Does your child smile brighter since being in the care of a Rainbows' professional? Does your child receive specialized care at Rainbows that you wish others could benefit from also? Do you have a Rainbows story to tell about a care giver who went to the extra mile for our child? Please let us know about your success story.

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Born with Cerebral Palsy and low vision, Esmeralda has always had a weakness in her left side and needs a walker to walk. The only child of parents, Alejandro and Brenda, she is the delight of their lives. “Esme has come so far these last few years,” says her mom Brenda. “She doesn’t let her challenges stop her, but often gets tired sooner due to the extra effort it takes for her to do the same task.”

An active 5 year-old, currently attending kindergarten at Mueller Elementary School, she loves books, recess and lots of hugs. Esme’s family gets help from Rainbows United’s Targeted Case Manager, Tammy Cody. Tammy helps the family coordinate with her school as well as securing funding for diapers and special equipment, like her reverse walker and braces in her shoes that keep her legs straight as she grows.

When Tammy learned that the family was interested in a lightweight durable stroller that would grow with Esme and that the Blarney Breakfast committee wanted to fund a piece of specialized equipment for a Rainbows’ family, she advocated on behalf of the family. “I know this stroller will help the family with day-to-day activities like shopping for groceries and special outings like going to the zoo,” says Tammy. “Esme needs to have the same opportunities to experience age appropriate activities like her peers, this stroller will help her do so many things.”

This year’s Blarney Breakfast, with the help of Chi Epsilon of ESA, will make one of Esme’s wishes come true. “With the focus on Targeted Case Management, we wanted to be able to fill a special need and present it to a child that day,” says Margaret Shook, Blarney Breakfast founder. “I can’t wait to see Esme’s face when she realizes that this new stroller is all hers.”

“We are thankful for this new equipment,” says Brenda. “In the past, trips to the zoo were hard. Her dad ended up carrying her through most of the park. She gets tired easily and this stroller will make outings and field trips so much easier for her to keep up with the other children.” Alejandro adds, “Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen for her.”

A delightful girl with a sparkle in her eye, a smile in her heart and often a stylish, curly ponytail, Danielle brings great joy to those who care for her 24/7. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Danielle was connected with Rainbows as an infant for early childhood education and care, including speech and physical therapy. She wears braces on her feet and has an electric wheelchair that she
maneuvers with her right hand.

Now at 4’ 10”, this 16 year-old has just a few audible words and needs assistance to feed herself. She attends Maize High School and requires help with most activities. Targeted Case Management staff help her family access HCBS funding for adult pull ups and a trained in-home support worker to help with Danielle’s daily needs.

Danielle participates in the special talent and fashion shows at Camp and when you see her in the “Voices of the Rainbow” choir, you know she’s giving all she can to that performance.

A lifelong Rainbows’ girl, Brittany had in-home therapies as an infant and attended Ritchie Family Center during her pre-school years. Born with severe physical disabilities along with vision and hearing problems,

Brittany is now in a wheelchair but her mother revels in her abilities to communicate and live at home.

When Brittany graduated from Rainbows’ pre-school, one of her biggest fans, Nancy, became her respite caregiver and now gives the family extra help after school, on weekends, during school breaks, and full-time every summer.

“Without the help of Rainbows, I don’t know how I would be able to care for my daughter, her needs are great. The wonderful Targeted Case Management support that Rainbows provides is a huge asset. TCM connects us to available community services,” says Brittany’s mom, Ruth. “Brittany and I thank you very much.”

Twins Trinity and Tripp have faced many challenges as a result of being born at only 23 weeks gestation with only a five percent chance of survival. Their Rainbows journey began their first month home from the hospital and, now at 19 months, continues.

A Rainbows’ physical therapist helped Tripp learn to walk when he would not bend his knees while Trinity’s biggest challenge has been eating. She was fed through a tube for her first year due to a strong oral aversion caused by months on a ventilator. “She has made an incredible transformation thanks to her speech language pathologist,” says mom Ashle. “Today she is spoon feeding and even allows toys in her mouth to chew.”

Ashle and dad Jamie say they owe much of their children’s successes to Rainbows therapists, but also credit the twins for their strength and
determination. “Every day I’m still amazed and in awe of the fact that I have my children. For whatever reason, they hung in there and they’re here, “says Ashle. “These kids are amazing!”

Hospital to Home Facts

• Hospital to Home is a collaborative program between Kansas hospitals and Rainbows
• United that is provided at no cost to families. 
• Hospitals such as Via Christi St. Joseph, Wesley Medical Center, Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, and Newton Medical refer infants who meet certain criteria, such as low birth weight, prematurity, or a diagnosed disability, to Rainbows to receive information about what services might benefit them.
• A Rainbows representative visits local hospitals every week to discuss potential needs of infants in the NICU and meet with their families to address concerns.
• After families are discharged from the hospital, a Rainbows team meets at the family’s home to provide initial screenings and suggest appropriate services.

Lydia is yet another example of a Rainbows child breaking down barriers constructed by Autism. She attends Ritchie Family Center and is learning to use the structured classroom to her benefit, such as using a picture exchange system with a sentence strip to cue use of phrases during meals.

Lydia maintains an independent spirit, but has become comfortable enough to where she will often join classmates during social activities, such as performing songs during circle time, something many families of autistic children never dare to dream of. But at Rainbows United the dreams of both children and their families are realized every day with the help of a dedicated staff and an array of children’s resources. Many more children can receive needed services through the Autism Waiver.

Connor began receiving services through Rainbows’ Infant/Toddler Program just before his second birthday. Born with a cleft lip and inverted palate, Connor had difficulty communicating, which frustrated both the toddler and his parents. After three years of speech therapy, Connor now attends St. Margaret Mary Preschool and receives Rainbows services through CBETS.

His family attributes much of his success to assistant speech language pathologist Laura Brown, or our angel as his grandmother calls her. “He is happier because he can finally tell us what he is thinking,” says Mom, Suzanne. “His personality has blossomed now that he can participate.”

Laura was able to combine the unique and creative ideas of other staff members to create an effective technique to motivate and communicate with Connor. His family has noticed substantial progress since working with Rainbows. He tells “knock knock” jokes and is learning to say “abra cadabra“ for his new favorite game, magic tricks! “I never thought he’d come so far in such a short time,” says Suzanne.

Community Based Education/Training Services (CBETS) Facts

• CBETS equips preschool children to acquire the skills necessary to
  succeed in the classroom.
• Services for 3-5 year olds include: developmental screenings, hearing & vision screenings, staff training, mental health consultation, exchange of ideas for early childhood providers, resources such as educational tools & ideas, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and educational activities.
• Services are currently provided in over 70 community day care homes and centers at no cost to the families of providers.
• Currently there are 115children enrolled in CBETS.

At age 2, Ava was an affectionate, imaginative child, but was described by many as “difficult.” After being expelled from 3 child care centers for behavior issues, Leah was forced to drive 20 minutes every morning in order to keep working. “I read child behavior books. I asked other parents for advice. I even took her to a child psychologist.” But there was nothing “wrong” with Ava. She was a typically developing child who was just strong-willed, sensitive, and “too smart for her own good.”

When Ava was 4 years old, Leah enrolled in the Incredible Years Parenting
Classes. “I was skeptical to hear that we would be spending the majority of the 12 weeks discussing how to play with and praise your child. What I wanted to know was how to discipline her.” But Leah soon learned that when playing and praising are done effectively, the need for discipline dramatically decreases. “When I began using the specific praise we learned in class, she responded by showing pride in being cooperative and doing the right thing.” Having a strategy that was proven to work helped Leah maintain consistency in her method of
dealing with new issues as well. “People always say kids don’t come with a handbook, but it turns out one does exist. I only wish I’d heard about the
Incredible Years classes sooner!”

Incredible Years & Mental Health Facts

• Rainbows United first offered Incredible Years classes in 2005 as part of a three year grant from the Knight Foundation. Classes continue thanks to funding from the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.
• Each 12-week session allows for enrollment of up to 25 parents of young children. Meals and on-site child care are provided at no cost to families and vouchers are available for families without reliable transportation. 
• Eight Rainbows United staff members have completed Incredible Years instructor training and facilitate the classes in pairs.
• The Incredible Years curriculum covers topics such as Play, Helping Children Learn, the Value of Praise and Encouragement, the Use of Incentives to Motivate Children, Effective Limit Setting, and Handling Misbehavior.
• Interested parents should call (316)260-HOPE(4673) for more information. 

At three years old Payton Ryan could only say three words. His primary means of communication was pointing and grunting. After an initial screening, he began receiving home visits from Rainbows staff. His therapists gave his parents tools to work with him and were sure to include Buddy, Payton’s best friend and rag doll, in his lessons. That fall, Payton enrolled at Kids’ Cove, where his parents saw his confidence spike. He made friends and began speaking in full sentences.

Two years later, Payton is kindergarten-ready as he joins Kids’ Cove’s 2009
graduating Pre-Kindergarten class. He can tell you when something makes him angry or when something makes him laugh. “He can even repeat those
unfortunate words that little kids seem to pick up when you think they’re not listening,” says his mom Kelly.

Kelly attributes much of Payton’s success with the determination of the
Rainbows’ staff. “They gave Payton a chance. They gave us the gift of being able to have a conversation with our son. We wouldn’t be the same without them.”