We believe in the power of sharing your story. This page features stories from FACT Oregon families from across the state.
The Best Day is Pay Day
By Roberta Dunn When do you start preparing for your child’s life after school? Immediately! Parents with adult children had shared with me that preparing for my son’s life after school should start while he was young, and that it
Continue readingLegislative Update
By Ava Bartley, Advocacy and Engagement Director, FACT Oregon I had the good fortune of joining FACT Oregon as its new Advocacy and Engagement Director, right before Oregon’s 2017 legislative session began, which gave me an opportunity to jump in to
Continue readingTales from the All Ability Tri4Youth
Mom and Son Dynamic Duo! By Lorinda Christianson My son Ian and I decided to compete in the All Ability triathlon on August 12th. Ian has only been riding a bike for a year, ever since he attended NWDSA Bike
Continue readingTri4Youth a Huge Success
What an amazing day we had! The first annual All Ability Tri4Youth, which was also the first EVER all inclusive triathlon in Oregon and the only the second in the country, was a huge success! On Saturday, August 12th, 95 athletes raced their
Continue readingSummer for Ramona & Me
Summer is right around the corner! Are you ready? Without the routine of school, some children struggle with knowing what is happening each day, and can feel like they have little control over their daily activities. In turn, anxiety levels
Continue readingUtilizing Your Personal Support Worker This Summer!
By Nicole Silverman, Program Coordinator My son recently attended a community event with his personal support worker . I arrived later, and walked in to see my son surrounded by several other children throwing a ball around with him. His
Continue readingNature has no Labels
By Karen Houston, Program Coordinator Nature has no labels. Nature demands your attention to the slow and subtle details of life. It removes you from the hectic, overstimulating chaos of daily life, and delivers you to a slower, rhythmic hum where
Continue readingDear Past Me
By Loreta Boskovic, Communication Specialist I remember when my son Niko was diagnosed with autism by MECP. He was 3.5 years old, and his label consumed my thoughts. I was flooded with emotions of guilt, fear, and frustration. In particular,
Continue readingA ‘Non-political’ Person gets Political
FACT Oregon would like to share a story from an Oregon mom who recently traveled to Salem to meet with her legislator for the first time. Heidi is a self-described “non-political person,” but with recent proposed budget cuts hitting the
Continue readingA Whole Life that is Beautifully Ordinary
March 1, 2017 By Roberta Dunn, Executive Director A whole life that is beautifully ordinary: This is language we are beginning to use more and more at FACT Oregon, so I thought I would share my thoughts on why. For
Continue readingDear Legislator
Last updated February 14, 2019 Dear Legislator, I wanted to write you to express my concern about an issue that my family… Dear Legislator, Recently I found out that Oregon is considering a law that would affect the special education
Continue readingSex Ed for Children Experiencing Disability
January 13, 2017 By Loreta Boskovic, Communication Specialist I think we can all agree that our children experiencing disability are going to grow older, reach puberty, and push their way on through to adulthood. The question is, are YOU ready
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