New vision revives BCAES

Donna Green, right, welcomes the new BCAES board of directors. From left are Kim Bearden, Cathy Rupard, Leta Frame, Sylvia Pinson, Hazel Gant and Green. Not pictured are board members Karen Loso and Ronnie Curtis. (Submitted photo)

"We have a new vision, a new mission," said Leta Frame, the new president of the Bedford County Association for Exceptional Students. "We're no longer just for special education students."

BCAES was established in 1971 and focused on the needs of the county's special education students. The association consisted of parents and other family members, as well as special educators who took active roles in helping provide needs that might typically not be met, said Frame.

Funding and participation began to dwindle over the years, but Donna Green and Hazel Gant, who were closely involved, refused to let the organization die. Their paths crossed with Frame's. The mother of a 13-year-old autistic son, Levi, Frame is the Bedford County contact for the Autism Society of Middle Tennessee and also formed a support group, Parents ACT (Autism Changes time). Parent ACT was not a nonprofit, however, and its access to funding and government programs was limited, if there at all.

On its own, Parents ACT raised enough money to sponsor a day camp for autistic children last summer and create the Aut-2-Be-Kids Club, which offers fun programs and educational activities for children with autism.

"I thought that with more funding, we could offer so much more," she said.

Making changes

Frame approached Green about the possibility of assuming the BCAES charter and expanding its mission. On Feb. 19, with the combined efforts of Gant, Green and Frame, a new board of directors was formed for BCAES and the new mission declared: To create programs, support for families and provide educational opportunities for parents, teachers and the community, while supporting autism spectrum disorders, Special Olympics and other disabilities in the community.

One major difference in the re-created BCAES is that the focus isn't only on school-aged children.

"There is nothing here for those over 18," said Frame. "With the autism rate what it is, Bedford County is going to be bombarded with autistic adults with nothing to do or help them. We've got to get training here and not just at the elementary and high school level. They aren't going to be children forever."

Frame sees the revamped BCAES as an umbrella for all who have special needs children and adults in their homes, not just autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, diabetes, or other health or developmental issues.

"I'd like to see somebody, say a parent of a child with Down syndrome, create a program. We can reach out to these parents I'm not aware of," she said.

More support

The kinds of support it will offer could be anything from clothing to assistive devices. With the BCAES's 501(c)3 status, the board will have access to more funding and other programs -- as well as the benefit of having donations be tax-deductible.

"All the money will stay local," said Frame.

She has had a lot of success in developing programs, both educational for parents and developmental and fun for the children, in her work with Parents-ACT and she looks forward to sharing her experience with these other parents. The BCAES meetings will be open to the public and will feature speakers from all different disciplines. The first meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 17 at the Shelbyville Recreation Center.

Frame also intends to continue her work with the autism society. Parents ACT meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Child Development Center. Chili's restaurant is having an Eat Out for Autism Day Monday, March 30, to kick off Autism Awareness month, and the Aut-2-Be-KidsRide for Autism, with a poker run, meal, live entertainment and prize drawings, is April 25 at H.V. Griffin Park.

For more information, contact Frame at 684-8169 or e-mail her at parentsact@gmail.com.