OCEANSIDE: 4-H group serves students with disabilities

By John Raifsnider - For The North County Times | Sunday, October 12, 2008 7:50 PM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- Students at the Oceanside-based Training Education and Research Institute, a nonprofit education center for autistic children and adults, will have a chance this week to sign up for the 4-H Club, a nationwide program that teaches young people life skills in settings outside the classroom.

Meredith Martineau-Claunch, a certified teacher at the center and a former 4-H'er and Future Farmers of America, helped launch the local program in fall 2007.

"After being involved in 4-H for so long, I got to feeling like I was missing out on something by not being a part of the program," she said recently. "So about two years ago, I started looking into forming a group here at TERI."

The Oceanside organization is one of the county's most comprehensive service providers for individuals with developmental and learning disabilities and their families.

Members of TERI's 4-H Club, dubbed "Peas 'n' Carrots," participated last year in equestrian, livestock, nature and photography groups.

Three students in the program entered pigs in the 2008 San Diego County Fair.

"Having a swine in the fair was the highlight of her year," said Nicolette Sterk, whose 12-year-old daughter, Olivia, is a member of the TERI club.

"Olivia participated in all the club meetings and did everything any other 4-H member did at the fair, which included pulling barn duty," Sterk said. "She was right there with the other kids cleaning up stalls at 5:30 in the morning."

Sterk said her 14-year-old son, Aidan, also participated in the 4-H photography group last year.

"This is such a great and positive outlet for my kids ---- they just love being a part of the club," she said.

Sterk added that she has become passionate about helping the club grow and attracting other families who have children with special needs.

Laura White, the development director at TERI, said a federal report issued last year said that "autism affects one of every 150 births in America and it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls."

Autism is a developmental disability characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills. There is no cure, but early intervention may lessen the severity.

Martineau-Claunch said the 4-H program is a great outlet for kids with autism.

"We're hoping ... we can expand the group and attract kids from all around the North County," she said.

Registration for the program begins Wednesday.

For more information, call the center at (760) 721-1706.