As a mother of a young child with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), I know how important it is to create opportunities where our children, teens, and adults can feel included, make friends, discover new interests, and simply enjoy being themselves. That is why serving as one of the coordinators of the Youth and Adult Program (YAP) during the Prader-Willi California Foundation’s Annual General Education Meeting is so meaningful to me.
This year, my co-coordinator, Shaquinta Prince, and I had the privilege of welcoming 17 individuals, ranging in age from 3 to 27 years old, to our YAP Glow Party. We were also fortunate to have five amazing volunteers who assisted throughout the day. These volunteers included local college students preparing for careers that may involve working with individuals with disabilities, as well as family members of people with PWS. Their willingness to learn, connect, and support our participants helped make the day a success and provided them with valuable firsthand experience.
The Glow Party theme brought excitement and energy to the day from start to finish. In the morning, participants enjoyed Jeopardy, musical chairs, tote bag decorating, and glow-in-the-dark tattoos. The afternoon included stationery card making, creating glow bracelets, karaoke, and a movie. Everywhere you looked, there were smiles, laughter, creativity, and friendships being built.
When planning YAP, I intentionally try to create a balance between activities that use fine motor skills and those that encourage gross motor movement. Crafts, games, dancing, singing, and hands-on projects all provide different ways for participants to engage, learn, and have fun. Every individual comes with their own interests and strengths, so I strive to offer a variety of activities that appeal to different ages and abilities.
One of my favorite parts of organizing YAP is seeing participants discover activities they truly enjoy. Sometimes those interests grow into something much bigger. A few years ago, Sienna Godfrey spent several hours in YAP carefully and beautifully completing a diamond art project. Her focus and passion for the activity were impossible to miss. Today, that same interest has blossomed into a business, Sienna’s Sparkle Designs. Stories like Sienna’s remind me that a simple activity can spark a lifelong hobby, build confidence, or even create opportunities we never imagined for our kids.
As we begin thinking about next year’s YAP, I would love your help. One of the most valuable planning tools we have is feedback from our participants and their families. In fact, many of the changes we have made over the years have come directly from attendee suggestions. Based on feedback, we have adjusted menus, introduced new activities, and changed the order of events throughout the day. As we all experience daily, our kids are never shy about sharing their feedback.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to ask your child, teen, or adult family member about their YAP experience. What was their favorite activity? Was there something they didn’t enjoy? Is there a hobby, game, craft, or interest they would like to explore next year? Their ideas help us create a program that is more engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable for everyone.
Thank you to all the families who trusted us with their loved ones, to our dedicated volunteers, and to everyone who helped make this year’s Youth and Adult Program a success. Watching participants connect, create, laugh, and shine is one of the highlights of my year. I look forward to hearing your feedback and continuing to grow YAP together because today’s activity might just become tomorrow’s passion.