On a personal note: I have recently had the chance to speak with Karen Chung, founder and chief executive officer of Special Learning, personally. We spoke at length via phone and I’m very impressed with her work. I will be working with Special Learning going forward and I’m excited to see all the good things we can do for the community. 

-Rob Gorski

Special Learning, Inc. and Step By Step Launch Grassroots Campaign to Raise Money for Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Helping Hearts for Autism campaign will raise money for families affected by autism in need of financial support during the holidays.

CHICAGO, Illinois, and COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dec. 5, 2012 – In an effort to recognize the importance of giving to those in need, Special Learning, Inc., the leading global provider of mobile technology applications and educational resources for the autism community, and its sister organization, Step By Step, a highly regarded nonprofit autism treatment center in central Ohio, announced today a new grassroots effort to raise money for worthy families in need of financial support during the Christmas season.

The campaign, named Helping Hearts for Autism, is designed to bring financial aid and assistance to families of individuals with autism during a trying and often financially difficult time of year. Special Learning and Step By Step are collecting cash donations, which will be combined into $500 grants with an in-kind, dollar for dollar match, in the form of Special Learning products to be given away to the chosen families.

Families chosen to receive the grants, which do not have to be repaid, will be selected by a group of advisors appointed by Special Learning and Step by Step.

“Individuals with autism have endless needs that often drive their families into financial and physical distress, especially during the holiday season,” said Karen Chung, founder and chief executive officer of Special Learning. “As part of our mission to bring a sense of relief and security to these families this season, we want to team up with our friends around the globe through social media and beyond to provide them with a small gift that lets them know they are not alone in their journey.”

Through the seasonal campaign, which runs through December 19, Chung said Special Learning and Step By Step hope to contribute to at least 10 families, but they will offer as many grants as possible with the amount of funds received.

“Through a small, but generous, donation of even just $10 to Helping Hearts for Autism, individuals can make an incredible difference in the lives of an individual with autism and their family,” Chung said. “The need for donations for families like these is so great, but if enough of us come together, we can certainly make a difference in the lives of so many of these families during this holiday season.” 

To be considered, eligible families must be nominated by sending an email to jroumeliote@special-learning.com. Nominations should include complete contact information for the family and a synopsis of the family’s story, detailing the need and why the grant and in-kind products will benefit the applicant. Families may nominate themselves but must also submit their story via email and include their contact information.

Families selected to receive the grants and donations will be featured in upcoming newsletters, blogs and other Special Learning materials.

To donate now to Helping Hearts for Autism, please visit http://www.special-learning.com/store/product/438. 

For more information about Special Learning, visit http://www.special-learning.com/home.

Step By Step currently serves children, teens and adults throughout the greater Columbus, Ohio, metro area. For more information about Step By Step, visit http://www.stepbystepacademy.org.

About Special Learning

Special Learning is the leading global provider of autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) solutions. Special Learning designs mobile applications and educational resources based on clinical evidence-based research to ensure that every person diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is capable of attaining an abundant and fulfilling life. Through its comprehensive web portal, Special Learning provides the global autism community with a range of ABAtraining and educational products, web-based and downloadable tools and professional services to empower parents, teachers and providers so that they can help individuals with autism move up the skills spectrum intuitively, successfully and affordably. Follow Special Learning on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/speciallearning, and Twitter, https://twitter.com/speciallearning.

About Step By Step, Inc.

Step By Step is a private, nonprofit treatment center for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using its Continuum of Care model, it offers a range of services designed to diagnose the nature and extent of the condition and provide the appropriate treatment and environment across the spectrum for children, adolescents and young adults. In addition to center-based programs, Step By Step offers direct services to the community including assessment, intensive behavioral intervention treatment, speech, psychology and psychiatric services, as well as parent advocacy, case management, counseling, and parent and professional trainings. Step By Step has several partnerships with local school districts to provide successful behavioral intervention programs directly within a school setting. Follow Step By Step on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/stepbystepacademy, and Twitter, https://twitter.com/SBSA_Ohio.