Trellis is a unique agency that uses progressive educational and behavioral models to help teach children that learning can be a fun, playful and interactive experience. Learn more about our organization and the passion of our staff by watching the following short video or read about our services.
Top Story
3rd Annual Bull Roast
In addition to creating opportunities for promoting awareness of autism in April; it’s a great month to join us for our 3rd Annual Bull Roast to raise funds for an organization that has been providing resources to the community for 15 years.
Pathfinders for Autism is the State’s largest autism organization dedicated to helping individuals, parents and professionals find resources, supports and training while working to increase the awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
The event will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2015 7:00pm-12:00am at the Valley Mansion by Martin’s in Cockeysville, MD. Tickets for the event are $50 per person. Over 350 guests had a great time last year enjoying the great food, live music, open bar, silent auction, money wheel, 50/50 raffle and photo booth. This year we hope even more attendees join the festivities.
“We started the Bull Roast as a fundraiser for Pathfinders for Autism because we believe in the services that they provide for the families in our community. Parents need to have a resource that they can depend on to know to access the simple things that many of us take for granted; haircuts, sensory friendly medical professionals, workshops and events for families. Pathfinders is not only a resource for families, they are vocal advocates for individuals with autism and provide trainings for first responders and other professionals across the state. Our event has raised over $20,000 in just 2 years and we are looking forward to increasing the amount we are able to donate in year three.” said Diana Campitelli, Trellis Services Associate Executive Director.
Similar to other non-profits, Pathfinders is supported by grants and independent fundraisers. Over 70% of the operational budget for the organization is funded through the non-restricted funds generated by events. Jennifer Hobbs, Pathfinders for Autism Fund Development Associate had this to say about the event, “The Bull Roast sponsored by Trellis is one of our largest independent fundraisers – so it is a HUGE part of enabling us to offer free resources and services to individuals with autism and their loved ones.”
When asked about the purpose of the event, Suzanne M. Heid, Trellis Services Associate Executive Director exclaimed, “Pathfinders does amazing work in our community and their contributions are invaluable. We are willing to give 100% of our efforts to anything that benefits them!”
Consider raising awareness tor autism in April by supporting our event for a worthy cause. Still need your ticket? Click this link to purchase now!
Fall Festival Open House
A successful Fall Festival Open House with over 100 in attendance was just the “housewarming” that Trellis needed for their Sparks location that still feels new to some. Every area of the 30,000 sq. ft. Trellis Learning Center had activities for clients, potential clients and their families on Saturday, November 15, 2014.
The facility, located on York Road, is home to The Trellis School, an afterschool program for Baltimore County, and all of Trellis’ clinic-based programs for children with autism spectrum disorders and other language and communication disorders. The facility includes six classrooms, a new fully equipped sensory gym, an outside playground and thousands of square feet of natural learning environment space.
The excitement from the staff and members of the community was palpable. Suzanne Heid, M.S., Trellis’ Associate Executive Director, commented, “The biggest thing that stood out for me was the sense of pride that our staff felt in showcasing our facility to the community!” The Fall Fest themed Open House, showcased Trellis Services to existing and new clients. When asked about the goal of the event Suzanne stated, “Our goal for the school and the clinic is to highlight our high quality programming with a focus on verbal behavior as part of the core curriculum for students and clients. We are continuously assessing our learners on a daily basis to determine how they acquire skills and progress.”
We are a place families can depend on once their child becomes a part of the Trellis community. This event allowed us to show the community who we are and what we believe in.”
Open House activities were held in each of the classrooms, and all of Trellis’ services were highlighted in some way. There were arts and crafts activities and carnival style games in the open areas, the hallways were flooded with children and all of the gyms were filled to capacity. The enthusiasm and engagement of the day were similar to what an attendee would see during a typical school day. Melissa Horrigan, Occupational Therapist, had this to say about the day,” I am so thankful for the amazing community we have here at Trellis! It was such a privilege to connect with our families outside of therapy. I had so much fun playing with my students alongside their family members. My husband volunteered during the day and he had such a blast meeting our families and seeing the amazing place where I get to work. We had so many families stop by the new OT gym. I was proud to provide a space that our students were excited to show their parents! How many kids can say that they would willingly go to school on a Saturday?” The large gym located in the back of Trellis, offers an abundance of space to run our Autism Waiver Therapeutic Integration After School Program. This program is designed to focus on recreation and leisure skills, while improving the student’s social skills, group participation, and reciprocal play.
“Our Fall Festival Open House was so much fun! It was incredibly rewarding to actually see so many of the families in our community we get to serve, “exclaimed Darcy Kline, Trellis School Autism Intervention Instructor. The event featured an auction with artwork created by current Trellis School students and learners in the Learn 2 Love (L2L) Program with the help of our Social Skills Specialist, Kate Cheek.
This event will be the first of many held in support of Trellis community and the families we serve. For more information about our services click here.
Trellis to Host Open House This Weekend
To celebrate the opening of the new Trellis Learning Center we are hosting a Fall Festival and Open House for the community on Saturday, November 15th from noon to 3:00pm.
Enjoy an afternoon of family fun, and explore everything Trellis has to offer you, your family and the entire autism community in Maryland.
Please RSVP to Nikki at nhaschert@trellisservices.com and we look forward to celebrating with you!
We’re located at 14550 York Road in Sparks, Maryland.
Trellis Moves Into New Learning Center
Today Trellis Services moved into its new state-of-the-art learning center in Sparks, Maryland in Baltimore County.
Located just a couple miles north of the Hunt Valley Town Center with easy access from Interstate 83, the new facility include over 30,000 square feet of learning space for children with autism.
The new facility will be home to the Trellis School, Trellis’s afterschool program for Baltimore County, and all of Trellis’s clinic-based programs for children with autism including the Love 2 Learn early intervention program. The center includes 6 classrooms, a sensory gym and thousands of square feet of natural learning environment.
The additional space will allow Trellis to serve more families in the region. Many families can now obtain insurance coverage for many of the services that Trells provides. Earlier this year, Maryland became the 37th state to pass autism insurance reform. Many more families in the state now have insurance coverage for habilitative services, including ABA.