THE ARC

CARROLL COUNTY

SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
Social
Club;
Thurs.
Feb. 26th
Creative
Writing;
Feb. 9th
Job Hunters; Feb.
10th
Game
Group;
Feb. 11th
BarrierFree
Theatre;
Feb. 13th
Autism
5K; Sat.
April 25th

Autism in Motion
V O L U M E 2 ,

I S S U E 2

F E B R U A R Y

2 ,

2 0 1 5

AIM with US
Happy February! Welcome to
the second volume and issue
of The Arc Carroll Countys
adult autism newsletter,
Autism in Motion.
In December 2014, Social Club
all gathered around a conference table, after a holiday
gift exchange, to discuss the
next series of classes theyd
like to see implemented at
The Arc Carroll County. After
drawing up a list of over a
dozen ideas, voting occurred
and it was narrowed down to
three new classes: Creative
Writing, Game Group, and
Barrier-Free Theatre. Job
Hunters, where adults on the
spectrum are aided in entering the workforce, is also
making a remount totaling
four classes in all. Furthermore, apart from Job Hunters, all the classes will now

be offered in the evenings.

This should decrease work
conflicts for those that are
employed and increase accessibility to transportation for
those that rely on rides from
family and friends. The final
date for registration has been
extended to Friday, February
6th. Classes will begin the
following week on Monday,
February 9th.
Taking each members opinions and ideas into consideration, the cost of each of these
classes are now $50 lower
than before ($200/class).

If you missed the promotional

offers in January and are still
struggling with the cost of the
classes, contact Britt Burr
right away. Our desire is to
have these classes as accessible as possible regardless of
financial difficulty. We are
very excited to be offering a
new string of classes that
were specifically picked out
by our folks on the spectrum.
They asked, we delivered,
now you sign up!
For more information, email
Britt Burr, Assistant Director
of Autism Services, at
bburr@arccarroll.com or call
(410) 848-4124 ext. 139.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

PAGE

Social Club
On the last Thursday of
every month, adults with
autism participate in a social activity of their choosing. This is an opportunity
for individuals on the spectrum to develop a rapport
with one another and to
strengthen bonds between
the classes in which they
are involved.

Chris & Ryan at

Social Club

Past outings include ice

cream, bowling, mini golf,
ghost tours & pizza, a
Thanksgiving Potluck, and a

holiday gift exchange party!

AND...our next Social Club
is Thurs, Feb. 26th at The
Arc Carroll County from
6:30-8pm. We will be celebrating Mardi Gras by wearing our purple and gold,
making masks, and having
food.
RSVP by Feb. 19th to Britt
Burr, Assistant Director of
Autism Services, at (410)
848-4124 ext. 139 or email
her at
bburr@arccarroll.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to inclement weather during

Januarys social, snow tubing at Ski Liberty was cancelled.. In March we will
have two social club outings
to make up for our missed
outing in January. Stay
tuned!
Happy Valentines Day!

Creative Writing

Britt! I am

Come explore your imagination through the use of fictional and non-fictional
works! We will learn how to
write biographies, short
stories, plays, & poetry!
This class was in high demand among our group! We
will get a chance to share
our creations with one another and have our BarrierFree Theatre class bring

SUPER excited
for these classes.
It means we get
to see each other
more often and
hone our skills at
the same time!

some of these stories to

life! By working in conjunction with other classes, we
can build even bigger and
better ties with one another. Creative Writing will
be Monday evenings at The
Arc Carroll County from
6:30-8pm starting February
9th. To register for this
class contact Britt Burr,
Assistant Director of Autism

Services, at
bburr@arccarroll.com or
call at (410) 848-4124 ext.
139.
The cost of this class includes: writing materials,
computer usage, venue,
books, marketing materials,
guest speakers, etc.

Game Group
The Game Group is a new
class that focuses on socialization and communication through the use of
computers and gaming
techniques. Participants in
this group will learn different media skills as well as
engaging in Live Action
Role Play (LARPing). This
role play allows people to
get up from the screen and
physically and safely portray gaming scenarios in a
AUTISM

IN

MOTION

controlled environment.
Although always fun, this
class is not all games. We
will be taking breaks from
our gaming sessions to learn
necessary computer skills
such as Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, and Excel as
well as becoming competent in other presentational
computer programs and
editing software. This class
will be offered on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8pm

starting on February 11th.

To register for this class
contact Britt Burr, Assistant
Director of Autism Services,
at bburr@arccarroll.com or
call at (410) 848-4124 ext.
139.
The cost of this class includes: gaming equipment,
computers, venues, LARPing
pieces/sets, etc.

VOLUME2,

ISSUE2

PAGE

Barrier-Free Theatre
Barrier-Free Theatre
Autism Intern, Lindsay Bullock,
portraying a pirate
Photo Credit: Dylan Slaglestaff

BarrierFree Theatre is an allinclusive theatre program for

adults on the spectrum that

come together to create original one act plays. Through the

use of improvisational exercises, participants develop
themes, plots, characters, settings, conflicts, and solutions to
formulate a short story. From
this short story, the group
translates that story to script. It
is then cast, rehearsed, and
performed for their friends and
families at the end of the 11
weeks. These performances not
only incorporate acting, but
also singing, dancing, life les-

sons, and a whole lot of fun!

Barrier-Free Theatre will be on
Friday evenings from 6:30-8pm
starting on February 13th. To
register for this class contact
Britt Burr, Assistant Director of
Autism Services, at
bburr@arccarroll.com or call at
(410) 848-4124 ext. 139.
The cost of this class includes:
venues, costumes, playwriting
materials, props, marketing,
etc.

Job Hunters
Last year we successfully helped
Conner develop his skills in acquiring a job at the Westminster
HomeGoods for the holiday season. Now, Conner is currently
residing in Japan looking for
work teaching English to Japanese students. Job Hunters is a
course specifically designed to
develop job skills, job research,
cover letter and resume writing,
dressing for success, and other

informative exercises in aiding

adults on the spectrum in entering the workforce. This class
does not end at the 10-week
mark. We continue to work with
you until you are successfully
placed into a job past the 10
weeks! We can do this if youre
ready to commit! Job Hunters
will be offered Tuesday and
Thursday mornings at The Arc
Carroll County from 10-11:30am

starting Tuesday, Feb. 10th.

The Division of Rehabilitation
Services (DORS) has approved
this for their fee schedule. If
you or someone you know has
DORS funding, check with them
to see if you qualify! Contact
Britt Burr, Assistant Director of
Autism Services, at
bburr@arccarroll.com, for more
information. Dont pass up this
opportunity!

Conner just
moved to Japan
to look for work
teaching English
to Japanese
students!!

On the horizon...
Not only are we reintroducing
classes this spring, but were
simultaneously planning autism
summer sessions for July and
August.
To keep our autism program
growing and funded we are
starting what we hope to be an
annual Autism 5K. On Saturday,
April 25th of this year we will
be meeting at The Arc Carroll
County in the 8am to run 3.1
miles together. All proceeds will

benefit the adult autism program. More details are underway, but mark your calendars
for the date now!
And finally, let us know what
YOU need! To schedule a meeting or to speak to someone directly, contact us at (410) 8484124 ext. 139 or email Britt
Burr, Assistant Director of Autism Services, at
bburr@arccarroll.com.

The most important

thing people did for
me was to expose me
to new things.
-Temple Grandin

Autism 5K at The Arc Carroll

County Saturday, April 25,
2015!

The Arc Carroll County's Mission, Vision, and Values

Our Mission
To support people in their individual pursuit of a fulfilling life.
Our Vision
We are a leading organization that champions for and supports people with developmental disabilities, while
cultivating relationships that enrich our community.
Our Values
Innovation
Our founders pioneered the opportunities that exist today for people with developmental disabilities. We build on
their courageous tradition of innovation and creativity in the design and delivery of our services.
Integrity
We operate with integrity in all that we do as a service provider, as an employer, and as members of our
community.
Respect
We treat everyone with respect. Dignity, choice, ability, privacy and opinion are fundamental principles of who we
are.
Quality
We embrace the highest standards in all that we do. Quality in service and character drives our actions and
attitudes.
Caring
We act with a genuine spirit of caring. A sincere interest and concern for the complete well-being of all people
define our actions.

The Arc Carroll County

180 Kriders Church Road

Westminster, MD 21158
www.arccarroll.com
Phone: 410.848.4124
Fax: 410.876.5317
E-mail: bburr@arccarroll.com

Achieve with us.

The Arc Carroll County was founded in 1955 by a

small group of parents of children with
developmental disabilities. At that time, these
children were excluded from public education and
there were no structured social, recreational or
educational activities.
This group of parents was committed to forming a
community-based system to provide necessary
services for their children. That first year special
education programs were established in the
basement of the Davis Library on Main Street in
Westminster and in the Mount Airy American Legion.
Since that time, The Arc has advocated for and
worked to provide support to people with
developmental disabilities and their families. Today
The Arc is one of Carroll Countys largest non-profit
organizations serving nearly 700 adults and children
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.