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Luzerne County officials consider new committee to target blight

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Lottery Numbers for Sunday, March 27

<p>FORTY FORT &#8212; On a recent morning, Noah Raijski, all of 1 year old, seemed to very much want to enter &#8220;toddlerdom&#8221; as he fully supported himself on his young legs.</p><p>Stacey Raijski said her son was able to walk while holding onto things for support at the Wyoming Valley Children&#8217;s Association, but not quite on his own yet.</p><p>As a speech therapist at the center, Raijski said she works with children from newborns to 5 years old, coaching families and helping children in areas ranging from what some see as the simplest of tasks, such as eating, to the more complex, such as expanding one&#8217;s vocabulary.</p><p>As Donna Sedor, director of development, makes her way through the school on Wyoming Avenue, she describes each classroom and its special purpose.</p><p>Some areas are open to improve large motor skills, some areas are quiet to encourage attention and some areas are just for fun, for exercise of both the body and the imagination.</p><p>Sedor said staff at the nonprofit are ever mindful of the fundamental development that unfolds during that birth-to-5 age range.</p><p>Founded in 1923 when members of the Rotary Club expressed a desire to help handicapped children, the association has become a haven for preschoolers, with a carefully crafted atmosphere and activities that provide fun and education.</p><p>And given the agency&#8217;s nonprofit status, it relies heavily on donations and support to carry out its mission.</p><p>An upcoming &#8220;Do it for the Kids&#8221; Walk-A-Thon to be held on April 16 will give area residents an opportunity to get some exercise and give from the heart, as they raise money to enable preschoolers at the association to reach their potential under the guidance of knowledgeable staff.</p><p>Sedor said everyone is welcome to participate in the Walk-a-Thon which will take place on April 16 at 10 a.m. at 1133 Wyoming Avenue, Forty Fort. Registration will begin at 9 a.m.</p><p>Staff at the association point out that the association equips its young charges not only academically but also with examples of patience and compassion that will serve them well throughout their lives.</p><p>Teacher Jane Denion emphasized that the program holds the students to a high standard, and diversity is emphasized.</p><p>&#8220;They often intuitively know that others are struggling with something,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t get angry, they respect the other children.&#8221;</p><p>Denion said the ability to respect and understand others equips her charges as they head toward kindergarten in environments where they will have to wait in line, share playground equipment and participate in team activities.</p><p>Occupational therapist Shelley Tressa said that while the association, originally called the Wyoming Valley Crippled Children&#8217;s Association, has maintained its original mission and values over the years, there have also been a lot of changes.</p><p>The Multi Sensory Room, for example, provides an opportunity for the children, individually or in a group, to spend time in a relaxing environment.</p><p>As Tressa makes her way around the room, she explained the function of each area of the room, from the colored lights dancing on the ceiling that promote relaxation to an ocean scene projected on the wall. She said the room is a space where sensory stimulation can be intensified or reduced, to relax and engage children.</p><p>Tressa, who has been with the organization for 31 years, works both at the center and in the homes of children from newborn to 3 years old.</p><p>The association also offers &#8220;CATCH,&#8221; an evaluation process for children who might be at risk for autism.</p><p>The CATCH team was developed to bring the three necessary systems together &#8212; education, medical and behavioral health &#8212; to facilitate an diagnosis, if applicable, and make recommendations from all three systems.</p><p>The institution originally focused on physical disabilities, but with advances in medicine, they see more children struggling with autism and other related disorders.</p><p>The program implements a concept called &#8220;reverse inclusion&#8221; which provides an opportunity for children with special needs and typically developing peers to interact.</p><p>The center also has an infant/toddler room, which affords opportunity for young participants to appreciate their environment and move forward developmentally.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Playing with a puzzle, left to right: Lilly Decker; Bram Skinner, front center; David Kovaleski, back center; Zaylee Eppley and Jane Zak, occupational therapist, play the the Wyoming Valley Children&#8217;s Center in Forty Fort. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_WV-Child-Association-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Playing with a puzzle, left to right: Lilly Decker; Bram Skinner, front center; David Kovaleski, back center; Zaylee Eppley and Jane Zak, occupational therapist, play the the Wyoming Valley Children&#8217;s Center in Forty Fort. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_WV-Child-Association-2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">JessAnnae Jackson, 4, enjoys a Dr. Seuss book. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_WV-Child-Association-2-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>JessAnnae Jackson, 4, enjoys a Dr. Seuss book. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_WV-Child-Association-3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Four-year-old Ben Corridoni plays with a Light Bright. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_WV-Child-Association-3-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Four-year-old Ben Corridoni plays with a Light Bright. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>For those who would like to participate in the Walk or who like to make a donation:</p><p>Access the organization&#8217;s website at <a href="http://www.wvcakids.org" target="_blank">www.wvcakids.org</a>.</p><p>To find out more about day-to-day happenings at Wyoming Valley Children&#8217;s Association:</p><p>Access the organization&#8217;s Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WVCAKids" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/WVCAKids</a>.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wyoming Valley Children’s Association to hold Walk-a-Thon