Capability Ranch

To all our generous supporters, friends and familyand most of all the awesometastic community of special needs families we’ve had the privilege of getting to know... It is with sadness and a heavy heart that this update is to let you know we are closing the gates of Capability Ranch. We are extremely proud of our 6 years providing events and activities for our special needs community and their parents, and humbled by the continuing support and generosity we have received fro...m many of you here who have cared about our services. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions on gatherings and closures of event and activity locations, we have been unable to fulfill our core mission. In addition, the resulting financial crisis has caused donations to severely dwindle. We will be donating the remaining funding balance to St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center in El Cajon, CA a day program serving a large special needs population of consumers 18 to 75 years old. I would like to personally thank you all for your ongoing generosity and support of Capability Ranch and ask that as you stop donations to us, my hope is that you divert your support to another well-deserving nonprofit providing services for special needs youth and adults. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. With much gratitude, Nikki Nicola Bridges Founder & President Capability Ranch

https://www.yahoo.com//tv-series-spectrum-feature-3-000112

I love the staff’s creativity at Owen’s group home, keeping the guys entertained and moving during shelter in place TikTok fun

Owen reading to his housemate Jonathan about the symptoms of C-19 and what to do.

If you are ordering from Amazon, please go to Smile.Amazon.com and select Capability Ranch (501c3) as your charity of choice. A percentage of purchases is donated. Thanks in advance. Loveyabunches

This 6-year-old girl with autism and her therapy cat have a magical friendship!

CANCELLED! RANCH FUN DAY, this Sunday, March 8. CANCELLED... Hi everyone, Due to escalating concerns of flu and the corona virus, we are cancelling this Sunday’s Fun Day at the Ranch event. Postponing to a later date. Please share and post the update. Thank you for your understanding.

https://www.ladbible.com//awesome-prince-william-breaks-ro

Despite being nonverbal, the 15-year-old baker just won a local contest for best dessert, according to Channel 2. https://www.ajc.com//teen-with-au/PpERlZFJZfF5QMzMoiE4EN/

A unique program at UC San Diego is training adults on the autism spectrum on how to get jobs in the tech industry.

Today was a joy filled day We hosted a group of consumers from St. Madeleine Sophie Center. First lunch, then we hung out with the animalsButtercup the pig got lots of petting, Nigel the cow gave the group lots of licks, and Hollywood the horse got way too many treats We took a walk down to the creek and looked for frogs, then headed into the Jack Shack for activities. We potted succulents to take back to program or home, and drew the ranch animals. The group and staff had a great time. So did we Fantastic day!

The U.S. Department of Justice says it's not okay to cap the hours of support services that people with disabilities receive because they live with their families rather than in group homes.

People with autism and other developmental disabilities could soon return to front-of-line status at Disney theme parks, depending on the outcome of a trial that starts Tuesday in federal court in Orlando, Fla.

https://www.theatlantic.com//lack-services-adults-/582586/

What color is your name? This tool can show you, and help people who don't have synesthesia understand what many autistic people experience, which "is a rare se...nsory trait shared by about 4% of the population, and it comes in many forms. People who see or associate letters and numbers with specific colors have grapheme-color synesthesia, and it’s the most common form. Other forms of synesthesia involve seeing or feeling musical notes as colors or textures, having visualized representations of time, and in rare cases, even tasting words." https://elemental.medium.com/what-color-is-your-name-a-new- Or if you want to go straight to the tool: https://synesthesia.me/see-your-name -SR [image: A grid of names topped by color representations of those names in vertical color-striped squares.]

Things I know...

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, March 8, noon to 3pm Capability Ranch Activities & Events Center for Special Needs Kids & Young Adults (501c3)... Annual ‘RANCH FUN DAY.’a All ages welcome. $10 donation for each special needs kid or young adult (siblings and pals welcome). Parents free. 18030 Highland Valley Rd, Ramona. Please RSVP on the Event page when live. Finalizing details and will post an Event soon. FUN! Johnny TruFit, our amazing adaptive fitness volunteer will be setting up a super cool and easy FitnessFUN course of stations for all abilities and ages. There’ll be a tug of war contest for our older kids/young adults. MINIATURE PONY SPONGE PAINTING Hearts & Hooves is bringing (live) minis for us to hand and sponge paint, then wash and groom or just meet and pet. ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP Meet our furry ranch crew: Hollywood the horse and his pals Iggy Piggy and Buttercup the pigs And Calf Nigel KRITTERS ANIMAL SHOW Get up close and learn about snakes, spiders, other reptiles and furry creatures FACE PAINTING FOOD (feel free to bring if you special one has limitations) And more fun. STAY TUNED!

https://thinkprogress.org/alaska-minimum-wage-diability-b/

Special Liberty Project safety course was a big success.

While many of the presidential candidates are focusing on how to help people with disabilities, several self-advocates currently are in Iowa showing that people with disabilities are capable of doing the work, if only they are given access to do so.

Great to host Special Liberty Project at the ranch today...

A new $9.5-million autism center at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County will use a holistic approach to help children and young adults with autism and other developmental disorders when it opens next month.

Janel Mills, mother of a daughter with autism, is cheering the change. I’ve always felt conflicted on whether I could take time from work for #IEP meetings, or... if I would be forced to use vacation time that I couldn’t spare, Mills says. It’s great that there’s a clear message to employers that IEPs are critical for parents to attend, and parents don’t have to worry about whether or not they can request the day off. Good news! See more

Bless these beautiful people!

We want to see more coffee shops like this!

Set to come out one week from today! Who else is excited to see Loop? #autism

Al Roker , father of #specialneeds son Nick, opens up about the joy he has found in raising his son in an article for Guide Post Magazine. He says he accepts hi...s sons limitations, but also accepts that he doesn't know what his limits are. Now 17 year-old son is a black belt in Taekwondo and part of his Church's worship team. Read more on their inspiring journey here: https://www.today.com//al-roker-shares-son-nick-s-journey- See more

Sixteen residents will gradually move into their new 'forever home' by April 16th. This is the type of home Bob and Lauren Jones had always hoped to provide for their son with autism. Read more on how they made it all possible!

This year, researchers unearthed clues to the causes of autism and how to treat it from a variety of sources. Here are the year’s top five topics in autism research.

The Burkinator finished the course in 9th place.

So awesometastic

They're rated number one on TripAdvisor.

A 7-year-old Pearland girl looks forward to every Wednesday and Saturday, and the reason why will melt your heart. Mary has autism, and according to her mom, her absolute favorite day is trash pickup day.

Christmas is a magical time of the year, but for autistic people and their families, it can be a tough time. I go through some advice and tips for families of autistic children (or adults) at Christmas time.

"It's during terrible times that the best comes out in some people."

$205 away from Jack’s friends raising $4,000 for the UMD Jack Godfrey Memorial Journalism Scholarship and Capability Ranch Activities & Events Center for Special Needs Youth & Yojnt Adults. Who can help? Each $5 gets closer to the goal...

More than 50 of Jack’s friends in Ardsley, NY, where he grew up from kindergarten to college, are celebrating him tomorrow. There’ll be lots of Jamo shots, no doubt, and fundraising for the Jack Godfrey Memorial Scholarship at the University of Maryland and Capability Ranch Activities & Events Center for Special Needs Youth & Young Adults. If you’d like to help them reach $3000double their goal already surpassedhere is the link. Here’s to you.... Here’s to me. Here’s to unforgettable JLG. See more

If you’re shopping online this holiday weekend for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and any day you’re full of turkeyplease consider shopping through Amazon Smile and selecting Capability Ranch as your chosen cause.

"There is no such thing as special needs. A child with a disability has the same needs as everyone else the same human needs to be loved, nurtured, fed, e...ducated, sheltered to move, communicate, participate and belong." From Starting With Julius: http://www.startingwithjulius.org.au/he-aint-special-hes-m/ -SR [image: Three small olive-skinned children with dark hair posing pleasantly together: two girls and one boy. The boy has Down syndrome and is wearing glasses.]

Michael Coyne had a hard time finding a job, so he took business classes through his state's Developmental Disabilities Council, and then opened up his own dam...n autistic-owned-and-run coffee shop. Props to Michael. https://www.abc6.com//autistic-man-starts-his-own-business. -SR [image: Michael Coyne, a white man wearing a black baseball cap and black apron, working the counter at his coffee shop.]

Yes, I know that I just posted to my blog earlier this week. But I figured I'd get everyone depressed for the weekend. Peace out.

Under the legislation known as the IDEA High Cost Pool Funding Act, or H.R. 4673, the federal government would kick in added support to states that establish pools to reimburse schools with expenses beyond the threshold.

When a 10-year-old student with spina bifida thought she’d have to miss her class hiking trip that wasn’t wheelchair accessible, this Louisville teacher took it upon himself -- quite literally -- to bring her along!