We believe in the power of sharing your story. This page features stories from FACT Oregon families from across the state.
Alex, our Hero!
By Lucia A. When Alex was diagnosed with autism back in March of 2009, our whole world came crashing down on us. With his diagnosis came a lot of no’s, closed doors, never’s and many people walked away. But regardless
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The Sweet Taste of Victory
By Carol Bunten Raising 2 children who experience disability has its challenges. Swim lessons were a particularly Sisyphean task for us. We spent weekend mornings watching my children roll their boulders of fear up the mountain, only to have them
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Making Sense of Sensory Showings
By Nicole Silverman “There’s no adult special needs grocery store, restaurant, or post office.” I’ve heard this phrase several times and it used to HAUNT me! Especially at a time in my life when I already felt like we couldn’t
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The All Ability Tri4Youth is coming, so TRY a Bike!
By Paul and Susan Carson FACT Oregon’s All Ability Tri4Youth is the only barrier-free triathlon on the West Coast. Youth and young adults with and without disabilities compete individually or on teams in a 50-meter swim, 2-mile bike ride, and
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The Journey to Communicate
By Whitnie Trost My son Chris is a young man who experiences Down Syndrome. We noticed early on that Chris was a bit different than other kids we had met who experienced Down Syndrome, but we couldn’t put our finger
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Looking for Affordable Financing for Assistive Technology or Home & Vehicle Adaptions? The Northwest Access Fund is here to help! Nationally, it is estimated that more than 50% of all purchases of assistive technology (“AT”) are funded by individuals using their
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Assistive Technology (AT) Lab at Community Vision
Community Vision launched its AT Program, housed on the main floor of the new Seven Corners Community Building, in September 2018. The AT Lab is directed by a Speech Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist, both AT Professionals. The AT
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Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes in Campus Culture
By Jennifer Perry A few months ago, I posted on Facebook about how we received a formal complaint against my daughter, Anna, from another student at school. The principal called me into her office to inform me of what was
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The Gift of Hope
When has someone surprised you with the gift of hope? Brought you the unexpected joy and relief of camaraderie? Challenged you to hold higher expectations? When we received Lizzie’s diagnosis of Down syndrome just after her birth, I had no
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Champion the Change
By Roberta Dunn We’ve all likely heard the saying “Be the change you want to see in the world.” They are lofty words often associated with agents of change such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr.,
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Learning How to Advocate for Vance
Lynette’s journey with FACT Oregon began in 2016 when she was advised that her son’s placement was going to change. Without a clear transition plan in place, Lynette worried that her son wouldn’t be successful. She called FACT Oregon’s support
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It Takes a Village
By Courtney Hansen, Published in Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Blog My son with Down syndrome and his typically-developing twin brother just started kindergarten. The military also just moved us across country this past summer. There’s been a
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