Like many parents with a young child, Lucie Lawrence and Stephen Martin were in search of the right preschool last year. But their quest was more challenging than that faced by a typical family. Their 2-year-old daughter, Laney Martin, has a rare genetic disorder, 22q13, a deletion in the 22nd chromosome.
The syndrome means that Laney’s speech and motor skills are delayed, among other developmental issues, but she found a nurturing environment at the Sewall Child Development Center in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Two mornings a week, Laney and a group of 11 other children sing, play and have snacks in a classroom where children with physical and cognitive handicaps learn alongside typical children.
“We were attracted by the inclusive setting,” Lawrence says. “Laney learns from repetition, and being with other children is good for her. We didn’t want her to be the only special-needs child in the group.”
Lawrence and Martin say they were also impressed with the qualifications of staff and the center’s staff-student ratio of one to five. Before Laney began attending Sewall, therapists visited the family at home to meet the child and learn about her.
Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists address her needs in the classroom. The center also was able to accommodate her gluten-free diet.
“We have really seen her blossom,” Martin says. “They are creative in their approach, and we have noticed that she interacts more, vocalizes more and has much better eye contact.”
Laney loves music, and her face lit up when song time began on a recent morning. The children perched on little chairs in a circle, with teacher Madeline Sterzenbach leading a singalong about friends. Laney smiled broadly, moved her head and sang along with the group.
In addition to the classes it offers at its Capitol Hill location, Sewall operates programs at sites such as Brad ley and Doull elementary schools in Denver, reaching about 600 children. As disability provider for Head Start, 2,000-plus other children are served. Family outreach services, individual therapy and behavioral assessment, family counseling, and a diagnostic and evaluation clinic are among the other services Sewall offers.
The center was established in 1944, when Denver physician Dr. Henry Sewall and his wife deeded their home to “assisting crippled children,” mostly those with polio and cerebral palsy. It established one of the first Head Start programs for children with handicaps in 1970 and later received federal money for its programs. The center has a national reputation for its work with special-needs and economically disadvantaged children.
Sewall has applied for funding from the Post-News Season to Share campaign this year.
Of Sewall’s $3.2 million budget, about $1 million comes from fundraising, according to development director Coleen Truax. Sewall’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Beacon Dinner, which will be Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. Individual tickets are $250 for the 6 p.m. cocktail reception, 7 p.m. dinner and entertainment by comedian Josh Blue. Patron tables are available for $2,500 to $25,000. For more details, call 303-399-1800.
How to give
Post-News Season to Share, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, gave more than $1.73 million to 56 agencies last year serving children, and people who are hungry, homeless or in need of medical care. Donations are matched 50 cents to the dollar, and 100 percent of the donations go to the charitable agencies. To contribute, please see the coupon on this page, call 888-683- 4483 or visit seasontoshare.com.
