Someone once asked me, "How has your daughter’s life been influenced or changed since she has been attending EGACT?" This question caused me to stop and really examine what we take for granted, that being our day in and day out activities, where we go to school, where we work, who we participate with in these areas and on and on.

Before I qualify my very personal opinion on the many, many attributes of the day program that she attends and the growth she has experienced because of that program, let me say this, "If this great state of ours turned its back on active legislation like the Lanterman Act, my daughter and thousands of other sons and daughters, would be without some kind of day program or work environment that clearly contributes to the growth and support of all citizens with ‘different-abilities’. EGACT’s very existence would be threatened by the elimination of such legislation."

I am proud of Governor Schwarzenegger for admitting that the elimination of the Lanterman Act would have been a gross disservice to not only the states citizens with different-abilities, but to our state as a whole. Thank you Arnold for listening and for caring.

Our daughter Traci, graduated from Jesse Baker School in 1988. She was accepted into EGACT at that time and has blossomed beautifully over the past 15 years under the watchful and caring eyes of the EGACT staff.

Fortunately, my husband and I have come to know and highly respect many of the staff involved with Traci over the years. Any organization with powerful, dynamic leaders and teachers most usually rises to the ‘top of their field’, and such is the case with EGACT. From the administrative staff to the teacher assistants, and all of those between, it is obvious that the program mission statement is an active ingredient to the daily operation of this program.

Without first-hand knowledge of what it takes to raise and educate a child with special needs, the following accomplishments might seem trivial to you, but I assure you that when my daughter accomplishes something as mundane as coming out of the restroom without being told to, it is indeed a cause for celebration! My daughter is a physically healthy 33-year-old woman living in the head of someone at least two decades younger than her body.

Learning to be appropriate when out in public is something every parent works on with his or her small children. To teach them to use their ‘inside voice’, to not speak to - let alone touch - strangers in the store, to not wander off, to not say inappropriate comments in public places, just to name a few. As a parent of a special child, these areas are never really completed; they are on going, forever tasks. The staff at EGACT understands this and has provided endless energy to continue to find methods that work for Traci, so she can be safe and accepted in the community.

Acceptance is critical for an adult with special needs. When Traci was very young, I recall how others would look (and sometimes stare) at her because she ‘talked funny’, or was too loud for the environment, or made a movement with her body that clearly wasn’t ‘normal’. As a young child, those actions did not seem to linger or cause others to be uncomfortable; however, as she has grown and matured, it clearly invades the comfort zone of others to see a 5’7" woman act like a child. The EGACT program works diligently to expose and educate the Elk Grove community to the real world of differently-abled citizens.

Traci and her classmates have become ‘known faces’ to the employees at Bel Air market; WalMart; Target; Home Depot; and so many other retail stores, as well as various food venues and, of course, the Dollar Tree in Elk Grove. EGACT’s crusade to provide opportunities in the community has helped Traci learn the value of appropriateness and given her acquaintances in the working world. When she and I go shopping on the weekends, it never ceases to amaze me that she and store employees greet each other just like I would greet a friend I happen to run into while shopping - again, a trivial moment? Not for me.

Traci used to be deathly afraid of dogs. Why? I have never been able to say. She was never bitten, but a serious fear was apparent. Part of her individual program plan included placing Traci at the SPCA to work her fears into a healthy and manageable level. Today she controls her emotions and is almost comfortable around animals. Part of this accomplishment is due to Homer, the Golden Retriever service dog that is also a staff member at EGACT.

Do you remember the first time your daughter asked to ‘have a sleep over’ with her new best friend? Or when she prepared for her first dance, or was excited about venturing off to college, or got engaged? I remember feeling sad when I realized that Traci will not have those experiences, at least not in the traditional way. Once you go beyond feeling sad or hurt or whatever emotion it is that you feel, you realize that those events are simply traded in for other, just as important events in your special child’s life.

EGACT’s commitment to fulfilling the needs and rights of every one of the 140 consumers attending their program is apparent by their attention to detail. Traci did have her first dance to prepare for, an annual event that has all the excitement and fanfare of any prom night, is provided through the day program. The staff participate in every aspect to make this not only a fun and en exciting event, but use the event environment to teach social and physical interactions. One would not think that going to a dance is part of an educational program plan, but where else can my daughter (as well as others) learn how to acceptably conduct themselves in an environment that comes normally to others.

Do you remember being thrilled when your son or daughter carried on his or her first intelligible conversation with you? I have had the pleasure of reliving that thrill over and over again, in the many stages of progression, as Traci has learned to put words into a meaningful context. She started with one word, as all children do; however, she remained in a one-word planet for many years. With the persistence and dedication of her teachers, teacher assistants and speech specialists, she can string several words together and most of the time come up with an ‘almost’ conversation! This simple undertaking has brought me to tears on more than one occasion, because for Traci, nothing is really ‘simple’. It takes major effort, concentration and patience from those teaching; those listening and, most of all, from Traci to produce what the rest of the world takes for granted.

You might be thinking…so where is the ‘academic’ part of your daughter’s education happening? Again, good question. There came a point early in time that we realized, Traci won’t be making decisions based on algebra or science or history, but rather will be making decisions on the simple tasks of life - eating, staying safe, dressing, acceptable socialization, and basic life skills. For Traci, learning to count, or do her ABC’s is not our first priority. Does that mean EGACT and we don’t continue with the effort? Absolutely not! There are basic learning drills that are provided daily, but the emphasis is based on reality, not on what the academic test score will produce. And of course, there are all levels of abilities, so while Traci may not have academics in the top five targets of her program goals, academics may be in another consumers program plan.

How has Traci been changed by attending EGACT? The answer is just that - ’changed’, because a parent of a special needs child dreams of ‘change’, of growth, of learning. We understand how precious those ‘small steps’ really are and bask in the light with every ‘change’ that comes in our child’s life.

Thank you EGACT for the ‘change’ you make happen in the lives of so many. The professional, compassionate and loyal staff of this program is a special group of individuals, and each deserves praise. The Elk Grove community needs to know how lucky it is to have such a valuable and highly recognized program within its city limits.