"When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity." - John F. Kennedy

On a daily basis traditional media and electronic communications bring to our awareness the crisis our national public education system is experiencing. One need only look as far as the morning paper to read of fiscal impacts from the recent election and voting results. Whether diminishing budgets, ill-prepared teachers, antiquated instructional media or unsupportive parents, our system of accompanying children to academic adulthood is letting these very children fail. Herein lies a danger which will greatly impact society not only tomorrow but in decades to come if corrective action is not taken on a wide scale.

We see this as an opportunity to have a tremendously positive effect on our society by enticing entrepreneurial citizens to collectively take matters into their own hands. Accepting the task of repairing the educational system as a whole is too great a project for us and is beyond our capabilities. However, if we focus on one aspect of the system, on those children who are perhaps most vulnerable, we can create a new method of helping them and the ripple effects can transform how we as society view education. Because our namesake, Wyatt Holliday, was a child diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a diagnosis which falls under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder, we have chosen to address the issues of children with mental and physical disabilities, starting with our local community.

Per the Office of Superintendent of Public Education in Olympia,WA, Thurston County alone has in excess of 4700 children requiring services in the school system. Public schools nationwide recognize the need for speech, language and auditory processing as well as neurodevelopmental and physical therapies for attending children with mental, communicative and sensory disorders. Extensive plans called IEP's, or Individualized Education Programs, are created in collaboration with teachers, therapists and parents with the intent on meeting the needs of the child's academic life. School districts employ Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP's) as well as Occupational Therapists (OT's) and contract them to numerous elementary, middle and high schools throughout their district. Depending on the demand and population, each school could have its own SLP and OT or one of each might cover every school in the district.

While these are very effective services in helping children increase their ability to function in school, many schools experience staff and budgetary shortcomings and thus ration the time a full time employee (FTE) may spend with each child. Limits are set by reducing frequency of visits, duration of sessions and guaranteeing one-on-one time versus small group sessions. Sometimes this is controlled by the therapist, sometimes limited by the administration of the school and, more often due to ignorance and trust, not understood by the parents. Many times a medical diagnosis or low score on a test called "The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery" is required in order to even establish services through the school. Though widely used, this test does not sufficiently cover pragmatics and thus children with linguistic disorders can slip through the cracks of the educational system. Also, the school is merely required to serve what would address issues at school only, not those affecting home life or outside the academic realm.

In other words, the child may or may not receive services depending on parental awareness, parental capability to finance diagnosis, the ability of the child to pass an antiquated exam, the availability of the therapist and the willingness of the school to allocate revenues from the school budget for that child. If services are provided, it may also not be the amount of therapy the child actually needs to make optimum progress. Looking forward, this can greatly effect the child's future relationships, earning capabilities and potential to succeed in life. If left on their own accord, many become tax-burdening statistics in the caseloads of DSHS, the Department of Social and Health Services. Per The Autism Society of America, the earlier the intervention starts - the greater the reduction of issues and burden on society.

This is where the Wyatt Holliday Foundation seizes the opportunity to facilitate a solution and assume financial responsibility of the child's needed services. We understand the importance of providing what the child actually needs to succeed rather than what will help the child pass minimal academic requirements. Greatness has never been achieved by marginal effort, nor has apathy ever moved mountains.

"Let us become the change we seek in this world." - Mohandas Gandhi

We envision society taking on the responsibility of helping and mentoring its future generations. When given a purpose, guidance and a method, well-meaning people from all walks of life routinely give of themselves from the heart. In planting what we see as a seedling by implementing a successfully proven method, providing virtual infrastructure, guidance and access to funding, we believe our model can effectively be expanded in steps to reach every state.
Not only will our venture increase the ability of disabled children to better function in and outside of school, it will create real life learning opportunities for college students, create employment opportunities in their respective fields and expand the businesses of existing therapeutic service providers. Through creative marketing in high schools and colleges this approach will also create awareness of and interest in such fulfilling careers. The need is there. The shortage of providers is real.