Due to the diverse special needs of the children we serve at TLLH, our students require individualized instruction and specific goals which focus on their unique needs. For instance, a child who is visually impaired will require a much different set of instructions and materials than a child who is hearing impaired to complete or participate in an activity in the classroom. Also, children all learn at different paces and many of our students require one on one attention to remain engaged and attentive to the instruction.

For this reason, at TLLH we have put together a system titled GIFT or Guide to Individually Focused Teaching. GIFT is a system of instruction that provides one-on-one activities for a child based on goals specific to his or her unique and individual needs. GIFT draws it’s content from our Bible Based Curriculum and the child’s prescribed Student Action Plan.

This system effectively utilizes our staff and volunteers by providing one on one instructional time for each student. Each student has their own binder of specific activity cards which coincides with a bin of materials matching that activity. Throughout the school day, our students are receiving the exact instruction that they require in order to develop to their maximum potential. Through the instruction and assistance of wonderful volunteers and great staff, GIFT has truly become a gift to us at TLLH and to our students.

Anne McCoy is an Occupational Therapist at the Little Light House. Enjoy Anne’s OT minute as she discusses the importance of the hand and how children with special needs can be affected by limited hand function.

Our dream is to have one volunteer for ever student, every day. This will ensure that their time here is spent with constant learning. With the proper training you can learn to work with a child and help them achieve the goals that their teachers and therapists have written for their year at school. On Wednesday, January 11 we will have a volunteer open house from 9:00-1:00 at the Little Light House. Tours will be given to anyone who wants to come and see what volunteering with our kids is all about. Any new volunteer who signs up to come in one day a week during the spring will get a free T-shirt! Come in for a piece of cake and to see what wonderful ways you can help our children to reach their maximum potential!

This is such an exciting time at the Little Light House as we announce the plans for our Capital Campaign. Daily calls come in of families who want to sign up for services, and we continue to add them to our ever-growing waiting list. At this point children are waiting up to 3 1/2 years to be enrolled into our program, and it breaks our hearts having to tell any family that their child will have to wait such a long period of time. The new facility will more than double the current student population at the Little Light House.

Increasing the number of children we serve is reason enough to expand, but there are other benefits that the new building will bring to children with special needs across the Tulsa area, the country and around the world. One of the most exciting things about the new building is that will contain training areas and observatories for college students and professionals who work with children with special needs. These opportunities for training will allow professionals in the area to be better equipped to work with children in their community. We love that we have the opportunity to shape the hearts and minds of professionals around not only the Tulsa area, but also around the world.

Interns from nations such as China, the Philippines, Germany, Kenya and others have come to train for extended periods at our facility. By coming and observing how to work with children with down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, and many other conditions at the Little Light House, these professionals are able to travel back to their own country and teach others what they have learned, ultimately impacting lives of thousands of children.

Not only will we have observatories and areas to train small groups, but we will have a large auditorium that can hold professional conferences so that hundreds of therapists, teachers, doctors, nurses, or other professionals can come and learn more about working with kids with special needs as they obtain CEU’s.

By providing training for students and professionals we believe we are helping to improve the quality of life for children with special needs. We hope you will join us in prayer as we move into a new phase of our expansion and raise money to start the building process. Click here to learn more about the Capital Campaign.

This year Mini-Laps was one of the best yet as our students dressed up to celebrate our 39th year New York Style! The celebration was one that touched the hearts of everyone watching as students used their walkers, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and their own two feet to make their way around the Little Light House track, showing off the milestones they have reached.

Mini-Laps is the one event each year where the families of the children raise money the Little Light House, and this year the families raised more than ever! With such dedicated families we can’t wait to see what miracles happen in the lives of the children this year.

Without the help of a few key groups, Mini-Laps would not be such a special day for the families. We would like to thank the following groups for their support of Mini-Laps 2011!

Avis Budget Group

Every year Avis organizes and throws the Mini-Laps carnival for the families after the walk. This special time of fellowship is something that our families and staff look forward to every year, and we can’t thank Avis enough for everything they do to make the carnival possible!

ANZ Signs in Owasso

One of the best things about Little Light House events is that we have so many wonderful sponsors, and ANZ Signs has helped us at ever event for the past several years to thank our sponsors using banners! Thank you ANZ Signs for all of your support!

Custom Craft Awards

For decades Custom Craft Awards has been a supporter of the Little Light House by providing plaques and awards for our events. We love Terry Lilly and everyone at Custom Craft!

Thank you again to everyone who made Mini-Laps 2011 a success!

By Marcia Mitchell, CEO of The Little Light House

Folks will often hear me reference the old Chinese proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I’ve shared that time and again when addressing the parents of our children, encouraging everyone to get involved in keeping the light of The Little Light House shining brightly!

I’m constantly blessed at how our parents support the “village” effort. Parents have conducted car washes, brought teams in to paint our entire center, built cabinets and provided expertise in website development. In fact the design of the Beacon you hold in your hand was developed by David Ramirez, dad to one of our students. Moms provide treats for our volunteers on a daily basis, and family members young and old volunteer in the classroom and throughout the ministry.

The list goes on and on of what LLH families do for The Little Light House, giving of their time, talents and resources. But I wanted to share with you about an event in February which was a classic example of the whole community pitching in to make the pathway brighter for LLH kids.

Austin Terry, our little Sophia’s daddy, is Chef Partner of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. With approval from their national headquarters, Austin and his wife Laura organized a Fleming’s dinner to benefit The Little Light House. It was scheduled to take place on an evening when we were experiencing record-breaking amounts of snow. I wondered if they might cancel but learned the day before, they planned to proceed with the benefit.

Even though my husband and I hadn’t gotten out much the entire week before, we braved the streets. With minimal challenges we made our way to the beautiful Utica Square to attend the event. Wondering if they’d have much of a showing, I stepped into the restaurant and was amazed! It was packed and the room was alive with smiling folks who were there to support The Little Light House and have a delectable evening at Flemings.

As the evening progressed my heart was warmed as I learned that all the wait-staff had volunteered their time to work that evening. They worked ever so hard and had the most wonderful countenances. I also learned later that evening that the Chef from the St. Louis Fleming’s had driven half the night on snow packed roads just to come help with this benefit.

Each course was more scrumptious than the one before, and each attendee was sent home with four luscious chocolate truffles! I It was a very special event, and so much of it was because of all the heart that went into it. As my husband and I drove home, our hearts were so touched by all the people who had given so much to make a difference for our very special children! So we offer a big heartfelt thanks to the Terry family! Thanks to the Fleming’s Restaurant, and thanks so much “village” of Tulsa and surrounding areas.

We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Tulsa Foundation for their recent grant to purchase eight iPads for the classrooms. Why did we need iPads? Many of our children do not speak with words, but adaptive technology in the form of computer-like devices can allow them to communicate. These devices often cost around $8,000, and many insurance companies do not cover the costs. Some parents have bought them out-of-pocket.

The IPad has a $189 application program (called an “app”) which performs the same function as these more expensive devices. For approximately one-tenth the price, our children receive a much more cost-effective way to communicate.

Here are other advantages provided by the iPad:

Learning apps: Endless educational apps are available, designed to stimulate, educate, and motivate in ways that conventional methods may not. Because of its simple touch screen, our children with physical, mental, and processing challenges have an intuitive way of interacting with technology they may otherwise have had.

The Book App: This app is a personal favorite with Megan Faylor, Literacy and Assistive Technology Coordinator at The Little Light House. Megan says, “I have struggled, nay obsessed, with how to get books into the hands of our children who are physically unable to turn the pages. I have looked into programs online, making PowerPoint books, using a small machine that turns the page for them, and none compare to downloading a full-color book that will read the text, and with a simple swipe on the screen will turn the page! Finally! Our kids have books that they can interact with! PRAISE GOD!”

iPad camera: With the camera-enhanced version of the iPad coming out soon, we can take pictures and make personalized books for our kids to read. Nothing is more motivating than seeing yourself in a book! For our children on the Autism spectrum we can make picture schedules for them to change as the activities of the day progress, simply swiping the screen to change the activity. Seeing the actual picture of what will happen next greatly helps our children who have trouble moving from one activity to the next.

Helpful size and shape: Because of its dimensions, the iPad can be velcroed or attached to a slant board to ensure that children who have trouble accessing computers can reach and access games and books. We can put it anywhere a child needs to reach it, unlike a computer. Additionally, it’s mobile, able to follow the student from the classroom to other areas of the building.

By exposing our students to this technology early on, they are better prepared as they enter public school, many of which utilize technology like this. Our children will already be comfortable using them, and their learning curve will be much smaller. Plus, they’re cool!

iTUNES CARDS

Donate an iTunes card, which we use to buy these great apps for the iPad! iTunes cards are available at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, Best Buy, and at www.itunes.com.

At the Golf Club of Oklahoma
June 13, 2011
Paradigm Realty Advisors, Premier Sponsor
Click Here To Register

Sponsorship Levels

Presenting Sponsor- $10,000
18 holes of golf for 12 players
Recognition as Presenting Sponsor on all promotional ma-terials and the Little Light House website
3’x10’ banner with company name and logo at event
Acknowledgement Award Day of Event

Major Sponsor- $5,000
18 holes of golf for 8 players
Recognition as Major Sponsor on all promotional materi-als and the Little Light House website
3’x10’ banner with company name and logo at event
Acknowledgement Award Day of Event

Executive Sponsor- $2,500
18 holes of golf for 4 players
Recognition as Executive Sponsor on all promotional ma-terials and the Little Light House website
3’x10’ banner with company name and logo at event
Acknowledgement Award Day of Event

Hole Sponsor- $1,500
18 holes of golf for 4 players
Signage on hole during tournament

Fairway Sponsor- $750
18 holes of golf for 2 players
Signage on Fairway during tournament

Cart Sponsor- $650
Your Business’s name or logo on every golfer’s cart

Driving Range Sponsor- $500
Signage on Driving Range day of event, plus you may pro-vide a 3’x8’ or smaller banner to be displayed at event

Putting Green Sponsor- $500
Signage on Putting Green day of event, plus you may pro-vide a 3’x8’ or smaller banner to be displayed at the event

Hand-in-Hand Sponsor
Donations over $100 will be designated Hand-in-Hand Sponsors, and will receive their name on a banner inside the Clubhouse during the event.

Team Registration- $1,200
18 holes of golf for 4 players

Individual Registration- $300
18 holes of golf for 1 player

Alyx is the light of our family. She has taught all of us about unconditional love and acceptance, that anything in life is possible, that hard work does pay off, and that it’s ok to take your time, to stop and smell the roses.

As I sit here pondering what I’m going to write about Alyx, I hear the song “How Great Is Our God” by Chris Tomlin. How fitting!

Alyxandrea Vivian was born on July 31, 2006, at 11:34am. Shortly after delivery, we were told she had Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). I can’t say I was shocked, nor was I upset by the news. It was almost like I had suspected it all along even though we were completely clueless. We already adored her, and so did her two big sisters.

Alyx was placed in the NICU less then 24 hours after her birth. She had two holes in her heart. I remember being scared for her because we didn’t know what was going to happen. Wes grabbed my hand to pray for her after we found out she was taken to the NICU in the middle of the night. After thanking God for the many blessing He has and does bestow on us, Wes said the words I will never forget, “Lord, we want to keep her.” How great is our God, to have given us the gift of such a sweet little angel? Very Great!

Alyx was discharged after six days in the NICU! Then, showing us even more of God’s greatness, Alyx was cleared at the cardiologist at one year because both holes in her heart had closed on their own! How great is Our God?

I think the biggest blessing we received was Alyx’s placement in the Orange Class at The Little Light House. She adjusted well. She loves Miss Kate and Miss Amy. In fact, Mamie (Amy) was one of her first words. Alyx’s love for the LLH became evident when we would get close to the school and she would raise her hands and shake them, while yelling something that sounded like “lujah.” I asked Miss Kate what that meant and she explained that Alyx was signing and saying “Hallelujah!”

It got to the point, where I couldn’t get her out of the car fast enough in the morning and she would get upset when I put her in the car in the afternoon. Again, I have to exclaim, How great is our God to give Miss Marcia and everything she needed to start this wonderful school!

Alyx had just turned 2-years-old when she started at the LLH in August of 2008. She wasn’t walking yet, but she was crawling and sitting up. She would also babble some, but not say very many words. Now days, Alyx is singing songs from school on the way home. I may not completely understand what she is singing, but she is singing and signing none the less!

She loves to line her baby dolls up and “teach” them. She also loves to “walk” them by holding their hands and walking them across the room. I think that is the only time she is walking at a slower pace! Her teachers have taught her how to recognize her name and her picture. On occasion she can also be heard singing her alphabet, while writing on the Magna-Doodle at home.

I know this is just the beginning of Alyx’s story. She will face many challenges in her life, just like my other three daughters will. And she will accomplish many great things and meet milestones that some people may not expect of her. And I know when I look back to the beginning chapters of her story, The Little Light House will be more than just a school she attended. It’s an extended family that will rejoice with us in her future accomplishments. I know that as much as we love the LLH, they love each and every child that walks through those doors just as much.

The Little Light House was so blessed this month by one of our alumni, and we just had to share.

Taylor McClain graduated from The Little Light House in 2002. She is now 16 years old and is beautiful inside and out! She surprised us last month when she and her mom showed up with a donation of $740.00. What makes this donation extra special is that Taylor decided that instead of gifts for her 16th birthday, she wanted everyone to bring donations for The Little Light House. What a remarkable young lady! Taylor’s interests include music, art, and archery. She’s on a softball team for special needs kids, and participates in the Special Olympics. Her latest activity is driving around her new golf cart she got for her birthday. And of course, like many teenage girls these days, Taylor is a huge Justin Beiber fan. Her future ambition is to be an artist.

Thanks, Taylor. We are so proud of you!