#PairedProgressions at the Playhouse!
Jamie attends Fantastic Friends every month and never the misses T.E.A.M. program. She just can’t enough of the Playhouse! This month she came in to volunteer a couple of times. Jamie is a hard worker, she puts in 100% no matter what it is. We gave her the task of...
Speech Highlight
Meet Jason Nosbaum, age 31. He has been participating in the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program since it first came to McHenry in April. Jason's mom enrolled him in the program to help him be better understand throughout the community. Jason is very social and often calls, texts, and...
Thank You Rotary Club of Lake in the Hills
Board member Scott Perlman accepted a $2000 check from the Lake in the Hills Rotary. This was an award in response to a grant application for funding the renewed Teen Tastic Program. The Rotary was extremely enthusiastic for our mission and looks forward to hearing about the results of Teen...
Speech Spotlight: Marcus Weller
Marcus Weller, age 9, has been participating in the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program since April. Marcus's parents enrolled him in the program because "Marcus has a lot of trouble with his speech. He has apraxia and has a hard time forming his sounds." He is a very...
GiGi’s Playhouse McHenry County Turns 10 this year!
On April 26, 2008 GiGi’s Playhouse McHenry opened its doors. This was not an easy undertaking and took months of planning. A group of parents, their relatives and friends remodeled, furnished and decorated the building into a welcoming place for children and adults with Down syndrome. Parents and relatives...
Meet The New McHenry County Speech Language Pathologist
Hi, I'm Katie! I'm a Speech Language Pathologist and live in Crystal Lake. I am so excited to join the GiGi's Playhouse team in McHenry! In the past, I have worked at NIRSA as a summer camp counselor and at Special Olympics in the Torch Run department. I also tutored...
An early celebration of a very important day, World Down Syndrome Day! By: Board Member, Mandi Rios
What is #generationG? Generation G is a national campaign started by GiGi's Playhouse to encourage everyone everywhere to Be Accepting, Be Generous and Be Kind. Not just for people with Down Syndrome, but for everyone. It's such a simple thing to do, and makes a huge impact. Not just in the...
a role model for the Down Syndrome community
Karrie Brown is a role model for the Down Syndrome community. Karrie made her dream of modeling come true in high school when Wet Seal selected her as a model for their brand. Not because she had Down syndrome, but inspite of it. Karrie went on to act in a...
I do, we do, you do…
I do, we do, you do. This is a phrase I heard at our GiGi's National Conference and it has stuck with me. I had zero experience with Down Syndrome when i started at GiGi's Playhouse McHenry County. The children in my Kids Club group instantly won my heart and...
The positive impact the Amina Grace Speech & Language Program will bring to McHenry County…
As a mother to a 4 year old daughter with Down syndrome, my hope is that she will be able to participate fully in all life experiences, including school, sports, work, and relationships. One of our biggest challenges to her future success is her ability to communicate effectively. I share...
Thank you to the Dingle Family, Steve Drain and TNT Athletics!
One thing I’ve learned on our life with Down syndrome journey, is that kindness and support can come at unexpected times and that it can leave you completely speechless. On Christmas morning, after all the gifts were opened and breakfast goodies were gobbled down, I sat down to find a...
the world became a better place
22 years and 3 months ago the world became a better place when my wife, Beth, gave birth to our first of three sons. About half an hour after he was born the doctor informed us that Flynn exhibited characteristics of Down Syndrome. There was some denial, but we skipped...