JANUARY 2015
“One resolution I have made and try always to keep, is this:
To rise above the little things.” –John Burroughs
We Are Here For You!
Remember EFMP can help your Family
with:
Education
Access to books and videotapes pertaining
to disabilities.
Advocacy
Advocates for the Family receive timely
and appropriate services.
Info and Referral
Provides on and off post resource
information.
Respite Care
Coordinates appropriate
respite care arrangements
for qualifying Families.
Please contact EFMP if you
need assistance.
MANAGER
910-907-3395
ACS EFMP SPECIALIST
LOCATED IN WAMC
910-907-6258
RESPITE
910-643-6993
SYSTEMS NAVIGTORS
910-907-5624
910-643-7517
910-907-3405
GENERAL
910-907-5623
910-643-6997
910-396-2749
START THE NEW YEAR PAYING IT FORWARD!
Ohio 8 year-old turns $20 into priceless gift
TOLEDO, Ohio -- At the Ohio Air National Guard base near Toledo, Lt. Col. Frank Dailey still can't
believe the honor recently bestowed upon him. "It's incredible being recognized in such a manner," he
says.
It happened at a Cracker Barrel, of all places. As the security camera shows, Dailey entered the
restaurant on Feb. 7 for an early lunch. At about the same time, 8-year-old Myles Eckert came in with his
family.
Myles was very excited. He'd just found a $20 bill in the parking lot. He'd started thinking of what he
could spend it on.
"I kind of wanted to get a video game, but then I decided not to," Myles says . He changed his mind
when he saw the guy in uniform. "Because he was a soldier, and soldiers remind me of my dad," Myles
explains.
And so, with his dad in mind, Myles wrapped the $20 in a note that read, "Dear Soldier -- my dad was a
soldier. He's in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it
forward in my family. It's your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid."
Army Sgt. Andy Eckert was killed in Iraq, just five weeks after Myles was born. All the kid has ever had
are pictures and dog tags, other people's memories and his own imagination.
"I imagine him as a really nice person and somebody that would be really fun," Myles says.
The dad he imagines must also love a good story. Because after lunch that day, Myles asked his mom,
Tiffany, to make one more stop. "He wanted to go see his dad," Tiffany says. "And he wanted to go by
himself that day."
She took a photo from the car. Follow the footsteps and you'll see Myles standing there behind the flag,
presumably telling his dad all about it. And whether heaven heard him or not, his good deed continues to
impress here on earth. "I look at it every day," Dailey says of the note Myles gave him.
It turns out Myles gave him a bigger gift than $20. "A lifetime direction, for sure," Dailey says.
Dailey says he's already given away that $20 and plans to do much more. He also hopes that little green
Post-It will inspire other people across the country to give -- to give as sincerely and dutifully as that
father and son (www.cbs.news).
-Steve Hartman, On the Road.
10 Things Autism Parents Wish You Knew
1. People don’t need to feel awkward when they’re around my son. Yeah, they may need to treat him a
little differently, but I wish they wouldn’t be weirded out.
2. Not all autism is the same.
3. People seem to think that because my son isn’t like the one single other person they know on the
spectrum, that he must not be autistic.
4. These kids love. They need love. They are wonderful and bring enormous joy and laughter to those
who love them.
5. Knowing one child with autism doesn’t mean anything really – they’re all so different. Please don’t
tell me my son doesn’t have it because he looks so different from the other kid you know on the
spectrum.
6. Kids with special needs are smart. Talented. Creative, and thoughtful. It may not be obvious all the
time – their minds work differently.
7. If my daughter is making strange noises, feel free to look. She’s just making them because she’s
excited. Please don’t stand there and gape at us with your mouth hanging open.
8. If you see my son in a grocery store, he may be head nuzzling, chewing on the corner of his shirt, or
spinning. He’s anxious. I will not scold him, so please do not look at me as if I should. He can’t help
how his body receives stimuli. He is trying to cope with the way his body is affected by his
surroundings.
9. From onlookers who think I am not addressing my child’s odd behaviors: I ask for a little empathy.
Don’t judge. Try to understand that his environment strongly affects him.
10. Please accept our kids the way that you assume we will accept yours.
I think I’m speaking for all of us when I say that what we really want you to know, what we’re
screaming out loud, is that we, as mothers, are both terrified and brave.
That while our children may act differently from what you’re familiar with, they are our normals. That
they’re full of emotion, fierce love, tender hearts, and hope.
Our special needs kids are here, on purpose, and Out Loud. Even when they’re silent
(www.autismSpeaks.com).
January is Family Fit Awareness Month
Physical activity provides long-term health benefits for
everyone! By being active, you will burn calories that you
store from eating throughout the day and—it can be as easy
as walking the dog or as rigorous as running a marathon.
Providing opportunities for children to be active early on
puts them on a path to better physical and mental health. It's
never too late to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle.
Physical Activity & Obesity
Physical activity, along with proper nutrition, is beneficial
to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. And it is
important that everyone gets active: over the last 20 years, there's been a significant increase in obesity in the
United States. About one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of
children and adolescents (aged 2-19 years) are obese.
The health implications of obesity in America are startling:

If things remain as they are today, one-third of all children born in the year 2000 or later may suffer
from diabetes at some point in their lives, while many others are likely to face chronic health problems
such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and asthma.

Studies indicate that overweight youth may never achieve a healthy weight, and up to 70% of obese
teens may become obese adults.

Even more worrisome, the cumulative effect could be that children born in the year 2000 or later may
not outlive their parents.

The impact of obesity doesn't end there. Obesity has personal financial and national economic
implications as well. Those who are obese have medical costs that are $1,429 more than those of
normal weight on average (roughly 42% higher). And annual direct costs of childhood obesity are
$14.3 billion.
By incorporating physical activity into your daily life—30 minutes for adults and 60 minutes for children
—as well as healthy eating, you will experience positive health benefits and be on the path for a better future.
The Impact of Physical Activity on Your Health
Regular physical activity can produce long-term health benefits. It can help:
 Prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke (the three leading health-related causes
of death)
 Control weight
 Make your muscles stronger
 Reduce fat
 Promote strong bone, muscle, and joint
development
 Condition heart and lungs
 Build overall strength and endurance
 Improve sleep
 Decrease potential of becoming depressed

Increase your energy and self-esteem

Relieve stress

Increase your chances of living
Con’t January
is Family Fit Awareness Month
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends 30 minutes of physical activity a day for adults, 60
minutes for children, at least five days a week. Sound daunting? It's much easier than you think, regardless of your
current activity level. There are plenty of ways to get moving and some may even surprise you! It's time to be
active, get healthy, and have some fun!
Being active doesn't require joining a gym. Look for ways to increase your heart rate during your daily routine.
Walk or cycle instead of taking the car or bus, or you can choose the stairs over the escalator or elevator. Try these
ways to be active and start working towards your fitness goals to jumpstart or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
There are many health benefits to being active for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, but you should
consult your physician before starting a new activity program. If you haven't been active in a while, start slowly
and build up. Do what you can; some physical activity is better than none.
Different Types of Physical Activity
 Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. Aerobic activities can be moderate or
vigorous in their intensity levels, and range from 60-85% of your resting heart rate. A general guide to use:
For moderate activities you can talk, but you can't sing. With vigorous activities, you can only say a few
words without stopping to catch your breath.
 Muscle-strengthening activities make your muscles stronger.

Bone-strengthening activities make your bones stronger and are especially important for children and
adolescents, as well as older adults.
Balance and stretching activities enhance physical stability and flexibility, which reduce the risk of injuries
(www.webmd.com).
J ANUARY 2015
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Syndrome
Seminar
9:00 -11:00 a.m.
Syndrome
Support Group
Ardennes
Comm. Center
10:30-12:00pm
28 Disability
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7Autism Support Group, Linden Oaks Clubhouse
8:00 - 10:30 a.m.
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Developmental
Disabilities Parent
Support Group
Casablanca Comm.
Center
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Rights
Be a Great
Advocate 10:0011:30 am