As our team meets with new Pause families and has the honor of hearing their stories for the first time, a common theme we hear is the struggle with isolation. Families with kids who have extra needs can often miss out on community events others engage in. Oftentimes, events in the community are inaccessible to special needs families for many reasons… too many exits, elevated crowd noise, stroller/wheelchair accessibility, judgment when kids are struggling with sensory overload or availability of relevant activities for all members of the family.

Over the past few weeks, a number of Pause families have shared the challenges their children have recently faced at school. During the school day, it isn’t uncommon for kids with extra needs to experience big emotions because of sensory overload, anxiety, emotional overwhelm and more. The student with OCD might struggle when other children are not following rules or are out of order in line. The student with sensory processing disorder might struggle when all the sudden recess is indoors, the noise level is loud or their brain can’t process the change in environment fast enough. The student with autism might have a hard time with the change of routine or transitioning to the next objective.

A question we are often asked is “What will my kids do at Pause?” Our first response is “Have FUN!” but in a super intentional, sensory friendly and trauma responsive environment.

How do we create this experience?

Intentionality - We use brain science to guide the creation of activities - some to get kids moving and some to calm them. We know kiddos come to us from all different backgrounds and experiences. We are intentionally mindful to create safe and secure environments to set children and teens up for success! All of our activities are adaptable to meet every child where they are and are inclusive in every way.

Sensory friendly - We know the brain works best when all five senses are engaged. Kiddos have the choice to touch, hear, see, smell and even taste throughout planned activities. A Pause favorite are our sensory bins! Kiddos get to build, explore and discover through tactile play to engage all their senses!

Our weekly CAN DO stories are meant to uplift, inspire and encourage you. This week, we are coming to you to ask for your help.

Our staff has spent countless hours over the past 3 months working to grow our capacity at the same rate our family enrollment is growing. The stark truth is - we can’t keep up. Not alone.

Just in the past 3 months as we were making programming changes, adding respite events, innovating ways to take more children at each event and adding more staff, 35 new families enrolled equaling 73 ADDITIONAL children who need support. While these numbers may surprise you, they aren’t surprising us at all.

Volunteer with Pause and leave a legacy. Make an impact. Be the change. These may seem like cliché phrases that all organizations say to get volunteers. At Pause, these phrases are actually true and the impact is instantaneous.

When you volunteer with Pause you aren’t just babysitting for 3 hours. You are a safe and supportive person in the life of a Pause kiddo. By coming back each month you are showing our kiddos that they matter to you and they are worthy of extravagant love.

Pause dreams big. We dream of a world where families can take judgment free vacations in beautiful and sensory friendly resorts. Where we can equip preschool aged kiddos with the proper resources and support they need before entering Kindergarten. Where kids are invited to summer camp with unlimited support in place. A place where kiddos are met with love, compassion and acceptance in all school settings. We dream of a world where special needs families are included - in the purest of ways.

One of our Pause individual values is the Value for Neurologic Diversity because while culture may honor a standard for “typical”, we believe all humans have value, gifts and challenges. A diagnosis can be confusing, so we must be willing to learn, change our mind and see the person as a person and not a problem. We recognize humanness before behavior, are willing to advocate and are willing to learn from those who have value and wisdom to share.

When you think about going back to school, you may think of the fresh, new school supplies your parents just drove all over town to purchase. Or the jitters of excitement the day before the first day of school as you anxiously anticipate wearing your new clothes, all laid out and ready to go. Or even walking into school and greeting your friends with smiles and hugs after a long summer break.

It’s personal - and you may not even realize it. Nationally, about 1 in 4 families have a child at home with a developmental disability, mental/behavioral health challenge or a chronic medical condition. These children often need specialized learning plans in school while some have a complex trauma history as part of their story. They are your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends or your family.

Helping kiddos learn to not only survive in this world, but thrive - takes intentionality, consistency and kindness. When we can plant the seed of resilience in our kids, they grow up having more tools and resources to overcome hardship or obstacles in their lives. The Growing Resilience eBook* (Brought to you by a Strong Family, Safe Communities project administered by greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services) that features rockstar Pause partners Mary Vicario (founder of Finding Hope Consulting) and Sarah Buffie (founder of Soul Bird Consulting) teaches us that the factors to building resilience are:

1. Voice Choice and Control

2. Self-Esteem: Self-Worth: Self-Compassion

3. External Supports

4. Positive Connections with Safe Adults

5. Belonging or Affiliation

Giving back to local organizations can show up in a variety of different ways… donating event materials, contributing monetary gifts and even volunteering time. Pause knows first hand the importance of volunteering time as our events wouldn’t be impossible to host without the help of dedicated volunteers!

Family voice. It is essential to the mission, vision and values of Pause. The needs of families drive the program forward, continually shift with culture and are current with family needs. Family voice shows up when we ask for family feedback after events, when we capture what families need on the Family Journey Map assessment upon enrollment and even at our monthly Board meetings where families with lived experience make up 60% of our Board of Directors.

When families enroll in Pause, one of the last pieces to the enrollment process is to complete a Family Journey Map to share with our team more about their family’s unique needs and how Pause can support them to achieve goals they have for their family.

Throughout the last year, a top need reported by caregivers is for their kids to develop friendships. Developing healthy, supportive and encouraging relationships with others is something everyone needs - we were designed for community!

Pop quiz! Would you rather attend an event or an experience? Pause votes experience! Creating an experience encapsulates senses, emotions and creates memories. Families have many options to attend family events - but when our families come to Pause, we want to turn those simple events into elaborate experiences for the whole family to enjoy!

During the summer, Pause hosts family fun events in the community to give families an opportunity to share fun with each other and to connect with other Pause families. We know when families have fun together it can have some serious benefits! Our personal favorites are creating happy memories, building self-esteem and strengthening family bonds.

Pause is ONE! Well, not really… but close! Last Friday, July 1st, Pause celebrated our first year as an official nonprofit. As many of you know, Pause was born almost eight years ago under the Butler County Family and Children First Council as a preventative program to provide respite to families with special needs. During that time, Pause grew our services, programs and support for families becoming a sustainable program capable of launching out as our own entity!

The one year mark is super exciting for nonprofits (over half fail in their first year) and although we are in a unique circumstance with many years of experience under our belt, we are so thankful for all of the support from our families, volunteers and community partners.

If there’s one thing for certain in our Pause program - we embrace change! We have developed a team culture where we are constantly moving forward, adapting with current needs of families and looking toward the future.

So much so, we’ve made one of our team values Adapt to Change. Pause strategically shifts often for excellence and sustainability. We actively seek out and integrate new perspectives in our program, we are responsive to our environment and proactive in our planning.

Pause is SUPER excited to be celebrating our first birthday as a nonprofit organization next week on July 1st! We have celebrated many wins over the past year - the launch of new programs (like Pause Unlimited and Respite On Demand), the unprecedented growth of new families and the addition of staff to drive our mission forward.

Many nonprofits lean on volunteers to serve their communities. Just as The Red Cross relies on volunteers to donate blood or Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteers to build homes, Pause relies on volunteers to serve families with differing needs. Pause currently serves 526 kids (and growing!) and with a staff of 8, we simply couldn’t do it alone. Our Pause volunteers have huge hearts and truly want to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Getting involved with Pause? What’s that mean? In the past, students have completed their senior projects or internships with Pause by getting hands-on experience working with families. Other groups and organizations like Mason High School or University of Cincinnati’s Allied Health program have funneled volunteers to interact (and have fun!) with kiddos who are differently abled at our monthly events.

But, some organizations don't just stop there! Some come to us with BIG ideas and BIG hearts to serve families - and the Junior Girl Scout Troop 41015 from Anderson Township is one of those groups! Troop 41015 consists of ten 4th and 5th graders who have been together for five years! They have done a variety of activities over the years including hiking, painting, cooking, and camping!