Baby Doll and Stuffed Animal Bears

Giving Tree 2023

Each year families who participate in our Capable Kids and Family (CKF) and Parents Learning Together (PLT) programs receive holiday gifts as part of the annual St. Louis Arc Giving Tree. As we approach the holiday season, the Arc partners with businesses and individuals in the St. Louis community who buy gifts off a child’s…

FASD Awareness Month

On the 9th day of the 9th month, we honor Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day as a symbol of the 9-months of pregnancy that a woman should remain alcohol free. Over the last decade, awareness efforts have grown and September is now set aside as International FASD month. FASD is an umbrella term describing…

Not A Single Drop

Go The Whole 9 This spring the St. Louis Arc partnered with Webster University students to create a public service announcement for the Go the Whole 9 campaign. Go the Whole 9 is an awareness campaign funded through the Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the United Way to educate…

MOD Pizza Logo

MOD Pizza – People First

“Welcome to MOD Pizza!” Walk into any MOD Pizza, and you’ll be warmly and loudly welcomed by the staff behind the counter and in the dining room. MOD Pizza takes being a welcoming place to a higher level. It’s part of their mission – their people-first mission. Spreading MODness means many things, but mostly it…

CONNECT logo

CONNECT to Your Community through Meet Up

CONNECTING to Your Community If you stopped into the Rock Hill Trainwreck Saloon on a Friday in early May, you may not have thought it any different than any other Friday. There were people chatting, eating, or watching a game on TV. However, on this particular Friday, 35 people from our Meet Up group were spread…

What is Person Centered Planning?

Person Centered Planning is a process used to help people with disabilities identify what they want their life to look like. The process is often used in Individual Education Plans (IEP), Individual Family Plans (IFP), and Individual Support Plans (ISP). What makes Person Centered Planning unique is that the individual receiving support drives the process…

young woman working

Pre-Employment Training: More Than a Job

Often when we discuss “pre-employment training” people tend to think of assisting an individual in learning how to do a job. However, there’s more than that. When you have a confident, joyful, well-rounded individual, you are more likely to have a successful and satisfied employee. Pre-Employment Training Program The St. Louis Arc’s Pre-Employment Training program…

What Does it Mean to Live “Independently”?

How I Felt Before My Autism Diagnosis Recently we came across an article by Thomas Hassell, a contributor to The Mighty, titled “How I Felt Before My Autism Diagnosis”. Thomas shared how he is different now, verses when he was younger. That got us thinking about Arc participants who are transitioning to living independently, many…

supporting teen behavior infograph

Supporting Positive Behavior in Teens

Lindsey Moore, Behavior Specialist and Carly McElvaine, Leisure Coordinator offer strategies they use to support positive behavior in teens.  Each topic will follow the story of an individual who is dealing with a specific problem. While this article will relate to situations at the St. Louis Arc’s summer programs, the strategies can be adapted to other…

Family Enjoying Cardinals Game

Thank You to All of the Caregivers

Caregivers come in many forms, from parents and siblings to extended family and friends. In November, we celebrate National Caregiver Month. This month allows us to take a moment to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. The theme for the 2016 National Family Caregivers Month is “Take Care to Give Care”. We understand…