One of our favorite summer activities is our annual iCan Bike camp!
This year we had 37 volunteers come in and help 13 kids learn to ride a two-wheeled bike in just 5 days! We had a blast, built up the riders’ confidence, and all left feeling accomplished.
iCan Bike uses adapted bicycles, a specialized instructional program and trained staff to help individuals with disabilities to learn to ride a two-wheel bicycle. Participants attend one 75-minute session each day for five consecutive days where they learn to ride while accompanied and encouraged by a volunteer spotter. Over the course of the week the bikes are adjusted for each rider as they gradually discover the skill and joys of riding a standard two-wheel bike. The iCan Bike program is for children 8 years old and older who have a disability.
This program is generously supported by the Lora DeAnn Broers Memorial Fund and the EastSide Centre. Special thanks to our friends at WMBD news for the great story on our camp!
In a world where working together brings positive change, the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation shines as a guiding light. They help people in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, and Logan counties by bringing together kind individuals, families, and businesses. This helps nonprofits like us at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center.
We are so happy to share that the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has supported us once more, showing their unwavering care for our mission. Recently, they awarded Easterseals Central Illinois and Timber Pointe Outdoor Center $1,750 to help give our campers empowering, memorable, and magical recreational opportunities. This important gift has let us offer an amazing camp experience for campers of all abilities.
At Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, we believe in celebrating what makes each person strong. Our programs let everyone join in, no matter what special needs they might have. Our Challenge Course currently consists of our Rock Wall, Zip Line, and Giant Swing, and is a great example of this. It’s a place where campers of different abilities have fun, feel strong, and quite literally fly!
To make sure our camp programs stay safe and fun, we need to follow strict rules and update our gear. This is where the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation’s help comes in. Their support helped us secure important items for the Challenge Course so campers can keep having exciting adventures that make them feel confident and happy.
Their generosity also enabled us to purchase a special seat harness that helps campers with physical disabilities or sensory differences stay comfy and safe. This adaptive harness has a taller and more rigid structure that better supports campers’ necks and trunks and squeezes less on certain areas. Previously, we used an adaptive sling and airplane pillows/lifejackets to do this job, but it’s not always the most comfy or supportive for campers, and it takes a lot of time for our staff.
As we look back on how much the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has helped us, we want to say a big thank you. Their help doesn’t just make camp fun; it also helps us give campers a chance to learn, grow, and make wonderful memories. Together, we are helping to ensure every camper is 100% included and 100% Empowered. Thank you, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, for being by our side on this journey!
At Easterseals, we love to celebrate milestone moments. Our clients, families, and therapists work together to set and achieve goals. Whatever the milestone moment, we are here to celebrate it. Because every child is worth celebrating.
Like our friend, Briar! Briar is now sitting up independently, and we are so proud of him. His Dad recently shared this on his Facebook page:
“This week at Easterseals, we celebrated him reaching one of his longstanding PT/OT goals (a little overdue), laying to sitting all unassisted. To some this may seem minuscule or something a “normal” child would have done years ago, for us, it brings tears of joy. All the staff surprised Briar and cheered him on. We are thankful for the amazing staff at Easterseals that love him, but let’s be honest who couldn’t. He is honestly the sweetest thing I have ever known. I ask all of you to take the time to educate your children and any who will listen on those with disabilities and spread kindness in this world of hate. I promise you, they likely have a bigger heart than you.
Easterseals Central Illinois and the Passage to India Event Proudly Announce
2023 Banyan Tree Award Winner: Sanjay Poonen
Friday, August 4th 2023, (East Peoria, IL)- The 2023 Passage to India Event took place on Friday, August 4th at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria. In its 17th year, the event has raised over $4.5 million for the children and families of Easterseals Central Illinois. Passage to India also presents the Banyan Tree Award at the event every year. The 2023 Banyan Tree Award Winner is Sanjay Poonen, President and CEO of Cohesity.
“The Passage to India Board of Directors is honored to present the 2023 Banyan Tree Award to Sanjay Poonen” said Seshadri Guha, CEO and founder of TADA Cognitive Solutions. “Sanjay displays exceptional leadership in the tech industry, transforming multi-billion dollar businesses and fostering international goodwill. Through his innovative strategies, commitment to diversity, and philanthropic efforts, he exemplifies the true spirit of the Banyan Tree Award, leaving a remarkable impact on the global community.”
The above video features introductory recognitions and tributes to Sanjay by Pat Gelsinger (CEO of Intel), Raj Subramaniam (CEO of FedEx), and Vish Mishra (Founder of TiE and Venture Capitalist).
“I am deeply humbled and honored to accept the prestigious Banyan Tree Award from Easterseals Central Illinois and the Passage to India Board of Directors. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to both organizations for their incredible work supporting children with disabilities and fostering community engagement in Central Illinois,” said Sanjay Poonen. “Together, we can make the world a better place by giving our time, talent, and resources. My family’s values of sacrifice and servant leadership have shaped my life, and I find joy in serving others”.
In his acceptance speech, Sanjay shared one of his favorite poems, which was fitting for the occasion.
About The Banyan Tree Award
This prestigious award named after the National Tree of India is presented annually to one or more persons in recognition of lifetime accomplishments, significant achievements, and exemplary contributions toward global economic prosperity, cross-cultural collaboration, and international goodwill. The award acknowledges strategic innovation in global markets, visionary leadership, and fostering the time honored spirit of philanthropy.
Passage to India to benefit Easterseals has become widely recognized as a premier destination cultural event in Peoria “Celebrating Our Cultures Combined”.
Past winners include
Dr. Rajesh Soin – Chairman and CEO, Soin LLC
Raj Subramaniam – President, FedEx
Dr. Mehmood Khan – Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, PepsiCo
Rajiv Gupta – Founder/CEO, Stealth Startup
Dr. Norman Borlaug, American Agronomist
Jai Shekhawat – Founder, Fieldglass
Romi Kadri – Managing Partner, Capella Partners
Desh Deshpande – President and Chairman, Sparta Group
Dr. Vijay Govindarajan – Coxe Distinguished Professor of Management, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth
Sanjay Khosla – CEO, Bunnik
Vish Mishra – Venture Director, Clearstone Venture Partners and President and Trustee Emeritus, TiE
Arun Nayar – Entrepreneur
Sam Pitroda – Telecom Engineer, Entrepreneur
Ashok Trivedi – Co-Founder/Co-Chairman, Mastech Inc. and IGATE
About Sanjay Poonen
As Chief Executive Officer and President, Sanjay Poonen leads Cohesity in its mission to radically simplify how organizations manage their data and unlock limitless value. Sanjay is a proven business executive with over 25 years of experience in scaling multi-billion dollar businesses and building strong teams. Most recently, Sanjay was COO at VMware, where he oversaw sales, marketing, services and alliances, doubling VMware from approximately $6B to $12B in revenue. Poonen played a vital role in architecting multiple successful cloud partnerships, including AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle. He also led the company’s security and end-user computing businesses, including the acquisition of AirWatch and Carbon Black. Prior to VMware, Poonen served as President of SAP where he led SAP’s Applications, Industries and Platform teams, serving in engineering and sales roles that helped double SAP from approximately $10B to $20B in revenue.
He began his career as a software engineer at Microsoft and Apple. Sanjay has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated a Baker Scholar which designates his position in the top 5% of his graduating class, a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science, math and engineering from Dartmouth College, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Sanjay holds two patents. Poonen serves on the Supervisory Board of Philips, and Board of Snyk.
Over his career, Sanjay has been involved in a number of philanthropic organizations as a result of his leadership in philanthropic efforts at SAP, VMware and Cohesity. This includes work with the American Red Cross, Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank, The Salvation Army, International Justice Mission, Mercy Ships, Girls Who Code, and The/Nudge Institute. He has also been active with the US-India Strategic Partner Forum, Indiaspora, and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). Sanjay also is proud to serve as a resource to hundreds of younger generation technology leaders both in the United States and India over his career.
Sanjay is also delighted to support Easterseals Central Illinois through a donation to Passage to India. Sanjay lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife Katherine and their three children.
For 100 years, Easterseals Central Illinois has been passionate about ensuring all children have access to vital pediatric therapy services early on in their lives. We proudly offer Early Intervention (EI) therapy services across Central Illinois.
Early intervention is a statewide program that provides support and services for families to help their children under age 3 meet developmental milestones. We specialize in delivering Early Intervention therapy services, including; Feeding, Occupational, Physical, and Speech-Language Therapy. Easterseals Early Intervention caters to children with a minimum 30% delay in one or more areas of development, those with qualifying disabilities, or those who meet specific at-risk criteria.
Nurturing Growth in Natural Settings
Early Intervention services focus on helping children achieve developmental milestones. Eligible children receive support in natural environments, including their homes, daycares, community parks, or any setting where they would interact with their peers. Natural environments promote a nurturing and familiar setting for the child’s session.
Along with natural environments, EI therapy services are provided alongside the child’s parent/caregiver. At Easterseals, the family is recognized as the child’s best therapist and play partner throughout their life. This approach emphasizes the significance of supporting the child and their families.
Reaching Milestones
Through the third quarter of 2023, 94% of children have made measurable progress. Families have also reported numerous benefits from the services, including reduced stress (75%), improved parent-child relationships (75%), a better understanding of their child’s challenges and progress (56%), enhanced quality of life (93%), and a sense of community (43%).
Easterseals Early Intervention services have garnered recognition and acclaim through their accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Services (CARF). Their commitment to adhering to CARF’s standards and being recognized as a “best practice” model of delivery showcases Easterseals’ dedication to excellence in pediatric therapy services.
The Future Of Easterseals & EI
Easterseals has been a pioneer in the field of EI services, actively shaping standards and treatment recommendations in Illinois. While we remain dedicated to these services, there are increasing challenges to providing them. There is a growing cost to providing EI therapy services, and the reimbursement rates from the state of Illinois have remained flat for nearly two decades.
However, Easterseals continues to adapt and find ways to serve the families who need us most. We utilize telehealth appointments, as well as in-home and natural environment sessions. Community support also helps fill the gap in providing these services.
In a successful partnership with the Greater Peoria YMCA, Easterseals expanded its services through a satellite site, providing a child-friendly space with all necessary supplies and equipment. Recently, the Peoria Care and Treatment Board awarded a grant in the amount of $55,000 to help us ensure we could provide the best possible environment for the children we serve. These funds helped provide equipment, condition the space and further help create a child-friendly environment.
Almost one year ago, we opened our new location in Bloomington. We are proud to be housed in the Bloomington-Normal YMCA facility, which provides an inclusive, natural environment for children to receive EI services.
We are dedicated to serving our community for generations to come, and with the help of our amazing partners- we know we will continue to reach even more milestones.
There are very few things as infectious as the joy of a child. At Easterseals, we are fortunate to see pure, unbridled joy happen daily. The joy of a first pass down the zip line at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center. The joy of a school dance at Easterseals Learning Academy. The joy of riding a trike for the first time down the halls of the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. The joy of seeing Jarvis, the facility therapy dog, walking into a session in our Peoria center. Or, in Devyn’s case, the joy of operating a garbage truck for the very first time.
The joy of seeing the weekly visit of a garbage truck is almost universal among children. Our long-standing relationship with Peoria Disposal Company (PDC) and the Coulter family has blessed the children of Easterseals with many opportunities to get up close to these vital machines. In 2018, our ambassador Hayden took a ride as a part of the Easterseals Tribute honoring the Coulter family and PDC. In 2021, GFL Environmental Inc. acquired PDC and began serving the Central Illinois community. GFL also acquired a dedication to the mission of Easterseals.
Fast-forward to 2023, the Coulter Family unveiled the interactive garbage truck in our newly renovated lobby in Peoria. The interactive garbage truck in our lobby caught Devyn’s attention. “Oh, it had to be a garbage truck,” his mom chuckled when he laid eyes on it for the first time. Devyn is a brilliant 8-year-old with a knack for engineering and machine operation. When our friends at GFL heard of Devyn’s love for the truck in the lobby, they were eager to level up for him.
On a sunny afternoon in June, Devyn and his parents arrived in the Easterseals parking lot and were greeted by a beautiful green garbage truck. Matt Coulter, Regional Vice President of GFL Environmental Inc., was on hand with GFL employees Geff and Shane, who were ready to give Devyn the experience of a lifetime. Devyn was quickly dressed in GFL safety gear and got to work. The drivers on-site showed him the cab and the levers in the back and even let him operate the trash collector.
“Let’s Do This!” Devyn yelled energetically every time he got to do a new task. He was delighted to bring the growing crowd along with him to each section of the truck. We borrowed a nearby garbage can, and Devyn got the chance to execute the garbage pickup process perfectly. His only barrier seemed to be his height, which will be no problem when he is old enough to get his CDL.
After exploring every area of the truck, multiple times, Devyn took the GFL team inside to show off the PDC interactive truck wall in the Easterseals lobby. He was excited to take his turn showing the GFL drivers all the bells and whistles on this interactive truck and even made a repair of his own while he was there.
“We are so thankful for everything Easterseals provides Devyn, from his therapies to the extra events and opportunities they provide. He has learned so much during his therapies with Miss Erin over the last few years,” shared Devyn’s mom, Cheriz. “We are so lucky to have such an amazing resource for children so close by!”
And Central Illinois is lucky to have GFL Environmental close by as well. An international company with a heart for supporting the communities they serve and the dreams of children everywhere.
Devyn poses with his Occupational Therapist, Erin, who helped coordinate the visit.
Morton Industries is a long-time partner of Easterseals Central Illinois. That can probably be traced all the way back to their roots. Founded in 1946, Morton Industries says its strength is “An unwavering corporate philosophy of service and willingness to learn and grow as our partners’ needs change”.
Their commitment to service and flexibility mirrors that of Easterseals Central Illinois. Over the past 103 years, we have also grown and adapted as the needs of our families have changed.
Morton Industries has been at the forefront of technology and design for decades. And while we are not in the manufacturing business, we are at the forefront of child development services. A position we are able to maintain thanks to generous donors.
Recently the staff at Morton Industries worked together to raise money for the children and families of Easterseals Central Illinois. Their representatives got a chance to meet with our staff, tour the facility and meet one of our very own Easterseals Superheroes.
Thank you, Morton Industries, for your commitment to helping Easterseals ensure every child can reach their full potential.
At Easterseals Central Illinois, our culture is made up of each individual employee’s commitment to their profession and the clients they serve. With over 200 employees across six locations, our diverse roles and responsibilities wrap up into one outcome for our families: progress. Progress looks different for every child, and that is the beauty of it.
For Meghan Feldmann, Speech-Language Pathologist at Easterseals Central Illinois, progress combines detective work and education. A recent graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Meghan exudes a passion for helping children communicate.
“When I talk about my job, I talk about how much fun it is. I get to work with early intervention kids (ages 0-3) and older kids. I get to work in clinics and in 1:1 settings. I get to play, build relationships and help clients use functional communication with their families and caregivers.” shared Meghan.
Building functional communication skills is the foundation of what Speech-Language Pathologists do every day. Functional communication is being able to communicate for more than just your wants and needs. It is being able to request, protest, comment, describe, take turns, join, and advocate. It is vital for individuals to communicate in a way that works for them. As Meghan stated, “Communication is at the heart of everything we do.”
Hooked on Progress
A high school job shadow assignment had Meghan paired with a Speech-Language Pathologist in Germantown Hills Elementary School’s PreK program; after that, Meghan was hooked. “You can do so much with the 1:1 setting of speech therapy. Kids learn through play and are more engaged when we can meet them at their level,” shared Meghan.
“Being able to take something the child is really interested in- like a TV show character or game- and making it part of our sessions is so helpful. We are able to be flexible; to meet the clients’ communication and sensory needs, which is so impactful.”
Meghan Feldmann
The flexibility of speech-language therapy kept Meghan motivated and focused during her undergraduate and graduate programs. “I graduated from St. Ambrose University with a degree in Early Childhood Education, which was a great springboard into the Speech-Language program at Eastern Illinois University. It gave me a different perspective,” Meghan shared. “I had an advantage because I had so much hands-on experience working with children before entering the program.”
Opening Doors to Progress
Through her schooling and the beginning of her career, Meghan has already established a solid foundation of progress. One of her passions is supporting children with Augmented & Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. AAC devices are tablets, computers, or apps that assist with communication. Preloaded words and phrases allow an individual to communicate their wants and needs. These devices are a lifeline for children and their caregivers. (Click here to see an example)
It is estimated that as many as 65% of children with an autism diagnosis also have apraxia of speech (AOS). According to the NIDCD: AOS is a neurological disorder that affects the brain pathways involved in planning the sequence of movements involved in producing speech. The brain knows what it wants to say but cannot properly plan and sequence the required speech sound movements.
With the assistance of an AAC device, children are able to communicate with their caregivers and peers. The AAC device opens up a world of progress for them at home, in school, in therapy, and in social settings.
“I had experience working with children who utilize AAC devices during my graduate work. I knew kids could benefit from them, but I had no idea how to make it functional and useful for them,” Meghan shared. Since initially beginning to understand the devices, Meghan has been committed to helping clients and families get established with one and sticking with it. “You see a lot of device abandonment,” she shared. “It is easy to get overwhelmed, but it is just a matter of finding the right tools. In Early Intervention, I can expose families to these devices and work alongside them as we find what works for their child.”
“It’s not just teaching the child to communicate, it’s teaching the caregivers as well. Families must learn alongside the child because communication is a two-way street.”
Meghan Feldmann
Discovering Pathways for Progress
For most people, we think of learning speech and language through analytical language. This approach builds up from one word to stringing a few together and eventually using complete sentences. For example, a child learns ‘All Done’ to signal they are done with an activity, and eventually, this turns into them saying, ‘I am ready to play something else.’
Gestalt language acquisition flips this process around. Children will repeat phrases or sentences before they use single words to communicate. This typically requires some work on the caregiver’s end to understand what the goal of that communication is. For example, a child may say, “Let’s ride the trolley,” to signal they are done with an activity and ready to move to the next. It may seem like the child is repeating nonsense or trying to play a game. However, those who know the child loves the show Daniel Tiger recognize that the trolley is what takes Daniel from one place to the next.
Autistic individuals often repeat words, phrases, and sounds they have heard. The term for this is Echolalia or scripting. Sometimes they repeat it immediately; sometimes, it is delayed. For the 80% of children with autism who are Gestalt language learners, this is how they start communicating.
Meghan has helped several families understand the breakdown in analytic versus gestalt language learning during her first year of graduate school. “It is natural to try and get your child to understand language the same way you learned it, and it can be really eye-opening to families when they realize that their child has been communicating in their own way all along.”
Encouraging Progress
For autistic individuals, the need for communication support does not go away when they reach adolescence. For some, it becomes more prevalent. Meghan’s other passion is helping her older clients learn to self-advocate. “Just like you or I would prepare to go to a meeting or give a speech, my older clients need to feel prepared for how they would self-advocate in a situation,” she shared. Meghan works with her clients to practice informing someone of their neurodiversity, such as autism or ADHD. She helps give them a toolbox full of scripts and suggested language to use with peers or adults in their life when asking for accommodations or explaining why they are going about something a little bit differently.
Whatever the age of her clients, Meghan brings a passion for learning, teaching, and investigating to each of her sessions. Families and clients in our community are so lucky to have her, and so is Easterseals!
There is a shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in our area, and the need is continually growing. We are so grateful to have Meghan as a part of our team at Easterseals. If you are interested in joining the team at Easterseals, visit Eastersealsci.com or call (309)686-1177.
At Easterseals Central Illinois, we understand the burden of scheduling appointments, dealing with insurance, and managing invoices can be overwhelming. Our goal is to provide the best care for your child and provide caregivers with the best experience as well.
In that spirit, we are excited to share information about our Central Reach Client Portal. Central Reach is our Electronic Medical Record (ERM) system. Central Reach is utilized by our therapists, scheduling and client financial services departments. Over the past few months, our teams have been hard at work identifying ways we could better utilize this system to be more efficient internally, and make parents/caregivers lives a little easier.
Please use the links below to assist you with logging into your CentralReach portal account. You can use this portal to securely message your care team, access therapy schedules, update availability and now to view and pay your bill. We would recommend turning on invoice notifications so that you receive an email from CentralReach when you have a new invoice.
Please note that if you have reached your out-of-pocket max for the year, you will not see any new invoices until your insurance benefits reset next year.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, please do not hesitate to call our office: 309 686 1177. Ask for client financial services.
Mentorship is at the heart of our professional development at Easterseals Central Illinois. We proudly collaborate with several programs to host clinical interns as they complete their degree requirements. This semester, we welcomed Allison Norris to our team as she completed her studies at Illinois State University.
Originally from Coal City, IL, Allison did her undergrad at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville before joining the Speech-Language Pathology program at Illinois State. Allison always knew she wanted to work with kids, and when her mother suggested Speech-Language Pathology, it just made sense. “I love getting to work more one-on-one or in small groups; it allows me to build great personal relationships with clients and their families,” shared Allison.
Allison has always wanted to work in a school setting. She will achieve that goal in the fall of 2023 when she begins her career with the Special Education Association of Peoria County (SEAPCO) and the Farmington School District. “I have really enjoyed my time at Easterseals. The speech team has a positive environment; I see them supporting each other all the time. They have supported me through the intervention and evaluation process,” shared Allison.
Her time at Easterseals helped open her eyes to possibilities for Speech-Language Pathologists outside of the school setting. Although her heart is guiding her to the schools, she shared how impactful her time in a clinical setting has been.
“I have been given so much support while being allowed to try things out on my own. I have been able to learn from my mistakes while never feeling alone. Easterseals gave me a chance to become my own clinician, not just a copy of someone else.”
Allison Norris, Clinical Intern with Easterseals Central Illinois, Spring 2023
When asked to highlight some of the skills she learned from her time with Easterseals, Allison had one that stood out to her; “I have learned to build trusting relationships with the client, to make sure they feel safe and respected.” She also shared she feels more confident talking to parents, providing a wide variety of interventions, and building relationships with other providers.
“There have been so many good moments. I have had a limited amount of time here, but it has been so great to hear parents share where their child started- and then see them in therapy meeting those milestones,” shared Allison. One of her greatest moments at Easterseals was working with a child for months on creating an /r/ sound and seeing (or hearing) it click one day.
“It is important to keep goals realistic. A parent wants their child completely understood by others, but we need to break that down into smaller goals,” Allison said. “We walk parents through the whole picture so they understand the path.”
We have no doubt Allison will impact so many lives during her career. We are so grateful for her time with us at Easterseals. If you are looking for a clinical internship or job shadow opportunity, give us a call at (309)686-1177 or email AGottwald@eastersealsci.com
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