Background
The Doyle Memorial Fund, within the Catholic Foundation, was begun by Patricia and
George P. Doyle, III, in memory of George’s parents, George P. Doyle, Jr., and
Claudia McQuaid Doyle. The senior Doyles sacrificed to provide a solid education for
each of their twelve children. Claudia Doyle was a special education teacher and many
members of the family have followed in her footsteps and are now educators in both
special education and conventional areas.
George and Patty Doyle have five children.
Their fourth child, George, presented
developmental issues that were apparent to
Patty, but not to her husband. “That caused
a lot of conflict. Not only was George
questioning me, but I began to question my
own observations,” Patty explained. “The first
hurdle for us was just for me to acknowledge that there was a possible issue,” George
said. “And there’s lots of emotion that comes into play in that acknowledgement. The
good thing was that we both soon recognized that something needed to be done,” he
added.
But young George’s pediatrician felt differently. The family was living in New Jersey
at the time, “and our pediatrician told us there was nothing to worry about,” Patty
recalled. “George wasn’t talking. He wasn’t reaching developmental milestones. Yet
the doctor said that we should worry only if he was still not talking when he went to
kindergarten.”
Twice the Doyles requested referrals for their son from the pediatrician and couldn’t
get them. So they sought a second opinion. “Actually I called the physician we had
back in Columbus before moving to New Jersey and asked her advice. She referred
us to the Early Childhood Resource Network (ECRN) Child Check.” Part of the
YMCA in Central Ohio, ECRN is a program that screens, refers, and provides service
coordination to children aged six weeks to five years, who have or are at risk of having
developmental delays, disabilities, and special health care needs.
In May, 1996, Patty Doyle and the five children returned to Columbus, with elder
George commuting from New Jersey on weekends for six months. It was during
those first few months in Columbus that Patty had a crash course in How-To-Fund-
Services-For-Your-Baby-While-Taking-Care-Of-Your-Other-Children-101! Young
George was diagnosed with Apraxia, a condition impacting neurological processes.
“Cognitively he had good receptive language. He just couldn’t talk and his sensor
motor system was compromised,” Patty said. The program where George was
receiving services helped him integrate sign language into his communication. These
programs are highly successful, but quite expensive, the couple said. “I met another
Mom who told me about Family Resources. Respite funds enabled us to get
babysitting assistance while I was taking George to evaluations and therapy.”
George and Patty attribute their knowledge of funding cycles in Ohio to trial and error.
“We asked a lot of questions. Everyone was throwing alphabet acronyms at us,”
George recalled. “When our Service Coordinator came for a home visit I made her sit
down and draw a tree of what all the funding arms are and who is in charge. Then I
started making phone calls,” Patty said.
The Doyles found resources through the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps,
their health insurance company, Family Resources, The Early Childhood Resource
Network, the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities, the school district, and their church.
Was the hassle worth it?
“We certainly got a personal education,” George said. Now 12, young George speaks
pretty much like any other child. “When we think about where he was at age two or
three and realize that today he is working at grade level, it’s just remarkable,” George
said. “For parents, the key is to understand that there’s no written program to help
them navigate through the funding maze. You have to seek out the people who are
willing to help you.”
George P. Doyle, III, in memory of George’s parents, George P. Doyle, Jr., and
Claudia McQuaid Doyle. The senior Doyles sacrificed to provide a solid education for
each of their twelve children. Claudia Doyle was a special education teacher and many
members of the family have followed in her footsteps and are now educators in both
special education and conventional areas.
George and Patty Doyle have five children.
Their fourth child, George, presented
developmental issues that were apparent to
Patty, but not to her husband. “That caused
a lot of conflict. Not only was George
questioning me, but I began to question my
own observations,” Patty explained. “The first
hurdle for us was just for me to acknowledge that there was a possible issue,” George
said. “And there’s lots of emotion that comes into play in that acknowledgement. The
good thing was that we both soon recognized that something needed to be done,” he
added.
But young George’s pediatrician felt differently. The family was living in New Jersey
at the time, “and our pediatrician told us there was nothing to worry about,” Patty
recalled. “George wasn’t talking. He wasn’t reaching developmental milestones. Yet
the doctor said that we should worry only if he was still not talking when he went to
kindergarten.”
Twice the Doyles requested referrals for their son from the pediatrician and couldn’t
get them. So they sought a second opinion. “Actually I called the physician we had
back in Columbus before moving to New Jersey and asked her advice. She referred
us to the Early Childhood Resource Network (ECRN) Child Check.” Part of the
YMCA in Central Ohio, ECRN is a program that screens, refers, and provides service
coordination to children aged six weeks to five years, who have or are at risk of having
developmental delays, disabilities, and special health care needs.
In May, 1996, Patty Doyle and the five children returned to Columbus, with elder
George commuting from New Jersey on weekends for six months. It was during
those first few months in Columbus that Patty had a crash course in How-To-Fund-
Services-For-Your-Baby-While-Taking-Care-Of-Your-Other-Children-101! Young
George was diagnosed with Apraxia, a condition impacting neurological processes.
“Cognitively he had good receptive language. He just couldn’t talk and his sensor
motor system was compromised,” Patty said. The program where George was
receiving services helped him integrate sign language into his communication. These
programs are highly successful, but quite expensive, the couple said. “I met another
Mom who told me about Family Resources. Respite funds enabled us to get
babysitting assistance while I was taking George to evaluations and therapy.”
George and Patty attribute their knowledge of funding cycles in Ohio to trial and error.
“We asked a lot of questions. Everyone was throwing alphabet acronyms at us,”
George recalled. “When our Service Coordinator came for a home visit I made her sit
down and draw a tree of what all the funding arms are and who is in charge. Then I
started making phone calls,” Patty said.
The Doyles found resources through the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps,
their health insurance company, Family Resources, The Early Childhood Resource
Network, the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities, the school district, and their church.
Was the hassle worth it?
“We certainly got a personal education,” George said. Now 12, young George speaks
pretty much like any other child. “When we think about where he was at age two or
three and realize that today he is working at grade level, it’s just remarkable,” George
said. “For parents, the key is to understand that there’s no written program to help
them navigate through the funding maze. You have to seek out the people who are
willing to help you.”
© 2004 Copyright All Rights Reserved
The Doyle Memorial Fund:
A Fund within the Catholic Foundation
P.O. Box 492
Worthington, Ohio 43085
A Fund within the Catholic Foundation
P.O. Box 492
Worthington, Ohio 43085
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