Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

Multi Sensory Environments, Sensory Stimulation

“There are no guarantees in life, except that everyone faces struggles. This is how we learn (and grow). Some face struggles from the moment they are born. They are the most special of all people, requiring the most care and compassion and reminding us that love is the sole purpose of life.”– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
These are our Hidden Angels – teaching all of us life’s most valuable lessons.

Scarborough Village school celebrates multi-sensory room

Scarborough’s first multi-sensory learning environment is to be unveiled this Saturday, Sept. 25, bringing new learning opportunities to the physically and developmentally disabled students at Scarborough Village Alternative Public School. Coinciding with the school’s annual fun fair, the official launch of the new learning environment will demonstrate state of the art sensory equipment designed to … Read More

World leading expert in Multi Sensory Environments (MSE) visits Canada

Ground-breaking techniques increase brain activity, enrich quality of life April 23, 2008 – The sensory input we take for granted every second — seeing, hearing, touching, moving, and more – is vitally important to many individuals challenged with mental or developmental disabilities. Dr. Paul Pagliano, PhD, is an Australian researcher with a passionate interest in … Read More

Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF) was created in honor and recognition of Christopher Douglas Fornes and Joyce Baye. CDHAF enriches the lives, health, and social well-being of people with cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges through the use of our Multi Sensory Environments™ (MSE). Our focus is on the design, development, implementation and education of our Multi Sensory Environments™ with the aim to enable productivity, inclusion, independence, and self-determination. Our approach is based on well-documented studies of neurological cognition and emotional development. We offer advisory and financial support for the establishment of integrated, publicly accessible Multi Sensory facilities and for basic research and … Continue Reading

 

  • Miami Jewish Home and Hospital-#2
    Miami, FL USA
    2009

  • St. John’s Nursing Center
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
    2006

  • Extreme Makeover Home Edition
    Austin, TX USA (O’Donnell Family)
    2006

  • Southern Alberta Child and Youth
    Health -FLAMES House
    Calgary, AB Canada
    2009

  • Extreme Makeover Home Edition
    Hondo, TX USA (Craft Family)
    2006

  • Daytime Enrichment Activities
    Recreation
    Portland, OR USA
    2010

  • Cleveland, Tennessee Jr. High
    Cleveland, TN USA
    2010

  • Hondo, Texas Special Education
    Hondo, TX USA
    2006

  • Miami Cerebral Palsy Residential Center
    Miami, FL USA
    2006

  • Scarborough Village Alternative School
    Toronto, Ontario Canada
    2010

  • Anne Grady Center Pediatric
    Toledo, OH USA
    2010

  • AHRC – Seiff Educare
    Boemia, NY USA
    2010

  • Jewel C. Wietzel Education Center
    San Antonio, TX USA
    2006

  • Hospital Rivier-des-Prairies
    Montreal, QB Canada
    2006

  • United Cerabal Palsey – Birmingham
    Birmingham, AL USA
    2010

  • St. Peter’s Academy
    Benoit’s Cover, Bay of Islands, NL Canada
    2010

  • Lake Asbury Jr. High
     Green Cove Springs, FL USA
    2006

  • Allegany ARC
    Wellsville, NY
    2013

  • MCFI – Milwaukee Center of Independence
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
    2012

  • TLC – The Treatment and Learning Center
    Rockville, Maryland USA
    2012

  • M.O.R.G.A.N. Project
    Melbourne Beach, FL USA
    2011

  • Baycrest Hospital
    Toronto ON, Canada
    2011

  • Baycrest Apotex
    Toronto ON, Canada
    2011

  • EGF Polk County DAC
    East Grand Forks, MI USA
    2011

  • Colisano Children’s Hospital
    Syracuse, NY USA
    2011

  • Miami Lakes Therapy Center
    Miami Lakes, Florida
    2010

  • Anne Grady Center
    Holland, OH USA
    2009

  • A Society for Treatment of Autism
    Calgary, AB Canada
    2008

  • Southeastern Elementary School
    Rome, GA USA
    2008

  • Portage Collegiate Institute
    Portage La Prairie, MB Canada
    2009

  • Centre de Readaptation
    Montreal, QB Canada
    2009

  • West Montreal
    Centre de Readaptation
    Lachine, QB Canada
    2007

  • Children’s Home RTF
    Chenango Forks, NY USA
    2007

  • Alternative Day Programs – Centre de Readaptation
    Kirkland, QB Canada
    2009

  • Augusta Evans Special School
    Mobile, AL USA
    2007

  • Miami Jewish Home and Hospital
    Miami, FL USA
    2007

  • Central Wisconsin Center
    Madison, WI USA
    2009

 
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Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation
7643 Gate Parkway
Suite 104-1105
Jacksonville, FL 32256
phone: 205-313-9168
info@cdhaf.org

Evolution of the Legacy of a Hidden Angel

The 2021 New Year continues to bring positive changes within the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF).

We are extremely proud of the pioneering role we played many years ago in bringing multi-sensory environments to North America and raising their profile over the last two decades. Today throughout North America, more and more charities are providing funding to organizations wishing to implement these multi-sensory environments for children and adults with special needs. While this decreases our need to fund rooms we are also excited that this will allow us to be more involved in providing guidance and training in the area of MSEs.

Over the years our namesake, Chris has been the driving force behind the numerous initiatives to enrich the lives of individuals with special needs by providing:

  • • Design and financial support for over 100 MSE rooms
  • • Intellectual property for the development of a program for premature babies
  • • Equipment and expertise for the use of MSE with seniors challenged by dementia / alzheimers
  • • Online training focused on MSE methodology and best use practices
  • • Donations to support food for special needs children in impoverished areas
  • • Formation and co-management of an unprecedented program to train first responders in dealing with individuals with special needs
  • • Developing companion pets through sensory stimulation and life experiences
  • • Design and construction of the first MSE environment designed for individuals with special needs that incorporates life without limits and nature as the sensory component
  • • Ongoing support for a playground designed for individuals with special needs
  • • Provided Multi Sensory Room on Extreme Makeover Home Edition to the Craft Family (Hondo, TX)

The preceding and the following illustrate the multifaceted legacy of an extraordinary young man who, to quote Kubler-Ross – “taught us love is the true meaning of life”.

As we move on from the funding and installing of multi-sensory rooms (as the support from others grows), the foundation will continue to exist as an open knowledge-based organization providing guidance to facilities wishing to implement a multi-sensory environment (MSE) for children and adults with special needs.

The Foundation website will become an informational and training tool to provide research-based methodology and information, including MSE concepts, MSE designs, equipment uses, MSE benefits, and operational training.  Organizations looking for funding will be directed to other charitable organizations that support the use of multi-sensory environments in education, recreation, and therapy.

In addition it will provide a free online training program to provide knowledge on best practices and the overall philosophy of MSE based on decades of hands on experience.

The sister organization to CDHAF, Hidden Angel Companion Pets will also be providing information on the benefits of companion pets for children with special needs and best practices in raising a pet to be a natural companion animal. Pets provide therapeutic benefits such as companionship, love, humor, play, exercise, a sense of power and outlets for displacement, projection and nurturance; Talking to animals and the tactile experience of petting animals reduces stress and enhances physical health (including lowering blood pressure and reducing heart rate) and longevity; Animals enhance psychological development, improve social skills, increase independence, and increase self-esteem; Animals can be a source of comfort and contribute to ego strength among children; The human-animal bond supports empathy development, the ability to form and express attachments, and the reaction to grief and loss; and Dogs help increase activity among those with disabilities, prevent childhood obesity, promote recovery after a heart attack, and encourage walking in the elderly.

Looking ahead, those of us committed to Chris foresee many more initiatives reflecting his life and impacting the lives of others.