"Double ARC" helps children succeed
When a child doesn't respond to teaching methods or even parental commands,
people ask: What's going on? A major grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) funds a thriving program pursuing answers. Double ARC (At
Risk Children), sponsored by the Toledo province of the Sisters of Notre
Dame, addresses needs of increasing number of students displaying learning
difficulties and school failure.
The veteran educators committed six sisters to Double ARC in 1992. “We're
invoIved in innovative, cutting-edge strategies and seeing amazing results," explained
Mercy Sister Linda Falquette, executive director of the program.
This program is acclaimed elsewhere. If someone is looking for a FAS (fetal
alcohol syndrome) education resource east of the Mississippi River, they
are advised to call Double ARC education specialist Sister Suzette Fisher,
SND. Curricula developed through the CDC project will be nationally distributed.
In addition to the FAS project, Double ARC operates three major programs:
applied research, consulting and workshops. Results of ongoing applied
research provide resources to teachers, parents and social workers
to help children
succeed regardless of the cause of the problem.
While initially working in Toledo Central City elementary schools,
the program has expanded to many other public, parochial and charter
schools.
Sensory integration is for those who "can't sit still" or have
a problem with touch and texture. Sister Linda explained, " The more
we find out about learning, the more we discover techniques helpful for all
children, not just those with a disability. Our mission is to help children
struggling in a regular classroom—every classroom has them. There used
to be one child—that's manageable for a teacher. Today there are three
or four—that becomes overwhelming."
Clearly, a necessary and successful program like this should have plenty
of support. But while grants have been garnered, funding is always
an issue. Helping in this regard is the intercession of Sister Mary
Lambert Wilhelm,
SND.
Every retired Sister of Notre Dame is asked to adopt a ministry and
pray for it.
Consulting is one of their most far-reaching programs, Sister Suzette
said. "We
often arrive on the scene when 72 things have been tried and nothing works.
We come in at the point of desperation and often can make a huge difference.
It's complex to get to the problem, but the solution is often simple," she
explained. "It's important to remember that children’s behavior
is communicating something—analyze the behavior and you can
often find the solution."
Double ARC’s parent-support group has helped parents find things
they could do that made sense. It helps parents and educators provide
an environment
where a child can thrive.
As background services, Double ARC has lab sites in two schools in
Toledo, Ohio and one in Jacksonville, Florida. All three schools
serve urban
populations of varied faiths and ethnic backgrounds in low-income
neighborhoods.
Double ARC offers education consultation with parents and schools;
workshops and presentations at local, state and national levels;
a multidisciplinary FAS Diagnostic Clinic; and a parent support group.
