Become a G.E.M.
Giant Steps
Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for volunteers to help with the Equine Therapy Program, located at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL.
Image is not available
Image is not available
Image is not available
Image is not available
Image is not available
CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER!
Slider

Giant Steps is an innovative educational and therapeutic program for individuals living with autism. We take pride in offering specialized programming to enrich the daily lives of each student and/or young adult with autism.

 

It is important for students and adults to develop healthy minds and bodies!

Expanding the World of Books:
Oh, the places our students can go!

Giant Steps understands what works and what doesn’t work in the world of autism.
We continually seek new and impactful programs to prepare our students to live better, happy, and fulfilled lives.

This year, our Day School’s need is to enlarge our library. Our theme is “Expanding the World of Books” by providing opportunities to learn about different places and experiences. We recognize the importance of learning to navigate and feel comfortable in a library. Our Day School library is very small (504 sq. ft.), which limits the number of students who can comfortably access the library simultaneously. Therefore, we intend to expand the physical space of our library by about 324 sq. ft. The additional space will allow the students room to browse resources or sit and discuss assigned topics. The library program will expand the book selection to include age and topic-appropriate books, starting in kindergarten and continuing to grow our students’ skills through adulthood.

 

Purchase a Mini Van:

To take more students into the community to practice the vocational skills they learned in class

Movement in a Sensory Appropriate Gross Motor Skills Room!

Young adults must be more physically fit to better prepare for their lives. In our current Gross Motor Skills Room, loud, echo sounds create significant challenges to conducting physical activities. The current room is extremely noisy because sound bounces off the cement floor and walls, which negatively impacts the sensory levels of our participants. Canopy must reduce these loud noises to encourage a healthy lifestyle through a higher level of exercise. The Canopy Adult Program plans to install sound-control flooring with an underlayment made of materials such as polyethylene foam, acoustic foam, or felt. The new floor covering will help to muffle the noise level in the Gross Motor Skills Room, allowing our adult participants to be more physically active in a noise-controlled environment. Thank you for all of your support.

 

Thank you for all of your support.

Please give freely to help our students to enter adulthood better prepared for happy lives.

 

Button copy

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

You found the special QR code! Please bring this tag to HR to collect your prize!

ezgif.com gif maker 3

 

 

ERIN’S LAW

In January 2013, the State of Illinois adopted Erin’s Law. This law is a state-mandated, age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education program for students in Pre-K through 12th grade. 

Erin’s Law requires that public schools and non-public schools like Giant Steps,  teach children to recognize child sexual abuse, equip them with skills to reduce their vulnerability, and encourage them to report the abuse. Please visit the Erin’s Law webpage for more information. 

Giant Steps will be providing a developmentally appropriate educational program for our K-Transition-age students. Please see the links below for more information about Erin’s Law and examples of resources that will be used at Giant Steps. 

For questions concerning Erin’s Law, please contact Angelina Strum,  Director of Special Education at astrum@mygiantsteps.org

Sincerely,
Angelina Strum
Director of Special Education

 

Topics and Resources