CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS NONPROFIT
7445 4TH STREET NORTH, OAKDALE, MN 55128 www.customizedoptions.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PROVIDE ONE-TO-ONE INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMING LOWERING THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WHILE RAISING THE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR PERSON'S WITH AUTISM OR RELATED ABILITIES.

CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS NONPROFIT FOUNDED IN 2005 HAS STAYED TRUE TO ITS' MISSION "TO PROVIDE ONE-TO-ONE INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMING LOWERING THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WHILE RAISING THE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR PERSON'S WITH AUTISM OR RELATED ABILITIES."CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS PROUDLY SERVED 46 INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE 2019 YEAR WE SERVED 23 INDIVIDUALS WITH PERSONAL SUPPORT PROGRAMMING, 6 INDIVIDUALS WITH SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT, 12 INDIVIDUALS WITH A COMBINATION OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONAL SUPPORTS, 4 INDIVIDUALS WITH HOMEMAKER PROGRAMMING, 1 INDIVIDUAL WITH PERSONAL SUPPORT/RESPITE/HOMEMAKER PROGRAMS AND 1 INDIVIDUAL WITH PERSONAL SUPPORT/RESPITE/SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, WE HAD TWO VOLUNTEERS FOR THE 2019 YEAR. EACH PERSON SERVED WAS PROVIDED A ONE-TO-ONE STAFFING PERSON WHO ASSISTED WITH PERSON CENTERED PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DESIRED GOALS. GOALS WERE SET BY THE INDIVIDUAL SERVED/GUARDIAN IN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS INCLUDING:PAID EMPLOYMENT - INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE WITH LOCATING, SECURING AND MAINTAINING PAID EMPLOYMENT FOR MINIMUM WAGE OR HIGHER. MOST EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WERE MAKING ON AVERAGE $1 MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE AT $15 AN HOUR. JOBS WERE IN AREAS OF THE PERSON'S INTEREST AND SKILLS. MOST INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE THE ONLY OR FIRST INDIVIDUALS HIRED FOR THE COMPANY WITH AUTISM OR A RELATED ABILITY. ENTREPRENEURSHIP - INDIVIDUALS SERVED WHO WANTED TO START OR MAINTAIN THEIR OWN BUSINESS WERE PROVIDED SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS FROM START UP TO MAINTAINING. INDIVIDUALS WERE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE WITH SELLING THEIR PRODUCTS BY CREATING WEBSITES AND ATTENDING COMMUNITY EVENTS. ONE PERSON SERVED WORKED ON CREATING ART TO COMPILE FOR A BOOK IN WHICH HE WILL SELL TO THE PUBLIC. ANOTHER WORKED ON CREATING WOODEN CLOCKS AND SOLD TO THE PUBLIC VIA ONLINE SALES. JOB TRIALS - INDIVIDUALS SERVED PARTICIPATED IN JOB TRIALS IN WHICH THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT THE JOB TO SEE IF IT WAS A GOOD MATCH FOR THEM AND THE EMPLOYER. VOLUNTEERING - INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE IN ALL ASPECTS OF LOCATING, OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING THEIR VOLUNTEER POSITIONS. POSITIONS WERE SELECTED BASED ON THE PERSON'S INTERESTS AND SKILLS. EDUCATION - INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE ASSISTED WITH ATTENDING COLLEGE OR COMMUNITY CLASSES FOR THOSE INTERESTED. OTHERS WORKED ONE-ON-ONE WITH THEIR STAFF TO LEARN NEW SKILLS OR IMPROVE ON EXISTING ONES SUCH AS: READING, WRITING, MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, FOREIGN LANGUAGE, ETC. ONE PERSON SERVED WORKED ON LEARNING SPANISH WHILE ANOTHER WORKED ON LEARNING JAPANESE. COMMUNICATION - SKILLS IN AFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING WANTS AND NEEDS WERE PROVIDE TO THOSE WHO DESIRED TO IMPROVE ON THEIR SKILLS. COORDINATION BETWEEN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST WAS PROVIDED. TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS TALK TO ME TOUCH SCREENS AND IPAD'S WERE UTILIZED TO HELP PERSONS SERVED BETTER COMMUNICATE THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS. A STAFF, WHO COMMUNICATED SOLELY WITH AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE WAS USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE WHO DID BEST WITH SIGN LANGUAGE. INTERPRETERS WERE USED AND STAFF WERE HIRED THAT SPOKE LANGUAGES SPECIFIC TO SEVERAL PERSON SERVED INCLUDING NEPALESE AND TIGRINYA. SOCIAL SKILLS - INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE PROVIDED STAFFING TO ASSIST WITH DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS DIRECTLY WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY WHILE ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. BY SOCIALIZING IN THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN A CLASSROOM OR SEGREGATED GROUP, PERSONS SERVED WERE ABLE TO USE AND DEVELOP SKILLS NECESSARY FOR PARTICIPATION WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES SOCIALIZING WITH PEERS WITHOUT DISABILITIES. GROSS AND FINE MOTORS - GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS WERE WORKED ON THROUGH INDIVIDUAL NEEDS WITH A ONE-TO-ONE STAFF AS WELL AS COORDINATION BETWEEN THERAPISTS. GROUP ACTIVITIES WERE PROVIDED FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK ON BOTH MOTOR SKILLS. SEWING GROUPS, CRAFTS GROUPS, ART CLASSES WERE UTILIZED TO WORK ON FINE MOTOR SKILLS WHILE PICKLE BALL AND DANCE WERE PROVIDED TO ASSIST WITH GROSS MOTOR SKILLS. TRANSPORTATION - THE FOLLOWING FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION WERE PROVIDED: USE OF STAFF'S VEHICLE, RIDE SHARE, METRO MOBILITY AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. ONE-TO-ONE STAFF WERE CHOSEN AND HIRED INDIVIDUALLY FOR EACH PERSON SERVED BASED ON THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF THE PERSON AND THEIR FAMILY. FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH BETWEEN STAFF AND PERSON SERVED IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL SERVED. WHETHER IT WAS A PARTICULAR PERSONALITY NEEDED SUCH AS AN UPBEAT PERSON OR SOMEONE WITH A SOFT SPOKEN VOICE OR A PARTICULAR AREA OF INTEREST INCLUDING FISHING, MUSIC, ART, THEATER, DANCING, ETC. CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS WORKED TO FIND THE RIGHT MATCH. STAFF WERE TRAINED IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA'S 245D LICENSING THROUGH THE COLLEGE OF DIRECT SUPPORT AS WELL AS STAR SERVICES. COURSES SUCH AS POSITIVE SUPPORTS, VULNERABLE ADULT REPORTING, OSHA, FIRST AID/CPR ETC. WERE PROVIDED. IN ADDITION, STAFF WERE TRAINED ON AUTISM AND THE SPECIFIC DISABILITY OF THE PERSON THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH. TRAINING IN COMMUNICATION AND EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH THEIR PERSON WERE ALSO PROVIDED. GROUP ACTIVITIES WERE CREATED BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL SERVED/FAMILIES AND THEIR STAFF'S DESIRE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW OR A SKILL THEY WANTED TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. ACTIVITIES WERE PROVIDED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT 12:30 EACH AFTERNOON. INDIVIDUALS SERVED CHOOSE THE ACTIVITIES THEY WANTED TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATED AT THE LEVEL IN WHICH THEY WERE COMFORTABLE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED LEARNING THE BEGINNING BASICS OF PIANO, A SING ALONG GROUP, READING SKILL DEVELOPMENT, ART CLASSES ON ARTISTS AND PAINTING STYLES, BEING COMPUTER CODING, HOW SIMPLE MACHINES WORKS, SNOW SHOEING, ETC. INDIVIDUALS HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET WITH A GROUP TO PARTICIPATE IN MUSEUMS, BUSINESS TOURS, PARTIES, BOWLING, MOVIES AND OTHER FUN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS PAIRED UP WITH A NUMBER OF LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR USE OF SPACE AND TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. WE PAIRED UP WITH GRACE CHURCH OF ST PAUL AND WORKED ON MUSIC INCLUDING BEGINNING NOTE READING AND PIANO. LOCAL LIBRARIES WERE USED FOR A BOOK CLUB.DANCE WAS OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND INTO THE FALL. PERSONS SERVED WORKED WITH A LOCAL DANCER TO ACQUIRE DANCE STEPS AND THEN PERFORMED AT THE HOLIDAY PARTY. WE PAIRED UP WITH A LOCAL ARTIST WHO PROVIDED ART AND CRAFT ACTIVITIES WEEKLY. A RETIRED MUSIC TEACHER PROVIDED MONTHLY PIANO LESSONS AND VOCAL LESSONS. WE PAIRED UP WITH THE WHITE BEAR ART CENTER AND WERE GIVEN MONTHLY ART CLASSES. CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED WITH ADDITIONAL HELP OBTAINING ITEMS NEEDED TO LIVE AND WORK MORE INDEPENDENTLY. CLOTHING SUCH AS UNDERWEAR, SHIRTS, SHORTS, AND PANTS WERE PROVIDED TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SEVERAL WERE GIVEN ITEMS TO ASSIST THEM ON THE JOB AND WITH THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. SUCCESS STORIES: CELESTE HAS BEEN GIVEN NUMEROUS AWARDS OVER HER MANY YEARS OF VOLUNTEERING AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. SHE STARTED OUT JUST HELPING IN THE OFFICE BUT HAS ADVANCED TO RUNNING A CART ON HER OWN. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE MATERIALS AND CLEANING UP AS WELL AS ASSISTING PATRONS WITH FACE PAINTING. SHE HAS SINCE BEEN PROMOTED AGAIN TO A LEAD POSITION. SHE IS THE FIRST STOP THAT PATRONS HAVE WHEN ENTERING THE MUSEUM. IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE THAT POSITION AND TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION. CELESTE HAS PROVEN TO HAVE ALL OF THAT AND THEN SOME. HER FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE HAS SERVED HER WELL.

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