I’ve been asked what the Friendship Circle means to me and my family. When my family joined Friendship Circle in January 2010, our plan was just to visit the building for open play on the days when school was closed. My 8 year old son, who has autism, was too anxious about separation to participate [...]
Unsung heroes, everyone knows one. People in their everyday lives who go unnoticed for the most part but keep our world running smoothly. In the wake of the recent tragic events in Japan I heard of one such young man, he was volunteering in one of the temporary shelters feeding the hundreds of displaced families [...]
1. What is Friendship Circle? Friendship Circle of Michigan is a not-for-profit organization located in West Bloomfield, Michigan that creates friendship in the lives of children and adults with special needs. Our unique method pairs individuals who have special needs with local teen volunteers. Together they participate in a variety of weekly programs at the Ferber [...]
I was elated last month when a group of sophomore and juniors approached me, in a very mature fashion, to discuss a club they were founding at their high school. Their “Friendship Club” embodies the spirit of The Friendship Circle message by promoting advocacy and nonjudgmental throughout their high school. Just two weeks ago, the Andover High School [...]
Have you ever walked into a restaurant to have a quiet peaceful meal and there is an annoying kid next to you? Watch what happens.
Friendship Circle is an amazing place. From the purple sand in the tactile room to the cheese pit here, the first time I visited, I knew my kids would never tire of playing here…and they don’t. What I didn’t know is that the people here would be even more alluring than the toys and the [...]
Today’s Youth are selfish loafers with extremely high levels of self-esteem. Or at least that’s what previous studies have declared. Perhaps you prefer the description of “anxious, depressed and anti-social” as so eloquently stated by UK newspaper The Guardian. The Guardian is not alone in this negative depiction of this generation. Conventional wisdom holds that our [...]
