KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The Exceptional Family Member Program held the EFMP Information and Resource Fair here for families with special needs members Aug. 1.
EFMP and other Keesler Integrated Resource Team programs used hands-on and easily accessible activities to provide information to the 75 attendees in a fun way.
“The event was held as a fun day for our EFMP special needs families and to make them aware of some of the resources available within KIRT agencies and adaptive equipment and programs available at the University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies,” said Janice Smith, 81st Medical Group Exceptional Family Member Program special needs coordinator. “We had carnival type events like face painting, midway games with prizes, the purple dragon jump house and pony rides. All of our midway games were sponsored by KIRT agencies like Air Force Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program, Keesler Airmen and Family Readiness Center, family advocacy, Families Over Coming Under Stress, health and wellness and the USM.”
Families with members with special needs dependents aren’t always able to attend due to physical or emotional limitations so the EFMP fair focused on giving attendees the ability to participate with no limitations, according to Smith.
“When we plan an event like this we take into account those limitations and provide an environment of safe fun as well as a venue for parents to connect, support each other and learn of base and community resources,” said Smith. “Hands down the pony rides were a tremendous hit. There were no limits as to who could ride the ponies. We had several family members with extensive disabilities take a ride with their sibling, and parents took advantage of the great photo opportunity.”
Some families were able to use the activities at the fair as a learning experience using hands-on techniques and relating objects to the sounds they make.
“I think her favorite part of the whole event was riding the ponies,” said Capt. Santiago Camacho, 335th Training Squadron force support training flight commander. “We always work on her sounds because she is seeing a speech therapist. So for her to be able to associate the sound a horse makes with what the animal looks like is helping her learn. It brings the whole picture together for her.”
Having the ability for her to participate and learn in a fun, family setting is important for our family Camacho added. Using the experience to gain advice and support from other families was an added bonus.
“The EFMP is really beneficial to my daughter,” said Camacho. “All of the support from the program and other organizations in the community is really helpful. Being able to expose her to these activities at a family oriented event is incredible. Everything we saw was fun for her. We also got to socialize with other families with special needs, which is instrumental to our daughter’s growth.”
“We wanted to provide a fun event for our dependents that may not be able to attend other family events due to physical or medical limitations,” said Smith. “We have not had an EFMP event in the past two years but considering the feedback we received at Saturday’s event we will be planning more for sure.”