FULLERTON, Calif., April 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As prom season heats up, Fullerton restaurant Bourbon Street Bar and Grill has made prom inclusive for people of all abilities by hosting ten special education students from Sonora High School in La Habra for an inclusive disability prom dinner, that will be fully supported by behavioral therapists posing as servers and a modified menu for accessibility, at Bourbon Street, 110 E. Commonwealth Ave. in Fullerton, April 27, 2013 at 7pm.
To tailor the dinner to the needs of 3 students with down syndrome and 7 students with autism, it will be chaperoned by two educational specialists from the Sonora High Community Based Instruction team and the hostess and waitresses will be behaviorally-trained educators and therapists provided through Fullerton Cares, a nonprofit foundation supporting special education and autism awareness.
Angie Sellers, prom volunteer organizer and substitute special education teacher at Fullerton Joint Union High School District, of Fullerton, with a participating son, Christopher Brady, 17, with autism, says of the event, "They are high school seniors and deserve this experience. These kids deserve to be part of society and not to go away because autism isn't going away and disability across the board isn't going away. I have a dream for my son to go to prom and a clinical diagnosis isn't going to change that."
Bourbon Street owner and Fullerton Cares Founder Larry Houser says of the event, "The goal with this dinner is inclusion. We will simulate a real, neurotypical high school prom dining experience, while also providing the therapeutic and behavioral support to make it accessible to those affected by developmental disabilities."
Students will get ready at Sonora High School, receive donated makeup and photography services, have dinner at Bourbon Street, then have prom in LA at the California Science Center.
Dinner is free for the 10 prom-goers courtesy of Bourbon Street and Fullerton Cares.
PRESS: Interviews and photography will be permitted with prior RSVP to JessBlockPR@gmail.com. Professional, captioned post-event photos are available upon request.
ABOUT FULLERTON CARES: Awareness, acceptance and fundraising are the pillars of Fullerton Cares, which spreads autism awareness throughout North OC and was founded by Lawrence Houser, 36, father to Boyd Houser, 5, with autism. Raising funds for autism charities and programs in Fullerton schools through organizing comedy nights, golf tournaments, and Mardi Gras-style fundraisers, Fullerton Cares was founded in 2009 and has raised over $53,000 to support autism initiatives. http://fullertoncares.com/
ABOUT BOURBON STREET: Bourbon Street offers California Cajun cuisine with a menu made entirely from scratch and features an array of bottled and draught beer, a comprehensive wine list and a selection of slow-aged bourbons and whiskies. http://bourbonstreetfullerton.com
ABOUT AUTISM: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, autism now affects about 1 in every 88 American children. Autism is a complex condition that affects a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships. http://www.autismspeaks.org