>> FAMILIES WITH LITTLE KIDS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO. WHETHER IT’S
PLAYING SPORTS OR JUST RUN
AROUND THE PARK. BUT PARENTS
JUST REALLY WANT TO KEEP YOUR
KIDS ACTIVE. SO YOU MAY ALSO
WANT TO GIVE THEM OPTIONS TO
KEEP THEM ACTIVE AND LEARNING
AND GROWING ALL AT THE SAME
TIME. BUT WE KNOW THAT CAN BE
DIFFICULT TO FIND OPTIONS FOR
KIDS WHO ALSO HAVE
DISABILITIES. WELL, JOINING ME
NOW ON THE MORNING SHOW IS
DULCE DE HAAS, THE ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT THE
CUMBER MUSEUM. SO WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR ABSOLUTELY. SO
TO START OFF WHY YOU THINK
IT’S SO HARD FOR FAMILIES TO
FIND SOMETHING TO DO FOR KIDS
IN THE SUMMER. SO IN THE
SPECIFICALLY WITH FAMILIES
CHILDREN THAT MAY HAVE.
>> DIFFERING NEEDS THIS SUMMER
SO DIFFERENT THAN DURING THE
SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE DURING THE
SCHOOL YEAR STUDENTS HAVE THE
SUPPORT AT SCHOOL, A VERY
REGIMENTED SCHEDULE. AND THEN
IN THE SUMMERTIME, IT’S
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SO IT
CAN BE FOR STUDENTS AND ALSO
FOR THE FAMILIES. I’M LOOKING
FOR THINGS TO DO DURING THE
SUMMER TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW,
KNOW WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO BE
SAFE AND AND AND BE ABLE TO
ENJOY THE SPACE THAT THEY’RE
IN.
>> YEAH. SO IT’S NOT EASY AT
ALL. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE
MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH AUTISM.
EXPLAIN TO US YOUR EXPERIENCES
ON WHAT YOU DO TO HELP YOUR
CHILD SOCIALIZE.
>> AND GROW IN THE MIDST OF
ALL OF THIS DURING DURING THE
SUMMER. WHEN WE’RE LOOKING FOR
THINGS TO WE WE LIGHT TO
INVESTIGATE THE THE THE
INSTITUTION THAT WE’RE GOING
TO AHEAD OF TIME AND WE’RE
LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT’S
WELCOMING AND THAT MAY HAVE
OTHER CAPABILITIES AND AND BE
VERY WELCOMING TO US AND
UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT WE’RE
GOING THROUGH BECAUSE OUR OUR
FAMILIES DIFFERENT IT’S NOT
JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE
MELTDOWNS. THERE MAY SENSORY
OVERLOAD AND AND KNOWING THAT
A PLACE GOING TO BE WELCOMING
AND ACCEPTING OF US IS AS
CRUCIAL.
>> SUPPORT IS MANDATORY. SO
TELL WHAT DOES THE AM OFFER
FOR FAMILIES, WITH CHILDREN
WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES?
SURE. SO HAVE WE’RE
CELEBRATING OUR 60TH
ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR AND I’M
STAYING TRUE TO. OUR FOUNDER,
9, A COMER WHO DESIRE TO PAY
AND ARTS COMMUNITY FOR ALL. WE
HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT THE MUSEUM THAT CAN HELP
SPECIFICALLY FOR FAMILIES THAT
ARE ON-SITE VISITING THE
MUSEUM. WE HAVE SENSORY BAGS
THAT CAN BE CHECKED OUT AT THE
AT THE WELCOME DESK AND THOSE
HAVE NOISE, CANCELING
HEADPHONES AND THEM. THEY HAVE
FIDGETS AND SOME OTHER ITEMS
THAT CAN HELP MAKE THE VISIT
LAST LONGER AND MORE ENJOYABLE
FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY.
WE ALSO HAVE FOR THOSE THAT
ARE THE HAVE LOW VISION OR
MAYBE FLIGHT. WE TOUCH TOURS
THAT ARE AVAILABLE. PRIVATE
TOUCH TOURS THAT ARE AVAILABLE
IF YOU REACH OUT AHEAD OF
TIME, WE CAN SO THAT YOUR
FAMILY MEMBER CAN ENJOY THE
MUSEUM AND SELECTED. WORKS OF
NOT THROUGH THEIR EYES, BUT
THROUGH THEIR HANDS, WHICH IS
REALLY INCREDIBLE. WE ALSO
HAVE FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE,
MAYBE THAT YOU’RE HOMEBOUND ON
OUR WEBSITE AND OUR YOUTUBE
CHANNEL. WE HAVE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT TOURS THAT YOU CAN
LOOK AT. WE HAVE DIFFERENT ART
MAKING ACTIVITIES THAT YOU CAN
DO AND THAT CAN ALSO SERVE AS
A GREAT RESOURCE FOR. I’M
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT
BECAUSE THAT’S ALSO ANOTHER
REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF IT OF
LIFE A FAMILY THAT HAS SOMEONE
WITH DIFFERING NEEDS, YOU
KNOW, PREPARING AHEAD OF TIME.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT
THE MUSEUM IS LIKE AND YOU CAN
SEE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE
COMING. WE ALSO HAVE A
FESTIVAL EVERY SPRING. THE
ARTS FESTIVAL. AND THIS YEAR
WE WELCOMED OVER 2200 STUDENTS
FROM DUVAL COUNTY AND
SURROUNDING COUNTIES DIFFERING
NEEDS ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE
MUSEUM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
AND WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT
WITHOUT OUR LEADING SPONSOR OF
THE CORNELIA T FAMILY
FOUNDATION AND AND ALL OF
OTHER COMMUNITY HELPERS. YES,
THAT IS SO THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS DO THERE
AT THE MUSEE, AMMAN.
>>JENNIFER READY: FOR ANY
FAMILIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WANT
TO LEARN MORE. IT’S BEST TO
OUR WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO
REACH OUT TO THEM IS YES.
SURE. YOU CAN GO TO OUR
WEBSITE COMER MUSEUM DOT ORG.
YOU CAN LOOK FOR OTHER EVENTS
THAT ARE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT TOUCH AND
ARTS FOR ALL YOU CAN E-MAIL