Autism center to become reality

Footprints Center for Autism planned for eastern Lake County

“We wanted to keep it in our home of Lake County, but be accessible to Geauga and Ashtabula students, too.” — Footprints Center for Autism Executive Director Erin Bolyard

Footprints Center for Autism started out as just a dream for three women who wanted to make a difference in the community,; it’s becoming a reality.

Executive Director Erin Bolyard, along with Clinical Directors Nicole Best and Claire Caldarea, plan to open a center with a mission to provide comprehensive, collaborative, and child-centered programming for individuals with autism in a positive and non-restrictive learning environment so that each child can reach their highest potential and achieve excellence in all aspects of life.

“We all collectively wanted to make a difference in anybody that has been affected by autism and we wanted to help change their lives,” said Best, 35, of Madison. “We wanted to provide them with education, we wanted to provide them with therapy, we wanted to provide them with a place where they can go and where they know their students will be loved and well-taken care of, as well as be provided the best education as possible.”

Bolyard, 27, of Mentor-on-theLake, said they hope to find a facility in eastern Lake County.

“We wanted to keep it in our home of Lake County, but be accessible to Geauga and Ashtabula students, too,” she said.

Footprints Center for Autism recently became officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Ohio and hope to open its doors to students in September.

They plan to offer day treatment; special education services; occupational and speech therapy; and parent/professional learning opportunities.

Bolyard said they also are going to register to become an Autism Scholarship provider.

The Autism Scholarship Program gives the parents of children with autism who qualify for a scholarship the choice to send the child to a special education program other than the one operated by the school district of residence to receive their education and the services outlined in the child’s individualized education program,

according to the Ohio Department of Education.

“The impact that we are setting out to make is to help these kids be successful in the school, in the community and at home,” said Caldarea, 37, of Mentor. “We want them to be as social as they can be and as successful as they can be.”

Footprints Center for Autism will serve students from ages 3 to 22 and plans to start with six to 10 students the first year, Bolyard said.

Bolyard, Best and Caldarea have experience working with individuals with autism and will work full-time.

There also will be a parttime speech and occupational therapist.

However, Bolyard said because of the high level of interest, they may accept 10 to 20 students the first year and hire more staff.

While the center will focus on autism, students with other developmental and cognitive disorders

may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, she said.

Footprints Center for Autism will hold its first fundraising dinner and fashion show from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Patrician Party Center in Eastlake.

Proceeds will go toward the capital campaign. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit footprintscenterforautism.com/events/fundraising-dinnerfashion-show.

They are also leading a social-media movement to raise awareness about autism using the hashtag #makingfootprints.

Everyone is encouraged to tell a positive story about someone with autism and share it using the hashtag on social media, Bolyard added.

“The world only sees the negative side of autism like the meltdowns, but we want to share the achievements, milestones, positive and joyful moments of individuals with autism,” she said.