Mission Statement

The Joshua Center for Neurological Disorders, Inc provides programs designed to improve the lives of individuals and families living with Tourette Syndrome, Asperger Syndrome, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder through clinical, education, social and research programs.

Impact Statement

The Joshua Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical, counseling, educational and social support for children and families affected by these disorders. The Joshua Center directly serves hundreds of children, families, and education and medical professionals in and out of the Greater Kansas City Community and indirectly serves thousands through our new website. Our therapist is often sought out from other medical, educational, and mental health professionals for help. In fact, we receive, on average, several new calls a day from parents and community professionals requesting our services. With 1 in 150 children diagnosed on the autism spectrum it is critical the Joshua Center continue to be a viable operation. There is a desperate need for the types of programs and services we provide. The Joshua Center participates in the Camps For Kids project with foundations in Kansas City committed to providing matching grants to camp programs that benefit not only our annual ACA accredited camp program for children with neurological disorders at the Rotary Club Youth Camp, but many others who provide programs for various disabilities. In 2007 we added additional social skills classes at the request of parents, teachers and mental health professionals. This has been a very successful program. In the fall of 2007 we launched our new state of the art interactive website. Daily we receive inquiries from parents and professionals from all over the country seeking help and information. We contracted with a psychiatrist to provide medical evaluations and management. Our goal in 2008 is to reach financial sustainability. To accomplish this we now collect clinic fees from clients utilizing our services; have the support of a Grant Writing Intern; have improved our marketability through our new website; and have collaborated with U,Inc. to provide online training for teachers and parents for a fee. We are providing a conference in March at the Kauffman Center.

Background Statement

In 1987 Becky Ottinger became involved with the local chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association when her son, Josh Oliver, was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. There she met Orrilla Clough, mother of three daughters with TS. At that time the chapter held bi-monthly support group meetings and Becky remembers walking away from the first meeting wondering how she was to survive for two months without talking to someone who "understood". Not knowing then how to help Josh in the school system with his misunderstood neurological symptoms she became very frustrated. As the years went by she learned a lot about the disorders and realized more needed to be done to help the hundreds of children and their families living with TS and the associated disorders of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which many of the children have. She didn't want other children and families to have to go through what she, Sarah and Josh did as a family. In 1992 Becky quit teaching so that she could spend more time helping these kids. It became her vision that the doctor, counselor and educator needed to be all in one place for these children to be successful. On November 5, 1996 the Joshua Center for Neurological Disorders, a non-profit organization, was opened. It is named after Becky's son, Josh Oliver. While teaching at an Environmental Science Magnet, Becky took her 2nd graders on an overnight to the Rotary Club Youth Camp where she met Bob Walden, the Camp Superintendent. She learned that she could have a camp for kids with TS, since it was a disability. Becky designed a camp for the kids. Each year sixty campers with a diagnosis of TS, Asperger's and OCD attend a five-day and night program. It continues to be one of the most successful programs we have developed. In 2003 the camp program received accreditation from the American Camping Association. The Joshua Center sponsors annual conferences for medical and education professionals and parents with the 2008 conference being held at the Kauffman Conference Center. Publications authored by Joshua Center Founders Becky Ottinger and Jack Southwick, The books Tictionary (a workbook for parents and professionals addressing accommodations), and Individual Home Plan and Individual Classroom Plan, workbooks for parents, educators and mental health professionals that address behaviors) are available along with others on the website. All proceeds benefit the Joshua Center.

Needs Statement

With a dramatic increase in the demands for our services our most pressing need is additional staff support. To accomplish this we need more operating support. Currently we have two full time staff members and one part time social skills facilitator. As the demands for more social skills classes increase we will need to hire additional part time staff. With the launch of the new website we receive lots of online inquiries and calls. We are committed to responding to them on a daily basis.

CEO Statement

The Joshua Center is the only clinic in the country providing these unique services and programs for children with these neurological disorders. It was my vision that the doctor, counselor and teacher needed to be all in one place for the child to reach the ultimate success. Children whose parents consistently utilized our services and programs over the years are more successful as young adults. Far too many young adults with these disorders are foundering because they did not then have the support they so desperately needed while growing up. My new vision is to provide a post-high school program where these young adults can receive support with job coaching, counseling and life skills. These individuals want to be successful, but they do not know where to start. It is imperative that we provide support to parents through these difficult years and that we provide programs to their young adult children so they may one day be independent, contributing adults.

Board Chair Statement

I am constantly amazed at the passion of the people who serve in this grassroots organization. The Staff and volunteers at Joshua Center for Neurological Disorders have a passion for their mission of helping kids. The Board is a mixture of parents and professionals, with many of the parents having children with Tourette Syndrome. This diverse board of parents, medical personnel and community volunteers can best address the operation of the Center. Our Executive Director is a true visionary and does a great deal to energize the parents involved. One challenge we face is to get even more parents involved. Our overriding thought in the management of the organization is “what is good for the kids.” Our Annual Pork-Out Event and Golf Tournament raise the significant portion of our operating budget. Funding is a constant challenge and if additional monies could be found, we would like to add room for additional counseling and medical evaluations. The Joshua Center for Neurological Disorders excels by the fact that it is ONE central place where counseling and medical care is available for the children we serve. This interdisciplinary approach is necessary for our children because each of their situations is extremely unique. Counseling and support for the children and their parents are important at our Center. The children we serve are able to obtain medical, social and educational counseling at one central location, which brings about the best collaboration of care for them. We would like to be able to add additional disciplines within the Center but funding is always a challenge. The week-long Camp we sponsor in the summer provides a safe environment for children who often have a hard time fitting in traditional, mainstream activities. At Camp we serve 50-60 kids, most of them on multiple medications. The Camp is well-run and fun for the kids and volunteers alike. Its success can be measured in that we now have former campers returning as camp counselors.