Special Needs Committee Forming

Lake Forest has one of the most well-developed programs for people with special needs. We conduct quarterly dances (Click Here) that are well attended and draw people from all over the County. Our Special Needs Resource Faire (Click Here) has grown steadily over the years, with dozens of vendors and hundreds of people in attendance. Our specialized courses have also grown and include Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming, Fitness, Dance, and Soccer. In addition we have Occupational Therapy, Social Skills, and Social Group programs (Click Here) and partnering with Us Too Gymnastics we have an “Inclusive Summer Camp”.

With all these programs, Lake Forest has attracted businesses to our City, including

• Autism Behavior Services
• Goodwill
• Mobility Professionals
• OC Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance
• United Studios of Self Defense
• Us Too Gymnastics

Despite all these programs and services, we can always do a better job. I asked some of the people concerned with special needs to convene an ad hoc committee to review what the City is doing and to give us some suggestions as to how we could do a better job. That committee will be having their first meeting in June. If you’re interested in participating, contact Andy Patterson - andrew_patterson_hb@hotmail.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest where he serves as Mayor. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His Twitter handle is @DrJimGardner. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.

Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a town hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will beAug 16 at 7 pm at the Lake 1 Clubhouse (Ridge Route).