arc Alliance, and his therapy began when he was only one month old. From the first [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-23T15:06:28-04:00June 16th, 2015|Down Syndrome, Stories|0 Comments

Come Walk In His Shoes

When kids think of “special needs” they think of the differences in each of us. It is to bad because you will miss out on getting to know some really neat people that way. I know this because I have a brother with special needs and he has taught me a lot. First of all I don’t look at Tim as being different. I look at him as being my brother. My parents have always treated us the same so I don’t see him as a person with special needs but a regular brother who can be a pain just like anyone else’s sibling. But where Tim is really special is that he is always there for me. He is the biggest supporter in [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-23T15:03:40-04:00June 16th, 2015|Down Syndrome, Stories|0 Comments

Hobson Twins

"Ain't this just like the present / to be showing up like this". I've always come back to these lyrics by Bon Iver reflecting on events in my life that have stop me dead in my tracks. May 14, 2013 was one of those days. My wife (Nikki) and I rushed to the nearby hospital from our work. Less then a day later our lives would never be the same. Nikki gave birth to our beautiful son Avett (pronounced "a-vit") and daughter McCartney (pronounced like the good looking Beatle). The "dead in the tracks" moment was not just because we were about to become parents but that this "parent" label was going to come 13 weeks before we "expected" it. Born at just 2 [...]

By Diana Polec|2015-07-23T15:22:29-04:00June 15th, 2015|Stories|0 Comments

A Little Boy & His Physical Therapist

Early Intervention was the best decision – by Erica Mash

What I Want for my Birthday

Our Family’s Journey – by Allison Mallee

Our Journey in the Special Needs World – by Sandy Katz

“Achieve with us” – by Julie Gerhart-Rothholz

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