Meet Wendy Ward, a Darien native and local mom who founded futuresTHRIVE. After a family member had an undiagnosed mental health condition, Wendy dedicated her life to “changing the way we identify and track pediatric mental health.” Learn more about Wendy, her work and why she loves living in town.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have two daughters ages 15 and 16, a rising sophomore and rising senior.
What brought you and your family to town?
I grew up in Darien, graduated from DHS in 1991, and came back after college. I met my husband here.
What’s the best aspect about being part of the community?
Darien is a small town with big dreams. I love the community feel. I love the comfort of having known many people for the better part of my life.
What’s your favorite family activity to do in the area?
I love Darien. I love the beach, church, school events, and fireworks. Unfortunately, just like the rest of the Nation, our town is seeing firsthand the effects of mental health disorders and I worry about our children and generations to come deeply.
Can you tell us about futuresTHRIVE and the solutions you offer?
We all have mental health! However, half of all lifetime cases of mental illness start before the age of 14. But today we don’t screen for mental health until the age of 12 if a doctor screens at all. Just like vision tests and hearing tests, mental health can have a dramatic effect on development. futuresTHRIVE believes that we need to screen before signs and symptoms, just like we do for every other health condition. This gives us the opportunity to talk about it/learn about it before anything is at stake, and it gives us the opportunity to intervene early when needed.
Please describe your path to futuresTHRIVE.
My husband has a son who had an undiagnosed mental health condition. I realized on that journey how much more we can do to support kids. I have dedicated my life to changing the way we identify and track pediatric mental health.
What can someone expect from the futuresTHRIVE screener?
The best way to answer this is with the reaction from our users. Doctors have said that futuresTHRIVE TweenScreen™ gave them baseline data on the unique qualities of individual children. It also gave them valuable mental health learning about patients, because futuresTHRIVE TweenScreen™ is something that has been missing in the pediatric mental health space. Parents have said they realized they had no idea how their child thought about things, and they learned vital information about their kid.
Can you tell us about the mental health study you’re conducting this summer? How do families get involved?
futuresTHRIVE TweenScreen™ was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to test 21st Century screening solutions. We will have two products in the study—tScreen™ for ages 5-9 who don’t read and TweenScreen™ for ages 8-16. All kids have to do is take a paper and pencil screener and then take the futuresTHRIVE screening. It should take about 20 minutes. They will receive a $15 Amazon gift card for their time. The comparison will help us support our reliability claim and strengthen our second application with the National Science Foundation for $1 million in award money.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I love the awakening people get when they engage with us. Knowledge is power and empowering communities, doctors and families is the best part of my day.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
That is a great question! I think the best advice I ever got was to trust myself. Parents know their kids best. If you feel there is something wrong with your child—keep going, keep asking. There is help available.
Do you have any advice for families who are looking to get started with futuresTHRIVE?
We are available at Sasco through their therapists right now. If you would like to see TweenScreen™ or tScreen at your pediatrician’s office, help us make the connection.
How do you unwind when you need some “me time?”
I cook and I swim. I love both—and both help me refresh my brain. I do my best thinking in chlorinated air!
Any words of wisdom?
There is a lot of information in the world about mental health. It can be confusing and overwhelming and often feels defeating as a parent. I have left “talks and seminars” with a long list of things I now “need to do” for my kids. Research consistently shows that raising resilient and empowered children starts with letting them navigate appropriate aspects of their lives and letting them fail. As a parent, it is hard to watch your kid make mistakes or mess up. But this helps them grow and this actually means parents can do less. It means a healthy dose of letting go. As life presents ups and down, mental health will ebb and flow. Learning to manage this is vital to a healthy future. Mental health is not the absence of an illness. It changes as we grow, develop, and age. Empowering kids empowers the future.
We love supporting local businesses. Favorite places in town or nearby to…
Have dinner with/without kids: The Roger Sherman
Grab a drink with friends: Neat
Have a date night: Weed Beach
Spend time together as a family: We binge watch shows and swim in our backyard.
Shop for yourself/shop for your kids: Whim
Any hidden treasures or other favorites you want to share?
The Darien Library, while not hidden, is a complete treasure. They have so much—tickets, activities, resources. It’s a town gem.