Welcome to the ACBDD Newsletter! |
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Welcome to the Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities newsletter! In this newsletter, we are excited to share updates on our recent initiatives and programs aimed at supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. From educational opportunities to community engagement events, we are dedicated to fostering inclusion for all. Stay tuned for inspiring stories, helpful resources, and upcoming events that showcase the impact of the communities collective efforts. Thank you for joining us on this journey of advocacy and support.
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Intake and Eligibility
What is Intake? Intake is the process that a person needing support goes through to find out if they are eligible for the County Board of DD Services. This process can be started by making a referral to the County Board of DD, whether it be by the person receiving services, their parent, or their guardian. How do I find out if I am eligible for services? Eligibility criteria varies by age. Below is a brief overview by age. Birth - 3 Years Old
Eligibility is based on diagnosis, delay based on the score of the Bayley Scales of Infant & Toddler Development 4, or Informed Clinical Opinion as well as determining need for services based on a family assessment of daily routines. 3 - 5 Years Old Eligibility is based on assessment results showing a significant developmental delay in adaptive behavior, communication, physical development, learning and/or social-emotional functioning.
6 - 15 Years Old Eligibility is determined through: - Verification of the presence of a qualifying disability; and
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Implementation of the Children's Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (COEDI) that verifies substantial limitations in at least 3 of 6 life areas.
16 Years and Older Eligibility is determined through: - Verification of the presence of a qualifying disability; and
- Implementation of the Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (OEDI) that verifies substantial limitations in at least 3 of 7 life areas for youth and adults.
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Every month the Ashtabula County Board of DD offers events to individuals served. Some of these events are community events that we partner with, while some are specifically for individuals served. Here is some activities we have done throughout the last couple of months as well as upcoming events. For more information about our events please visit our website.
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Each month Cookie Connections teamed up with one of our provider agencies, to bake Amish Sugar Cookies. The freshly baked cookies will be given to Manna Food Pantry in Jefferson where they will be given out during their food distribution events. We are so happy to be spreading kindness one cookie at a time! |
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On February 9th, Ashtabula County had the most MAGICAL night! Night to Shine is a wonderful Prom Night for anyone in the DD Community, not just individuals served by the Ashtabula County Board of DD. We want to give a huge thank you to the Jefferson Nazarene Church for hosting and planning this wonderful evening! We are so proud to be a part of such a wonderful and inclusive community. |
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Special Olympics Fundraiser |
On Monday, February 12th, we were able to participate in the 8th Annual Special Olympics Basketball Fundraiser hosted by Edgewood High School. A huge shout out to Edgewood Athletics and its students for hosting yet another amazing event that raised over $5,200 for Ashtabula County Special Olympics. Thank you to all of the athletes, County Board staff, family members, and friends who volunteered to play and show your support. We are grateful to be part of such a supportive community!
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
Through grant funds we received this year, we are able to take individuals served by the Ashtabula County Board of DD to quarterly events outside of the county. For our first trip, we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Our group of about 15 individuals, their staff and County Board Staff was able to rock out the day and enjoy the greatest artists of past and current times. We cannot wait for our next trip... coming soon! |
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March 4th- DD Awareness Month Kick-Off Event |
We kicked off the 37th annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month here in Ashtabula County with the support from nearly 30 advocates, policy makers, officials, and community members who joined us for our annual legislative luncheon. Local advocates bravely shared their experiences and barriers, focusing on transportation and accessibility throughout of community. Following the luncheon, the Ashtabula County Commissioners presented a proclamation declaring March 2024 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and opened the art exhibition, where advocates and community members could meet our Work of Heart artists who have artwork on display! These featured artists have their masterpieces on display at the Ashtabula County District Library all month long, please stop by and check out all the artwork! Special thanks to Bakery On The Square and The Bakery on Main for making the delicious cookies for the art exhibit reception, ACBDD Board Members for joining the event and for the Ashtabula Public Library for opening their doors for this wonderful kick-off event!
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A Sneak Peek Into Where We Are Headed... |
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"Splat" Book Signing
On Saturday, March 23rd you can come and meet the authors of “Splat the Dinosaur”! You can meet them at Giddings Hall in Jefferson from 10:00am-11:30am or the Geneva Public Library from 1:00pm-2:30pm. This book is about the tale of one’s dinosaur journey and the struggles he faced with being born different. This journey leads to lots of learning for Splat. Painting Class
The Conneaut Arts Center has been kind enough to welcome a group of our individuals to a Painting Class, led by local artist Chris Davis! In this class individuals will paint a bunny in a field of green, the perfect painting leading up to Easter festivities! Thank you Chris Davis for taking time to lead this class on March 25th and we cannot wait to paint our bunnies! Video Game and Board Game Night
We invite EVERYONE to join us on Tuesday, March 26th at 5:00pm for our monthly Community Video Game and Board Game Night. An event that is in partnership with the Kingsville Public Library and held here at the Ashtabula County Board of DD Office. A night full of games, snacks and good times, we want you to join us in this wonderful Game Night! Click HERE for More Information and to Pre-Register!
Cleveland Zoo
Through the same grants that allowed us to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we are able to go to the Cleveland Zoo on May 30th! Registration for the event will open on April 15th at 8:00am! The costs covered for this are the tickets for the individual served and one staff member. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE REGISTRATION FORM.
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Do you want to attend Camp Koinonia? |
Grant Funding is Available!!
Through grant funding, the Ashtabula County Board of DD can send 10 people to three (3) different camps at Camp Koinonia this year! To request funding for registration, complete the signup using the links for each camp below. - Special Person's Camp: June 21st-June 23rd
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Youth Special Person's Horseback Camp: July 5th-July 7th
- Adult Special Person's Horseback Camp: July 19th- July 21st
Grant recipients will be awards by April 1st. |
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Journey to Achieving Success |
In each Newsletter we will be featuring an individual's success. This month we are featuring Matthew! |
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Hello everyone! Meet Matthew (Matt), an advocate in Ashtabula County! One thing Matt would like you to know about him is that he is a cool guy that likes to hang out and draw, as he is an artist. When Matt is not drawing you can find him at work at Tony’s Deli, where Matt says he is a “celebrity of the Deli”. Matt is currently working towards getting his permit so he can one day get his license and maybe even get a Mustang to drive around. Also, Matt wants his own place to live to gain more independence in his life. He has a lot of support for these goals, one main supporter is Dave. One thing Dave said about Matt is “I have been working with him for about a year, we are like best friends. Matt is very compassionate, smart, and talented, he even does great cartoon impressions. Every person that knows Matt, which is a lot of people, it is all love!” A great story Matt and Dave shared was about a time Matt was fearful to get on a carnival ride. Dave encouraged him to get on the ride and said it would be fun. Matt said he ended up having a great time on the ride, something he may not have experienced without Dave close by. As Dave said, “He was very brave and ended up having a great time.” We are very proud of Matt and the life he lives! Thank you for sharing your story Matt, we appreciate you!
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We may be a small team of just over 40 people, but we would love for you to get to know each and every one of us a little bit more! In this segment we will feature different departments and the people that make the Department a success! |
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Meet Toni Scurpa, our Superintendent! Toni has been leading the ACBDD Team for 4 years strong! She began in this field in 1984 as a direct service professional. She has worked at two County Board's for the last 34 years (Mahoning and Ashtabula). Like many in this field, Toni began as a part time DSP while attending college. After working with individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities, she knew this was her calling and never looked back. Toni states, “As professionals in the field we are passionate about creating an inclusive community where people work together and cherish what makes them different. We have seen many opportunities and successes when we all work together as a community. To support this mission, ACBDD offers training, grants and has partnered with many stakeholders to promote inclusivity in Ashtabula County. I truly enjoy working and living in Ashtabula County. We have beautiful beaches, good food and a caring community.”
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Meet Jade Artman, our Executive Assistant to the Superintendent! Jade has been assisting with services offered by ACBDD since 2016. Jade was born and raised here in Kingsville, Ohio. Things like skating at Kings Roller Rink, eating at Covered Bridge Pizza, shopping and working at Orlando’s Golden Dawn, gave Jade many fond memories of her hometown. She states, “This town is very dear to me and holds a special place in my heart as it has been my hometown my entire life. Being able to work and live in the same county where I grew up means a lot to me, as I can support and give back to my community.”
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Meet Matt Glidewell, he has been the Director of Operations and Human Resources for ACBDD since 2020! His department oversees the budget and fiscal operations for the Board. Ten years ago, in 2014, Matt came into the DD Field as the Revenue Manager for North East Ohio Network Council of Governments. Matt was contracted to work with the ACBDD as a part-time Business Manager, shortly after, Toni gave him the opportunity to showcase his skills here as the Director of Operations and HR. Matt states, “The last four years have exceeded my expectations. I have grown so much, professionally and personally. I came for a job and stayed for a career!”
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Meet ACBDD’s new Operations Manager, Stephanie Chizmadia! Before Stephanie came here she worked in Trumbull County and has about 8 years of DD experience. Something you may not know about her is that she went to culinary school before getting into social work and wanted to bake wedding cakes for a living! We are excited to have you Stephanie, welcome! |
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| Meet our Maintenance and Custodial Manager, Matt Kitchen! Matt has been with ACBDD for almost a year now! He oversees all the maintenance on our building and vehicles as well as makes sure our building looks nice for all of our events and meetings. One thing you may not know about Matt is that he is a twin. |
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| Meet Julie Spangler, our Fiscal Coordinator! She has been helping provide services in Ashtabula County for 19 years! Julie works under the Director of Operations overseeing the budget and fiscal operations for the Board. One thing Julie loves to do in her spare time is go to the movies! |
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Ohio is a Technology First State, which will help promote Remote Support as the primary option for providing assistance to individuals. Technology First is aimed towards prioritizing the use of technology to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. Here we will highlight some of our Technology in each newsletter to help you better understand the purpose of each piece of Technology. |
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Technology and Its Purpose |
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- About
- Menus can be read out loud.
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Text reader will translate into multiple languages.
- Text can be scanned to a file
- Purpose
- Assists with someone who has difficulty reading and visual impairments.
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Allows for independent reading and learning
- Helps with: Reading and signing documents, reading recipes, or reading a book.
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- About
- Worn like a pair of glasses to control mouse pointer.
Connects to mobile devices, Smart TV’s and more via Bluetooth. - Tracks the slightest head movements, additional adaptations can be added depending on the need from the G Switch Series.
- Purpose
- Allows for independent working and gaming.
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The Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities maintains an email list for people and families receiving services, providers, Direct Support Professionals (DSP's) and community members to stay connected! This list allows us to share information about events, training and stories that may interest you.
Click HERE to Join! |
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You are receiving this email because your email address is associated with
Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities 2505 S Ridge Rd E, Ashtabula, OH 44004
(440) 335-1587 |
IMPORTANT WARNING: This message is intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged and confidential, the disclosure of which is governed by applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this information is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this message in error, please notify jade.artman@ashtabuladd.org immediately to arrange for the return or destruction of this document.
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