Debbie Deitering, Single Mother Needs Our Help

I am making this Go-Fund-Me on Autism Awareness Day to help my dear friend, Debbie Deitering through an extremely difficult time.  Debbie and her kids have been hit harder by this pandemic than anyone I know.
Yet she remains positive and has what seems like an impossible amount of patience.

 Many of you know Debbie Deitering as a 1990s supermodel. What many of you do not know is that Debbie is now a preschool teacher and single mother living in Portland Oregon with her two young children, Logan and Maizie.  Logan is on the autism spectrum. Sadly Debbie lost her job as a Head Start Pre School teacher in June of 2020 due to a lack of child-care.  Since school let out in March of 2020 all of Logan’s routines and services have been disrupted or terminated resulting in behavioral problems and struggles at home and in online learning.

 We are hoping  to create a sensory safe
environment in her home with limited  resources.  Her environment is not conducive for receiving Autism Services (Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) in her home. The public resources for assistance for disabled children in Oregon have been depleted and Debbie and her family are not receiving assistance for his needs despite her tireless efforts. She is on waiting lists but she has depleted all of her resources and her family needs our help now. 

 
Debbie has removed most items from her home and needs our help to create a safe environment for her family.  She lives in a two bedroom condo with a small balcony.  This living situation is inappropriate as Logan is 11 years old and needs his own space.  She needs to move to a place with a fenced yard to give him an outlet for his energy.  As Debbie is currently unemployed and unable to work until schools fully reopen- moving to a three bedroom is not an option at this time.  We are asking for assistance to convert Debbie’s two car garage to a sensory gym and to make the living spaces soothing and safe for her and her children until she is able to move to a more appropriate living space with three bedrooms and a yard.

 
The Public School System is failing Logan.  Logan does not receive Autism Services on his Individual Education Plan (IEP) despite being diagnosed and recognized as disabled by the State. Logan is unable to attend and engage in online learning and the school has offered him little assistance and no in person instruction.  Portland Public Schools are opening next week for only two hours a day.  Logan’s IEP lists Sensory Processing Disorder and Learning Disabilities as his criteria for Special Education.   No accomodations are being offered to give him a break from wearing his mask and he is not being offered special education is person even though online learning has not been working.

 We are hoping to raise enough money to create as sensory gym,and sensory living spaces in Debbie’s home.  The money will be used to pay for an indoor gym, mats, crash pads, sensory swings, climbing equipment, punching bag, video cameras, assistive technology, autism furniture, and out of pocket medical/childcare expenses. 

 The Covid-19 Pandemic has been hard on everyone.  It has been especially hard on single mothers with disabled children.  The system is failing them.  Debbie is a loving Mother and a wonderful friend and teacher.  Today is Autism Awarenes Day.  If you can, Please donate and share.