Brehm students travel to SLU

Recently, Andrea Keene’s anatomy students had the opportunity to take a field trip to St. Louis University.

The topic of the day was the cardiovascular system. Students were able to sit in on a lecture and participate in a question and answer session. After an hour of discussion, all students took part in a lab where they dissected a pig heart.

For some students, this was their first opportunity to be an active part of a dissection.

“This enables students to hear a different perspective of the

body, to see how the components of different animals resemble their own and have the chance to dissect to a clear and orderly fashion,” said Andrea Keene, faculty member.

Field trips such as this help to give students the self-confidence (and interest) that they can be successful and achieve their full potential.

In memory of Carey and Tom Walsh

Dear Brehm Family,

Carey and Tom Walsh were part of the Brehm family. Their deaths within a week of each other due to cancer is very hard to fathom. Several of us at Brehm/OPTIONS were able to visit with them and their family while they were in the hospital. It was hard to see both of them so ill, but family surrounded them.

Our hearts go out to Charlene who lost both a daughter and a husband. She has been exceptionally strong and was focused on caring for them. She also comforted others in the family. Please remember Charlene and extend a hand if you have a chance.

The Walshes have been with us since the early 90s. Carey as a Brehm student and extension person at OPTIONS. Tom and Charlene served on the Brehm Board of Trustees, and Tom was a founding member of the Brehm Foundation Board. We also remember growing up with Carey’s sisters – Catherine, who is now an M.D., and Collene, who is in medical school at Washington University.

We will celebrate the memories and plan to have a memorial service on campus in the Spring. We will let you know the date and time once we plan it.

Memorials may be made to The Brehm School Foundation at 1245 East Grand Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901. Their obituaries are below.

Sincerely,

Richard G. Collins, Ph.D.

Thomas H. Walsh

Thomas H. Walsh, 69, of St. Louis, formerly of Monticello, died at noon Thursday (Nov. 18, 2010) at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center, St. Louis, from complications following a second bone marrow transplant for leukemia.

A funeral Mass was held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Ivesdale, with the Rev. Tom Donovan officiating. Burial followed in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Ivesdale. Visitation began at 4 p.m. Sunday at Mackey-Wright Funeral Home, 215 E. Washington St., Monticello.

Mr. Walsh was born March 12, 1941, in Decatur, a son of Vincent T. and Catherine A. "Kaley" Delaney Walsh. He married Charleen Zmija Aug. 5, 1972. She resides in St. Louis. Also surviving are two daughters, Dr. Catherine Ann Walsh of Albuquerque, N.M. and Colleen Walsh Lang of St. Louis.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Carey Marie Walsh, on Nov. 11, 2010; and his sister, Mary A. Walsh, in 1989.

Mr. Walsh attended Monticello schools and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1963. He served as a communications officer aboard the USS Pollux in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War (1963-1968) and later did graduate studies in agriculture at the University of Illinois, where he met his wife, Charleen Zmija. They later became members of the University of Illinois President's Council. He was a third-generation farmer and landowner in the Ivesdale and Monticello areas. He was a member of the Piatt County Farm Bureau and served as a commissioner for the Kankakee Drainage District for many years. Mr. Walsh, former president for Tatman Village, Monticello, served on the board of directors for more than 30 years, since before it opened in 1980. He also served on the Kirby Hospital board since 1982 and worked on plans for the new hospital that broke ground recently. He also served as a member of the First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust Advisory Board since 1973. He was a former president of the Monticello Rotary Club and a fourth-degree knight in the Knights of Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh were also active members of St. Philomena Catholic Church, Monticello. He maintained his involvement with Tatman Village, Kirby Hospital and the Monticello Rotary Club after retiring to St. Louis and throughout his illness. He served as a member of the board for Brehm Preparatory School, Carbondale, and treasurer of The Brehm School Foundation.

Mr. Walsh enjoyed traveling with his wife throughout their marriage, including trips to Japan, China, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Costa Rica and Alaska, and throughout the continental U.S. He took great pleasure working on the farm, sharing coffee with friends, and taking pride in the accomplishments of his daughters.

Mr. Walsh was a loving father, a loyal husband, a faithful friend and a dedicated member of the Monticello community. Condolences may be offered online at www.mackey-wrightfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to The Brehm School Foundation (618-457-0371 or rwilliams@brehm.org).

Carey Marie Walsh

A wake for Carey Marie Walsh, 36, was held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at Mackey-Wright Funeral Home in Monticello. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Ivesdale, with burial following.

Miss Walsh died at 2:03 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center, St. Louis, from complications following a bone marrow transplant.

She is survived by her mother, Charleen Zmija Walsh of St. Louis, formerly of Monticello. Her father, Thomas H. Walsh, died on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, also at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center, St. Louis.

She is also survived by two sisters, Dr. Catherine A. Walsh of Albuquerque, N.M., and Colleen Walsh Lang and husband Edward Lang of St. Louis; her maternal grandmother, Florence Zmija of St. Louis, formerly of Lansing; her aunt and uncle, Melanie and Jerry O'Rourke of Phoenix, Ariz.; first cousins, Jennifer, Daniel and Patrick O'Rourke; and many cousins.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Vincent and Catherine "Kaley" Delaney Walsh; her maternal grandfather, Joseph E. Zmija; and her aunt, Mary Walsh.

Memorials may be made to The Brehm School Foundation. Contact info: 618-457-0371 orrwilliams@brehm.org.

Miss Walsh was born Aug. 19, 1974, in Urbana. She graduated valedictorian in 1993 from Brehm Preparatory School, Carbondale. She then attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where she was awarded a bachelor of arts in psychology in 1998. Miss Walsh also earned a Library Technical Assistance (LTA) certificate with high honors from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn in 2001.

Miss Walsh was an active member of Brehm's Options program, where she dedicated herself to the program's activities, community service and volunteer work. She interned nearly 680 hours at various community businesses and organizations, including the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, the Carbondale Park District and the SIU School of Journalism. She supported her college alma mater, and would often attend volleyball matches, plays and concerts at the university.

Miss Walsh was also a dedicated staff member of the Carbondale Public Library until her death. Her accuracy, memory and organizational skills made her an especially valued colleague at the library. She traveled widely during her life, visiting England, Japan, China, France, Ireland and Kenya, among other locales.

Miss Walsh's warmth, generosity, sense of humor and steel-trap memory were treasured by her friends and family. She was fiercely independent, quick to laugh, and she delighted in the achievements of her sisters and other family members. Miss Walsh was also an avid fan of popular culture, books, cinema and the color purple. Condolences may be offered online at www.mackey-wrightfuneralhome.com.

Brehm participate in Lights Fantastic Parade

One of the many Brehm School traditions is the annual participation in Carbondale's Lights Fantastic parade. This year, students chose a "Hillbilly Christmas" theme for their entry in the parade. Students and staff worked on the float for weeks leading up to the parade.

Harvard's 2010 Dyslexia Foundation Teleconference Webcast now available online

On Friday, October 15, 2010, Brehm Preparatory School, one of the nation’s leading schools for children with learning disabilities, hosted the 2010 Harvard Medical School 2010 Dyslexia Foundation Conference. The Webcast videos from that teleconference are now available on Brehm's Web site.

The link will direct users to watch it online or purchase DVDs of the teleconference.

The videoconference took place from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Brehm Preparatory School Student Activities Center. It was geared towards teachers and parents who wanted to hear the latest information on practical application and scientific foundations on literacy, reading and dyslexia.

The Dyslexia Foundation sponsored this yearly event. The title of this year’s conference was “A Recipe for Successful Teaching & Learning: Literacy, Reading, Dyslexia from Research to Practice.”

Topics covered were: historical perspective of Dyslexia research, helping struggling readers achieve the highest levels of literacy, phonological awareness, practicing what research has proven, MRI studies and executive function and implications for reading, learner assessment and program evaluation.

The conference took place at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center Harvard Medical School, however Brehm Preparatory School was the only satellite location in the Midwest that hosted live feeds directly from the Harvard event.

The Dyslexia Foundation’s mission is to promote scientific breakthroughs in the early detection, prevention and remediation of dyslexia and related reading difficulties; to disseminate new findings and deploy new evidence based approaches; and to prevent the suffering caused by reading failure and unlock the full potential of children and adults with dyslexia so that they may personally succeed and contribute to society.

Brehm Preparatory School is a 501 (C) (3) located in Carbondale, Ill. with a mission to empower students with complex learning disabilities to recognize and achieve their full potential.

Conference schedule

• 8:30-8:45 - Introduction
• 8:45-9:45 - Welcome and Brief Historical Perspective of Dyslexia Research
• 9:45-10:45 - Reading Research and Reading the Research: Helping Struggling Readers Achieve The Highest Levels of Literacy
• 10:45-11:15 - Break
• 11:15-12:15 - An Update on Research and Practice: Phonological Awareness, Reading and Literacy: Reading Achievement in Preschool Through Elementary
• 12:15-12:45 - 2010 TDF Award
• 12:45-1:45 - Lunch 1:45-2:45 - Practicing What Research Has Proven; Teaching Reading To Middle and High School Students
• 2:45-3:45 - What Else Can the Brain Tell Us? MRI Studies and Executive Function - Implications for Reading
• 3:45-4:15 - Closing Remarks
• 4:15-4:30 - Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation.

For more information, contact Joseph Viscomi, Director of Information Services and Technology at Brehm, at 618.457.0371 or jviscomi@brehm.org.

Brehm staff members published in SEEN magazine

M. Brad Sims, M.S., CCC-SLP, and Dr. Brian Brown recently had articles published in SEEN magazine.

SEEN (Southeast Education Network) magazine is primarily read by educators in 12 southeastern states: West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas, and has more than 100,000 readers per issue. SEEN focuses on presenting resources, ideas and techniques to help educators to become more effective while growing personally and professionally.

Brad Sims' article was about how to work with adolescents to do household chores. Brad Sims is the Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathology at Brehm School. He brings six years of experience as a teacher of students with special needs and another 21 years as a speech-language pathologist.

Dr. Brian Brown's article was about dealing with intense feelings. Dr. Brian Brown is the Associate Director of Brehm School in Carbondale, Illinois. Dr. Brown has 22 years of experience working with students who have complex learning diffi culties and other comorbid related issues. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D in Educational Psychology in Counseling, is a Licensed Social Worker, and holds a School Social Work Certification.

End of the year is near

2010 is quickly coming to a close! You may be considering an end-of-the-year gift to a charitable organization. We hope you will consider contributing to one of our school campaigns.

Annual Giving Campaign - Goal $300,000

More than 10 years ago, parents established the Annual Giving Fund to provide student and faculty support not possible through our fixed operational budget. Today the Annual Giving Campaign provides unrestrictive and designated funds for student programs such as the Robotics Team, soccer, Paintball Club, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), photography, theater productions and more.

Annual Giving provides funds for staff-faculty development including certification training, advanced courses, and peer visits to other special-needs schools.

Additionally, campus development like the new Walking Trail, sand volleyball court, and healthy lifestyle equipment and programs are funded.

Annual Giving includes in-kind gifts like our John Deere Gators, mower, TVs, furniture, and snow blower.

We have currently raised $110,000 and our goal is 100% participation by current parents, faculty and staff, and board members.

Foundation Scholarship Campaign - Goal $60,000

The Brehm School Foundation has set a goal to raise scholarship aid based upon need. Scholarships will benefit families who otherwise would not be able to send a child to Brehm or OPTIONS. Scholarships will also further diversify our campus and help ensure the future of the school. To jump start the process, the Foundation will match each donation for the first $30,000. Our endowment goal is $2 million by 2013. We currently have $500,000 in hand. The Foundation accepts one-time gifts, multi-year pledges, asset donations, and planned giving.

Basketball Campaign - Goal $200,000

A Basketball Committee was formed this year to assist the Basketball Program which includes the Prep, Varsity, and Junior Varsity teams. The program provides opportunities for student-athletes with complex learning disabilities from across the U.S. as well as international students from nations like Nigeria, Cameroon, Australia, Canada, and Latvia. Our students have achieved national success in a number of invitational tournaments and games with other high schools and junior colleges throughout the U. S. These students have received athletic scholarships to Division I and II universities including Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Oregon, and Tennessee-Chattanooga.

There are 3 easy ways to make your contribution:

1. Via Credit Card, online now (click the donate button)

2. Phone Brehm at (618) 457-0371

3. Send a check via US Mail by Friday, December 31st, 2010 to:

Brehm Preparatory School

1245 E. Grand Avenue

Carbondale, IL 62901

This program is one of many efforts to enhance the overall positive health, culture, and spirit of our students. A student running club, 5K walk/run, and nutritional health program have been initiated this past year. Designated gifts to basketball and athletics have greatly benefited the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. This year the campaign has raised $121,000.

Your support is an integral part of our achievements with students at Brehm and OPTIONS. We utilize and appreciate every single donation, at every giving level.

For more information on these campaigns and the needs they meet, please contact Russ Williams, our Coordinator of Development, at (618) 457-0371, ext. 1308, or by email at rwilliams@brehm.org.

Happy holidays to you and your family!

Dr. Richard Collins

Executive Director

Helping your child manage their feelings more effectively

By Dr. Brian Brown, Associate Director, Brehm Preparatory School

Scientists would love to be able to know exactly when the next volcano was going to explode, spew lava and hot gases into the air, and endanger everyone within miles. So, too, would parents like to be able to predict when their child is going to explode with their frustration or anger.

A step toward knowing for the child and parent is understanding the physiological cues that are precursors/signals that something is amiss internally. By recognizing our physiological cues early, we can implement strategies that allow us to manage our feelings more effectively.

Physiological cues are the body’s physical response to feelings or emotions. We all have physical responses to various emotional states. Becoming in tune with what our body is physically feeling can act as an early warning system. And, if the child is aware of this early warning system, it can tell the child when and if he needs to implement a specific strategy.

Think for a moment the last time you were becoming frustrated or angry. What sensations did you feel in your body? For some, it may be a tightening in their stomach, a warming of their skin, or even a flexing of muscles in various parts of the body.

I am amazed at how often when I ask kids what they were feeling in their body, they are able to identify their physiological indicators rather quickly. Our kids at times aren’t sure of the type of emotion they are experiencing (i.e. anxiety vs. anger), but they often know immediately that they feel something physical in their body.

The first step in using the physiological cue system is for the parent to identify their own physiological cues for themselves. By doing this, the parent is able to then share their own cues with the child to help facilitate the child’s own recognition. Once this has been accomplished they are then ready to sit down with their child and ask them what their physiological signals are as they are beginning to become angry or are having increased anxiety.

At times, their early physical cues are one set of symptoms, and once they are fully angered they are aware of another set of physical symptoms. Write these physical symptoms down for both - as they are becoming angry and when they are overwhelmed with the anger. The strategies they implement for each state may be different.

The next step is developing a set of strategies that the child can use when they recognize their physiological cues. The key in a child being able to manage their feelings more proactively, is once the early warning system has been triggered and recognized, implementing specific strategies that allow the child to take control.

When the child begins to feel their physiological cues, they need to check out what may be causing them. They may be misperceiving an interaction or misunderstanding what is being asked of them.

A simple strategy to use is paraphrasing back to the person their understanding of what is being said to them. This allows the child time to process what is going on in the situation and allows them to check for accuracy their understanding. For example, “So, what I are you saying is that I haven’t done anything you asked of me today,” may receive a response by the parent of, “No, you did pick up your clothes off the floor, but you haven’t emptied the trash or walked the dog, and I need you to do that for me now.”

Another strategy is to ask clarifying questions. Sometimes kids jump to conclusions in their minds, and by stopping and asking clarifying questions they head off the worst-case scenario that is bouncing around in their mind.

When a child is overwhelmed with their anger, they need to utilize other strategies. One of the best is the communication model, “I feel _______ because _______ I want/need _________.” This model helps the child structure their feelings, reasons for the feelings (specific to behaviors or situation), and what they need to do or want to have happen to get it resolved.

At times, getting space/timeout is needed to allow the child to deescalate. Talking about using this strategy ahead of time, and identifying a couple of places the child can go, allows for it to be seen positively. The child needs to have input on where they want to take space/timeout, and the parent can also identify a place. The parent may be the one asking for space/timeout too, and that can be planned for and discussed. Anytime a person takes space/timeout, the expectation is for that to be relatively brief (5 to 10 minutes), and the individual needs to return to process the situation. Often times the follow up processing may begin with the use of the communication model.

Recognizing your physiological cues allows a person to take control of their feelings in a more proactive way. Developing individual strategies can take many forms beyond what has been discussed here. Finding the strategies that work best for the individual is the key. Parents must understand that everything being discussed here to use with their children can be used by them, too. In fact, using the cue system and various strategies for themselves can help them be more effective in dealing with their child and life in general. A parent, who is modeling the use of the cue system, reinforces for the child the value of using the system.

Dr. Brian is the Associate Director of Brehm School in Carbondale, Illinois. Dr. Brown has 22 years of experience working with students who have complex learning difficulties and other co-morbid related issues. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D in Educational Psychology in Counseling, is a Licensed Social Worker, and holds a School Social Work Certification. He serves on the Illinois North Central Association State Board and has received the Southern Illinois University Alumnus of the Year Award from the School of Social Work.

Find all "Brehm School Experts" articles here.

Celebrating Hanukkah

Brehm students, who wished to do so, celebrated Hanukkah recently.

Students enjoyed lighting the candles, eating latkes with applesauce, gelts and playing with dreidels.

"I had a great time at our first Brehm Crazy Night for Hanukkah," said Pam Altman, supervisor of boarding services. "We even had a few non-Jewish students in attendance, and together we tried to learn a bit about the Jewish rituals."

Making this celebration possible were:

• Vicki Fox, who came up with the idea for the celebration and donated candies.
• Sherri Laurens, who donated the Menorah, dreidels and glow sticks.
• Elizabeth Jacobs, who donated the latkes and applesauce and the Happy Hanukkah sign, napkins and plates.
• Craig Wielansky, who donated chocolate gelts.
• Jennifer Deare, who donated money to be used for the festivities.