The FACE Center

1 Week Away: Just short of one week until Sensory Sunday at miSci! Join us for a quieter, sensory-friendly museum experience and stop by the FACE Center table for resources and giveaways.

We hope to see you there!

Sensory Sunday at miSci offers:
✔ Lowered lights and sound
✔ Sensory-friendly environment
✔ Private museum and planetarium time
✔ Guests of all ages welcome
📅 Sunday, June 14 | 9:00–11:00 a.m.
📍 miSci Museum of Innovation & Science, Schenectady
💲 $12 per person

The FACE Center will be tabling during the event with resources and giveaways for families. We look forward to seeing you there!

-MIs team at the CD FACE Center

🌞 Why Summer Camp?
Time outdoors, physical activity, and opportunities to build friendships can help children develop confidence, communication skills, independence, and a sense of belonging.

Check out these camps designed to support children and teens with disabilities while creating opportunities for social connection, independence, and outdoor adventure.

🏕️ Clover Patch Camp
Center for Disability Services | Glenville, NY

• Ages 5+ through adulthood
• Swimming, sports, arts & crafts, nature exploration, music, drama, and more
• Day and overnight options available

Hosted by the Center for Disability Services, Clover Patch offers swimming, sports, arts & crafts, music, drama, nature exploration, and more for children and adults with disabilities.

📅 Summer sessions run June 7–July 17.
-Youth sessions (ages 5–18) are available June 21–26 and June 28–July 3.
-Adult sessions (18+) are available June 7–12, June 14–19, July 5–10, and July 12–17.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.cfdsny.org/our-services/education-youth-services/camp/clover-patch-camp/

🌲 Camp Ramapo | Rhinebeck, NY
• Ages 6–16
• Traditional overnight camp experience
• Sports, arts, drama, swimming, and outdoor adventures
• Strong focus on social skills, friendship-building, and confidence

🔗 Learn more: https://ramapoforchildren.org/services-programs/camp-ramapo/

🚣 Camp Reece |Johnsburg, NY
• Ages 10–17
• Sleep-away camp experience
• Arts, outdoor recreation, adaptive activities, and team-building
• Encourages independence, social growth, and trying new experiences

🔗 Learn more: https://www.reececenter.org/camp-reece

⭐ Camp Inspiration
Lake Luzerne, NY | Double H Ranch

Designed for children and young adults ages 5–21 who require respiratory support, Camp Inspiration allows families to enjoy camp together through activities such as swimming, arts & crafts, talent shows, campfires, and ropes course experiences and talent shows in a medically supported setting. All Double H Ranch programs are provided free of charge to participating families.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.doublehranch.org/calendar-event/camp-inspiration/

📅 Camp Inspiration runs June 10–14, 2026.

📩 Message us if you have questions!
— MI's Team at the CD FACE

📅 Mark your calendars!

Sensory Sunday is at to miSci on June 14. Families can enjoy a relaxed museum morning designed with sensory needs in mind, including reduced sensory stimuli and access to engaging science exhibits.

The FACE Center will be on-site with information, resources, and giveaways. We look forward to connecting with families and community members.

📍 miSci Museum of Innovation & Science
15 Museum Drive, Schenectady, NY
💲 $12 per person

You can grab your tickets with the link in the comments.

Who are you bringing with you? 👇

We hope to see you there! 🔵

-MIs team at the CD FACE Center

As we wrap up our water safety series, we wanted to remind you that learning to swim extends far beyond water safety. 🏊🏽‍♀️💪🏾

We've also linked an agency suggestion, should you want to inquire about registering a child. Our friends at Special Olympics New York have a variety of sports training and olympic style games to offer for children (or adults) with intellectual disabilities.

Call them and explore what might be a good fit for your family.

Check the comments for a direct link to their available swim programs this June.

Here are is a recap:

This month we celebrated National Water Safety and National Learn to Swim Day.

Learning to swim can be beneficial for many children beyond water safety alone.
For some children with disabilities, swim instruction may also support:
✨ Motor skill development
✨ Confidence and independence
✨ Following directions and routines
✨ Sensory regulation
✨ Social interaction with peers/instructors
✨ Comfort in environments that may have once felt overwhelming
Every child learns differently—and not every swim program is designed with all learners in mind. Families may want to explore adaptive swim lessons, smaller class sizes, visual supports, or instructors with experience supporting children with disabilities.
Progress might look like putting toes in the water.
It might look like floating independently.
It might simply look like feeling safe enough to try.
And that still counts.

Make sure to check out Special Olympics New York, they may be exactly what you're looking for.

The last thing we need is less community. We hope you can attend with your kiddos for some free food and activities. ☀️ The CD FACE Center will be tabling at this event.



We hope to see you there!

-MIs team at the CD FACE Center

Greene County Health Department

As we approach the end of the school year, we want to emphasize the importance of attendance and address school avoidance.

School avoidance is often misunderstood.

For some children, especially children with disabilities, anxiety, sensory needs, emotional regulation challenges, or other mental health needs, avoiding school may be a sign that something in the school environment feels overwhelming, stressful, or unsafe — not simply that they are “lazy” or “don’t care.” 🩵

School avoidance can show up as stomachaches, tears before school, anger, shutdowns, difficulty getting on the bus, refusing to enter the building, or frequent absences. Sometimes children are trying to avoid situations causing distress like crowded hallways, social stress, bullying, academic pressure, evaluations, or sensory overload.

One small strategy families can try is shifting the conversation away from:
“Why don’t you want to go to school?”
And instead trying questions like:
• “What feels hardest about school lately?”
• “Is there a part of the day you dread?”
• “What would make school feel a little easier?”

If your child shares something difficult, try to stay calm and curious first. Validate the feeling before immediately trying to fix it. From there, begin looking for patterns and possible supports.

Some helpful next steps may include:
🔹keeping notes about triggers, difficult mornings, or physical symptoms
🔹 talking with your child’s school team about concerns early
🔹 checking in with your child’s doctor or mental health provider if symptoms continue
🔹working with the school to identify supports, accommodations, or adjustments that may help your child successfully participate
Early support matters. The longer school avoidance continues, the harder returning to school can sometimes feel for a child.

As always, if you have questions MI's team at the CD FACE Center is here to help families make sense of the special education process.

📱 Screens are a normal part of everyday life now, and many families are trying to figure out what healthy balance looks like for their child.

This graphic shares general screen time guidance by age based on research around child development, sleep, behavior, and media habits. Studies have found that very high amounts of screen time in young children may be linked to more challenges with behavior, attention, sleep, and development over time — which is why experts encourage families to start building healthy media habits early when possible. 💙

That does not mean families need to panic, feel guilty, or aim for perfection. Real life is busy, and every child and family has different needs, routines, and circumstances. These recommendations are simply meant to help support things like rest, connection, communication, play, emotional regulation, and overall healthy development in a world filled with screens.

Many experts encourage focusing less on “perfect limits” and more on:
🔹High-quality content
🔹 Balance with sleep, play, movement, and family interaction
🔹 Helping children transition away from screens calmly
🔹 Co-viewing or engaging together when possible

For some children, especially children with disabilities or sensory needs, screens may also support communication, learning, predictability, or regulation. However, that does not mean unlimited screen use is always helpful. Children with disabilities can still experience challenges connected to excessive screen time, including sleep disruption, difficulty with transitions away from devices, reduced physical activity, overstimulation, or less time spent practicing social interaction, play, communication, and daily living skills. The goal is not to remove helpful tools, but to create healthy balance and intentional use that supports the child’s overall development and well-being.

We’ll also be sharing guidance and conversation starters for older age groups soon 👀 and remember, we proudly recognize that every family’s approach may look a little different.

As always, if you have questions, feel free to reach out to the FACE Center. We’re always happy to help families make sense of these topics together.

Sources referenced for this post include the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and research available through the National Library of Medicine.

- MIs team at the Capital District FACE Center 🔵

☀️ When the weather gets warmer, kids can get a little extra... bold 😅 More time outside, excitement about summer, disrupted routines, extra energy, and sometimes we see less potency on what seemed like developing listening skills. Don't be discouraged.

This week we’re sharing a quick reminder on how to use the famous the time-out strategy. It should be used as a calm reset when needed, not as punishment. This tipsheet breaks down how to use time-out effectively when a child is engaging in behavior to get attention—while also reminding families that redirection and positively stated directions should come first. It also highlights common mistakes (like lecturing, delaying consequences, or giving too much attention during time-out).

Sometimes kids need help slowing their bodies and emotions back down—and parents deserve strategies that feel realistic during busy spring and summer days.

As always, let us know if you have questions. 💙

-MIs team at the CD FACE Center

💧Some parents have their longest days when it's time to get their child out the pool.

(🚨 Bonus tip: remember warnings and countdowns help with the transition out).

💦 For many children, water can bring so much joy, whether that’s swimming at the pool, splashing at the beach, or simply enjoying sensory play in the bath.

For some children with disabilities, however, water can also come with additional safety considerations. Children who experience wandering/elopement behaviors, impulsivity, sensory-seeking tendencies, mobility challenges, communication differences, or limited awareness of danger may need extra layers of support around pools, lakes, beaches, and other bodies of water.

As we recognize National Water Safety Month this May, now is a great time to prepare before summer activities begin.

A few ways families can plan ahead:
✔ Explore swim lessons when appropriate for your child’s needs
✔ Use life jackets and approved flotation devices when needed
✔ Maintain close, active supervision near any body of water
✔ Secure pools with fences, locks, covers, and alarms
✔ If wandering is a concern, consider door alarms or other safety supports
✔ Let trusted family members, neighbors, babysitters, and caregivers know if your child may be drawn to water
✔ Take note of nearby ponds, pools, lakes, creeks, or retention ponds near your home or frequent destinations
✔ Keep emergency contact information accessible and call 911 immediately in an emergency

For many children, water can be calming, therapeutic, and a wonderful source of confidence-building. With the right precautions in place, families can help make those moments both fun and safer this summer. 💙

Let us know if you have any questions.

-MIs team at the CD FACE Center

Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day 🩵

A child’s mental health shapes how they learn, communicate, build relationships, and respond to everyday challenges. For children with disabilities, emotional wellness can be impacted by communication barriers, sensory overload, social stress, physical limitations, changes in routine, or feeling misunderstood.

Emotional wellness is an important part of a child’s overall development.

How to check in with your child today and support emotional wellness:

🔹Celebrate effort, not just outcomes

If your child communicates verbally:
🔹 “What felt hard today?”
🔹“What helped you feel calm?”
🔹“What made you feel happy today?”
🔹 “Is there anything you wish adults understood better?”

If your child communicates differently or is non-speaking:

🔹 Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), visuals, emotion charts, or yes/no choices:
“Are you feeling happy, sad, tired, frustrated, or overwhelmed?”
🔹 If communication is limited, check in through observation + interaction:
“Let’s try something calming together.”

That could look like:
• music
• water play/pool time
• sensory toys
• a stroller/wheelchair walk outside
• stretching or movement if appropriate for your child
• quiet time in a dim space

During preferred activities or daily routines, notice what seems to bring comfort, joy, stress, frustration, or overstimulation. Some children may enjoy you narrating what you notice (“That song makes you smile” or “That noise seems overwhelming”), while others may prefer space.

🔵 Sometimes support simply looks like sitting nearby during their favorite activity, joining them for part of it, or reducing demands when they seem overwhelmed. You do not need to do everything perfectly. Sometimes the most meaningful check-in is simply noticing what your child may be trying to communicate.

-The CD FACE Center provides educational support and resources for families navigating special education. For medical or mental health concerns, contact your child’s healthcare provider or a licensed mental health professional.