Welcome!

CORP20150234-01_Nisonger 50th Anniversary Logo-FINAL

Welcome to the Nisonger Center’s 50th Anniversary page for blog posts, commentary, shared stories, photos…. you name it, we want to share it!

As you all know, The Ohio State University Nisonger Center is an interdisciplinary University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) that was started in 1966. Our mission is to work with communities to value and support the meaningful participation of people with disabilities of all ages through education, service and research. The Center serves the entire state by providing assistance to organizations, families and service providers to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in education, health, employment and community settings.

JOIN US as we celebrate 50 years of excellence and reminisce!  Feel free to share your stories as a former student/trainee, Faculty/Staff, family, patient…. let us know how Nisonger Center has impacted your life in a meaningful way :). At times, we may take snippets of these details to share on our website and/or Facebook page and ask that you only share photos that you also are comfortable with us sharing similarly and have permission to do so. Happy Sharing!

 

Vicki House- Parent of teen with Autism

Vicki House- Parent of teen with Autism

Nisonger center has changed our lives. My son Jarrod was diagnosed with Autism at age 14. He had many other diagnoses but not autism. Jarrod’s therapist suggested getting him retested at Nisonger. We finally received the diagnosis. It was painful to hear at first but yet a relief. Now that we had the diagnosis we needed we could find the resources we needed. I don’t remember who told us about teen Aspirations, but it changed our lives. Jarrod got to meet kids just like him with the same issues he has to face. He made lifetime friends. It has built up his confidence. But I think that Teen Aspirations has helped me more. I found parents that are facing the same issues. I have made lifetime friends too. The parent group supports each other in so many ways. The sessions provide parents with resources that can be hard to find. We get information about transitions, college, finance, jobs, and much more.
The best part of Teen Aspirations is that we are all here for each other, teens and Parents.

Cooking with Mommy

image

When my daughter started attending Nisonger in August of 2014 she was speech delayed at 16 months she didn’t have words, and avoided messy play. Over the summer she got diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, they have helped her talk, she now says 3 word sentences and will touch many different objects, including this dinner roll dough. I have seen her blossom, from the wonderful care she receives from all of the staff.

When my daughter started attending Nisonger

When my daughter started attending Nisonger in August of 2014 she was speech delayed at 16 months she didn’t have words, and avoided messy play. Over the summer she got diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, they have helped her talk, she now says 3 word sentences and will touch many different objects, including this dinner roll dough. I have seen her blossom, from the wonderful care she receives from all of the staff.

My experience at Nisonger as a GRA and student

My experience at Nisonger as a GRA and student was the foundation of my entire professional life. My work with Barb Edmonson was incredible and introduced me to the world of individuals with disabilities who lived in institutional settings. Our research and programatic interventions transformed the lives of individuals who were living on a locked unit with few options for socialization. I will never forget when we brought 8 individuals to Nisonger to film our socialization groups. They all had behavioral challenges and had never been to the university! We were nervous that individuals would have difficulty coping with the studio and filming but they were all so happy to be there.and performed brilliantly. I sincerely appreciate the many special people who contributed to my amazing experiences including Dr. Leland, Bill Loadman, Dave Hammer and many other staff and students.

Nisonger Center has been an important part of our lives

Nisonger Center has been an important part of our lives. As a peer-model in the Early Childhood Education Program, my son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 4. He’s since participated in ADHD research studies at the Center that have helped him tremendously. I can’t say enough positive things about the Faculty & Staff within the ECE Program, the Clinical Trials team… and our experience(s) within each. It’s clear that Nisonger Center lives out its mission each and every day as it supports families and individuals at a critical time in life. Nisonger Center is a valuable resource in the Central Ohio community.