DuPage County proclaims Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month; families and service providers speak

DuPage County Board Chair Deborah A. Conroy read a proclamation on March 25 recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and April 2 as World Autism Day, noting local service providers and families who work with people with developmental disabilities.

The proclamation cited estimates that more than 14,000 children and adults in DuPage County are impacted by developmental disabilities and noted that Easterseals DuPage and Fox Valley provides pediatric evaluations and therapy to nearly 1,000 children a week, about half of whom have autism or dual diagnoses. The board also recognized the Parents Alliance Employment Project, which the proclamation said provides career counseling, job training and placement for more than 250 young adults with disabilities and reported a 98% job-retention rate one year after placement.

Theresa Forthover, president and CEO of Easterseals DuPage and Fox Valley, thanked the board and emphasized the importance of services at a time when Medicaid and other supports face pressure. "We serve about a thousand children a week, and 60 percent of them are from DuPage County and about 50 percent of the children we serve have autism or are dually diagnosed," Forthover said.

Margaret Navolio described services Easterseals provided to her son Nolan, born in 2020 with Prader-Willi syndrome. She said Easterseals helped with physical therapy, feeding and nutrition after he left the NICU and continues to provide speech and aqua therapy. "They've been very integral in helping him meet so many of his goals," Navolio said.

Kristen Sheffield, executive director of Parents Alliance Employment Project, said the program supports job readiness and placement for individuals with disabilities and called employment "a lifeline" after school supports end. John Persakiti, HR manager for the Circuit Court Clerk, said the office hired a program participant and praised the candidate's contributions in the imaging department.

Why it matters

Board members said the proclamations honor local organizations that provide early-intervention, education and employment supports that county departments and families rely on. The recognition also surfaced specific local program outcomes and numbers that county agencies and advocates use when discussing service needs and funding.

Provenance

The board read the proclamation and the county hosted representatives from Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley and Parents Alliance Employment Project, who addressed the board and described program services and personal experiences.