ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
We’re dedicated parents, professionals, educators and community agencies working together to provide resources, supports and programs for individuals with autism and their families. We’re a little organization with a big vision and we’re on a mission to make it happen.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide excellent services, programs and resources to individuals and their families for minimal to no cost.
At ADLC, family comes first and is an integral part of the programs and services to be provided. Creating unique and comprehensive collaborations for therapies, educational opportunities, vocational readiness and life skills for everyday life is the objective!
VISION
We envision a place to take your family for more than therapy. We see a place to educate family members to the maze that is the educational system, the legal system and different methodologies available to families. We see families able to get together for support groups, siblings included in therapies whenever possible, before and after school care as well as a specialized preschool for families to get back into the work force confident in the care their special needs children are receiving.
The Activities for Daily Living Center hopes to bring back family time with a specialized movie theater, an indoor swimming pool and gaming area for everyone to enjoy in an environment that is designed to promote self confidence, build socialization skills and create lasting friendships for all ages. Our grounds will have a fishing pond and picnic area as well as a greenhouse and garden to provide outside activities and promote environmental awareness and create job opportunities.
We care enough to create a place you can call your own. A place you visit for more than the medical necessities, a place for your family to enjoy and feel welcomed, respected and valued.
Diane Soucy
Founder/PresidentADLC is about living life!
The Activities for Daily Living Center is all about bridging community collaboration to provide supports for individuals and their families to navigate the EVERY day stuff. We strive to provide supports that are impactful and meaningful to the individual and their family. Families loving someone with autism are in this too and should be treated accordingly. Families fiercely love their children, no matter that child’s age.This is why ADLC actively works to provide opportunities for people of all ages. When we provide the right supports to those that need them, it opens a whole new world of opportunity for them AND it enriches us.
#DoingStuff #Winning
If you are an organization that wishes to partner or collaborate to provide resources or services with our community, please reach out, we want to hear from you!!
It all Started with Matthew
My family’s journey began when my youngest son was diagnosed with autism at 22 months old. Matthew was my third and last child. I was became increasingly concerned with some of his behaviors. He disliked facing me, he detested changing his pampers and the fits of rage and crying that occurred during the nightly ritual of bath, lotion and dressing were something I had never seen in my two older boys.
By the time my son was 12 months old, I knew deep in my heart something was going on. By the time my son was 14 months I began asking his pediatrician for a referral to a neurologist. I cannot tell you the struggle that ensued between the pediatrician and me. I began my own early intervention with the help and guidance of my dear friend, who taught me the benefits of sign language and the picture exchange communication system. These were interventions that I felt were not in any way harmful to my child and could only help. That they helped is an understatement. It took until my son was 22 months old, and the threat of a lawsuit before I got the referral necessary to see a neurologist. I went prepared, and anxious. Sure enough, he confirmed my deepest fears. My little baby, had autism.
Awareness and Advocacy
What followed is a long and involved story, suffice it to say, I worked almost as hard as my Matthew to educate myself and get him the services he desperately needed. It was no easy battle, but it is paying off. Matthew continues to make steady progress, and makes gains every day. Along on his journey is his family, for the roller coaster ride. Quite frankly, sometimes we, in turn, want to get off. But there is no getting off; we’re on it for the journey. That’s what love, dedication and inspiration can do for the soul.
