“Eliana turned 6 this summer and started kindergarten in a general education classroom where the goal is full inclusion. We are so proud of our girl and can see how hard she is working and how much the effort is paying off. Our girl has a lot of sass, but a big heart and is happy to hand out hugs to anyone, anywhere. She is smart, beautiful and talented and we are so blessed to call her ours.”

“Asher is 5 years old & he just entered kindergarten.  He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He is social, he loves making friends. He’s my middle child, so not only is he the best big brother to my 3 year old son, but he’s also the best little brother to my 12 year old daughter. Asher loves to be independent & do everything hisself, he HAS to pick out his own clothes & he’s usually good at having matching outfits. He also enjoys playing sports, he loves to throw and catch. Asher honestly is so talented at anything he puts his mind to.”

“We adopted Ellie in October 2019 when she was just 3 years old. Ellie is such a gift to our family and we are forever changed by this sweet girl!  Ellie turned 8 years old this year and is such a determined human.  She loves music, especially Taylor Swift, cheerleading, Spider-Man, reading books, eating goldfish, playing outside, jumping on her trampoline and cuddling. She has taught us all patience and to slow down and enjoy the little moments and processes that lead to growth and joy. We love Ellie so much and are so thankful for her and what she has and continues to teach our family and the world around her!”

“Oliver is nearly 5, and is the most fun to be around. He is empathetic and compassionate, but also adds a lot of zest to our family. He is curious, unafraid and loves to be outside playing. He is the perfect middle child, sandwiched between sisters, like it was meant to be that way. We love him so much and are grateful everyday for Oliver, and the joy of Down syndrome in our life.”

“Wilson is turning 5 this month and we've seen huge strides in his development. He is actively engaging in play with his peers at school. He has recently started feeding himself unassisted. He is nonverbal and doesn't communicate with signs or images but he has started showing us different ways to communicate his wants and needs. He absolutely LOVES to watch puppies play; they always give him the big belly laughs. He enjoys watching his peers play as well. We noticed he gets enjoyment from watching others rather than taking part in the activities himself.

He has the biggest heart and gives the best forehead kisses (forehead to forehead) and is always down to cuddle when his favorite show is on! Something I hope he never grows out of.”

“This is my beautiful Ilyn Sky. She is five years old and goes to kindergarten. Ilyn likes to listen to music and dance. She loves making friends and giving big hugs. She is our sunshine!”

“Aaliyah Blaire (who goes by Blaire) is now 4, almost 5, years old. She is in preschool and attends a majority typical classroom with peers. Blaire loves to dance, swing, and jump. She is wonderful sister to her big brother and little sister. And Blaire’s most favorite thing is Disney, Princesses, and movies.”

“She is now 5.5 years old and in Kindergarten. I can’t believe this many years have passed to be honest. She also became a big sister 3 years ago. Anella is a smart, independent and determined little girl. She recently received an Autism diagnosis as well which has been so interesting to learn how Anella processes our world. She is non verbal but has her own way to communicate her wants and needs. She is learning how to use an AAC device as well. Anella still has a strong passion for music and dancing and of course Elmo. She loves to play with letter and number toys and her iPad. We are so lucky and blessed to be Anella’s parents and want the world to know that her possibilities are endless in this life.”

“Miss Aurora was a prenatal diagnosis. She is now on her way to 6 years old and is absolutely thriving! She has made it on the Billboard in New York City, every news paper and news station around town. She is in inclusive Kindergarten this year running, jumping, conquering the play equipment, uses sign language, is starting to put small sentences together and can communicate her needs almost always. This year she is being highlighted with the Spokane Symphony for our cities impact statement sponsoring the special needs nutcracker. She also has a article coming out from our church for inclusion and how incredibly important it is in order to give our kids every opportunity to be able to thrive and we learn that by inclusion! We just participated in our 4th DS buddy walk and she will be highlighted on Gonzaga Universities news page. She will try anything and everything and is absolutely fearless. We are all so so proud of her and feel our lives have been completely enriched by the gift of our sweet little girl. Every year we have been able to connect with families all around the world hundreds and this year for Rocktober we celebrated with this tribute to all of our Homies.”

“Carter is six years old and lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his parents and younger sister, Sloane. He is currently in grade one. He is continuously learning new things each day. He loves to read books, swim and listen to music. Carter is a very happy boy, who loves love.”

“PALS is the most welcoming environment I have ever experienced and I can say that in my two years as a part of this camp, it has definitely changed my life and transformed my perception of the world and those around me into one full of compassion, inclusion, and optimism.”

“I learned how important it is to care less about what others think and to be myself. I noticed how the partners have fun so freely and love so openly, and realized how much I am limited by overthinking and trying to keep up an appearance of someone who I am not in order to fit in or seem cool. I had so much fun this week just letting go and being myself.”

“I learned to become blind. As ashamed as I am to say it, before PALS, the peers I was surrounded by all week would have been people I thought were "beneath me," but PALS showed me some of the kindest, funniest, best people I've known. I've learned that there is nothing more important than being genuine and honestly doing your best to look past the differences in others and find the positives. Because of PALS I made so many new friends and I can honestly say I am not the person I was walking in on Day 1– and thank god for that.”

“Going into my first PALS Program, I did not know what to expect. Frankly, I was afraid of all that could go wrong. I am not the typical male, I'm quirky, short, wide, and long-haired, so going into this blindly made me scared of my own acceptance into this community. However, from the time that I was welcomed outside of my car to the time I left the building for the last time, I felt more accepted than ever before, by leaders, by administrators, and campers alike.”