Spectrum of Possibility
Speech-language pathologist Nicole Gerami has served children in public schools, clinical settings and private practice for more than two decades. A Milestones 2017 honoree of the Community Innovator Award, Nicole is the founder of Friendship in Teams (FIT™), a groundbreaking program for children with autism. In its 10th year, FIT is Northeast Ohio’s only social skills program where children learn valuable social thinking, conversation and self-regulation tools in a fun, movement-based environment. FIT has branched out to include a Cleveland east and west side operation, as well as a Middle Tennessee branch. Together, these programs serve hundreds of children with autism and other disabilities.
Nicole is also founder and owner of Nicole Gerami, LLC, where she and her staff treat children with autism in individual and small group therapy. She is a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University where she trains graduate students in communication sciences so that they can learn her methodologies and help children on the autism spectrum.
Fully licensed by both the Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the Ohio Department of Education, Gerami is also a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a frequent lecturer for the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Milestones, Northern Speech Services, and the University Hospitals of Zürich in Switzerland.
Gerami is in the process of publishing her next book in Switzerland about helping children with autism learn to engage in conversation and narratives.
How do you feel your efforts have impacted the autism and special needs community?
I have dedicated my career to helping children on the autism spectrum. Through my publications in the US and Switzerland, lectures, and the development of both my private practice and the FIT Program, I have created a broad range of therapy services for children with autism. This has allowed me to reach approximately 200 children and families per week. My passion for helping children to communicate effectively and to maximize their ability to improve their social skills has spurred my creativity in designing new and exciting programs where children can thrive among their peers.
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For Lucas Estafanous, 18, Milestones 2017 honoree of the Personal Achievement Award, the sky’s the limit. Though as a young child he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and later, at age 13, diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, Lucas, with the help and support of his family and the Milestones community, pushed forward to pursue his passion – mathematics.
The Orange High School senior is known by his math teachers and peers as a skilled test taker. He is admired for his ability to solve complex equations with finesse. Which is why, this fall, Lucas will attend Case Western Reserve University where he will major in mathematics.
“It felt really good when I got my acceptance letter,” he says. “College will be a really cool experience.”
In addition to this major accomplishment, Lucas has been an intern at Milestones for the past two years. During his internship, Lucas has learned hard and soft employment skills. Milestones has benefitted greatly from his ability to successfully complete a wide variety of tasks in a busy office environment.
When Lucas is not hitting the books or interning, he enjoys hobbies including tennis and a variety of activities on his computer (he says he hates when people generalize video games in conversation).
How do you feel your efforts have impacted the autism and special needs community?
I feel like I have changed the way that people view autism. They may have not been educated on how wide of a spectrum autism covers, and I hope meeting me has opened their eyes a little bit.
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Dr. Stephen L. Ruedrich, Milestones 2017 honoree of the Research & Medicine Award, was profoundly impacted by his first encounter with patients with autism and intellectual disabilities. Inspired by the courage of the individuals he met, Ruedrich decided to dedicate his career to making life better for persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders.
More than 40 years after that first experience, Dr. Ruedrich, who serves as the L. Douglas Lenkoski Professor of Psychiatry at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, continues to positively impact the region by helping to demystify the process of seeking and receiving psychiatric care for patients and families.
In addition to his role at Case, Dr. Ruedrich serves as Vice-Chair, Chief of the Division of Adult Psychiatry and Chief Quality Officer in the Department of Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Cleveland. At University Hospitals, he has continued and expanded a focused clinical practice serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with co-morbid psychiatric or behavioral disorders.
How do you feel your efforts have impacted the autism and special needs community?
I hope that our work has made it easier for persons in Northeast Ohio with autism and special needs, who also have psychiatric or behavioral disorders, to seek and receive psychiatric care, and for their families to participate in their assessment and treatment. Our goal has been to normalize and demystify this process for patients and families, so that their level of comfort and confidence in seeking psychiatric care makes our office visit just one more pleasant community outing.
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As a Parent Mentor for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Saundra Jordan, our 2017 honoree of the Parent Tribute Award, has served Cleveland parents for 13 years. As a parent of a child (now an adult) with a disability, her daughter’s success is a testament to Saundra’s dedication. She is a proud mother of a college graduate, which has provided fuel in effectively mentoring countless parents over the years.
Along with her years working with Cleveland parents, Saundra has over 20 years of volunteer work around all aspects of the Special Education process. Her many accomplishments include the 2017 Milestones Autism Conference Steering Committee, Parent Leadership Council SST3, Parent Advisory Committee of Cleveland Schools, Co-Founder of Parent Support Groups, Facilitator for the Cleveland/Akron Regional Forum addressing Ohio students with disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System in 2006, receiving the Outstanding Parent Service Award (SST3) in 2000, and serving on ESY Task Force helping to Review and Revise Guideline for Extended School Year in 1999. Saundra has also served as a member of Parent School Improvement Program and volunteered as a Surrogate Parent in the Orange City Schools.
How do you feel your efforts have impacted the autism and special needs community?
I believe every child/student should be given the opportunity to experience all levels of learning. There should not be a ceiling placed on the education of any child/student. While embracing that belief, I would encourage parents and families and community members to work toward expecting the best from our children and also seeing college as an option for their own children/students.
How has helping others shaped your life?
Helping others has proven to me the old adage, “One person can make a difference.” It has given me the courage, the purpose and the confidence that only serving can promote.
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Tyler Aldrich, 22, is a trailblazer – both literally and figuratively.
He had a dream a few years ago while he was on vacation with his family. He wanted to run across the country to the West Coast, kind of like Tom Hanks’ character did in the film Forrest Gump. When the Fremont, Ohio native and Milestones 2017 honoree of the Trailblazer Award told his mentor and former high school cross country coach about this goal, his coach tried talking him out of it. You’re too young, he told Tyler, usually “ultra-runners” don’t do something like that until they are in their 30s. Maybe instead he should start out small, his coach suggested. Tyler’s response: “OK coach, then I’m going to run across the state of Ohio!”
That’s how Tyler’s version of “Run Ohio” was born. What started as a pipe dream became a dream come true. It took him two years to prepare for his June 11, 2016 run. Tyler started in Fremont and ran 225 miles across the state to Cincinnati, along the Ohio River. His “finish line” was at The Great American Ballpark (where the Cincinnati Reds play) during a game against the Chicago Cubs. Wanting to recognize Tyler’s achievement, the Reds organization reached out and invited him to run through the stadium, ending in the ball field and made him the Grand Marshall of their parade.
“I run to prove to myself – and others – that anything is possible,” says Tyler, who was diagnosed with autism at age four. “It’s my passion to bring awareness to autism as well as to set an example for others living on the spectrum and for those that may be living with challenges.”
When Tyler is not attending classes at Tiffin University, or working, he is running. Always running. He runs competitively in 5Ks and ran his first half-marathon in June 2015, placing 67th overall out of 1200 runners and placing 6th in his age group.
How do you feel your efforts have impacted the autism and special needs community?
I feel I have impacted the autism and special needs community by setting an example to those living with challenges, by persevering, by making positive changes, and by living my life with purpose and with the mindset that anything is possible.
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