Blog Stories

Many good things came to the world in 1994: Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa, The Beastie Boys were on fire with the release of “Sabotage,” The Lion King and Forest Gump were giants in the box office, the Sony PlayStation was born, and a wonderful woman named Janet Channer left her career in banking to begin working with people with disabilities at YAI’s Foothill Residence in Queens.

On June 1, this one-of-a-kind event will bring together people of all abilities to walk, run, have fun, and see beyond disabilities. Hosted at Central Park’s 72nd Street Bandshell, the event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Seven YAI employees with a combined 165 years of experience have been promoted to a newly created role of Regional Deputy Director (RDD). This new role will support our current Regional Directors in managing, enhancing, and developing their respective regions. The seven new RDDs are as follows: Melanie Alexopoulos from our Queens region Liz Annarella from our Long Island region Dawn Bacigalupo-Albit from our Bronx region Cameo Beramsingh from our Brooklyn region Lisa Cornall from our Hudson...

Going to Disney has been one dream that has consistently been brought up over the years by residents at YAI’s Glen Cove residence. As a team that is constantly looking for ways to spread the person-centered mindset within the program, it seemed obvious that when one of the Glen Cove family members generously made a donation to fund a vacation, Disney was the obvious choice. There were significant hesitations given the lack of experience with airplanes among the people we support. When the idea...

A few weeks ago, Project GROW Supervisor Elizabeth Asen shared Part One of behavior management techniques and activities that may help families create structure and routine during school breaks. Below you will find Part Two. Have you tried any of the tips? Feel free to comment on our Facebook page or email communications [at] yai.org , and we will feature your stories on our website. Break Management Tips for Families with I/DD: Continue communication with friends.  Provide opportunities for...

iHOPE student Amelia loves giving advice. She chose the words in bold below using her communication device. Her support staff then used partner assisted scanning to form complete sentences based on the phrases she picked. If you want Amelia's advice, please send your questions to AskAmeliaSellman [at] gmail.com and use the subject "Ask Amelia." Dear AskAmelia, I had an operation on my feet. I could not go to school for a loooooong time. Now it’s time to go back! However, I feel scared to go...

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! The holidays are fast approaching, and while many families look forward to having their children home, for some families, creating structure and maintaining routine during school breaks can be daunting. In YAI’s Project GROW program , we focus on behavior management techniques for caregivers that have children with developmental disabilities of all ages. Our curriculum is created to promote positive parenting techniques, encourage families to plan ahead, and support...

This is what I know. On Saturday, October 27, people attended services at Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill suburb of Pittsburgh. Of the nearly 100 attendees, 11 people would not witness that night’s sunset, the symbol of the end of the Jewish Sabbath. In the ensuing days, I turned on the news and stared at pictures of the people who lost their lives. When David and Cecil Rosenthal, two brothers who attended Shabbat services weekly, appeared on the screen, I paused. Cecil, 59, and...

We are excited to have Author, Nutritionist, and Health Educator, Kelly Dorfman, MS. LDN, join us as a guest speaker at this year’s Westchester Autism Conference in Tarrytown. Kelly is one of the world’s foremost experts on nutrition and the author of the award-winning book, Cure Your Child with Food: The Hidden Connection Between Nutrition and Childhood Ailments, which has been translated in 7 different languages. Kelly has also been featured and quoted in such publications like The Wall...

We are happy to announce that Award-Winning and Internationally Recognized Motivational Speaker, Poet and Author, Russell Lehmann will be a Guest Speaker at this year’s Westchester Autism Conference. Lehmann is an advocate, who happens to have autism, and the personification of seeing beyond disability. Lehman's words have been featured in Autism Speaks, USA Today, LA Times, NPR and many other reputable outlets. When Russell is not writing or serving as a council member for the Autism Society...