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Connections Created: February 2024 Recap
This February, some of our AST team had the privilege of meeting with and hearing from Temple Grandin at the Paramount Theatre. We are so grateful to the Paramount Theatre for providing us with this incredible opportunity as well as for all of their continued support throughout the years! We were thrilled to train almost 100 healthcare professionals at the new north Austin location of Texas Children’s Hospital Austin and also provided them with 30 sensory kits. We are so excited to have Autism-friendly hospitals!

We had a fantastic time at the #TeamAutism Mile 19 Aid Station at the Austin Marathon! Thank you so much to our amazing runners and volunteers, as well as all of you who donated to help us hit our $10K Moody Match. Kudos to the Austin Marathon staff for their impeccable organization and a big thank you to the Moody Foundation for supporting area nonprofits through matching funds!

We loved connecting with our community at the Region 20 Transition Symposium Community Outreach hosted by Partners Resource Network and The Arc of San Antonio!

Thank You, #TeamAutism! – Austin Marathon 2024

We had a fantastic time at the #TeamAutism Mile 19 Aid Station at the Austin Marathon and we have so many people and organizations to thank for making this year’s marathon partnership the best one yet!

We want to give a huge thank you to the following:

All of our #TeamAutism Runners with a big thank you to our top fundraisers- Jackson Roblow & Patricia Rosen • Thanks to the following Runners for fundraising & supporting Autism Society of Texas- Mary Kristen Cokinos, Hyoselin Chavez, and Jessen O’Fallon

More thank you’s to our amazing group of volunteers, supporters, and in-kind donors:

Ashleigh Alvarez and the ACES Austin TeamBill Miller BBQ Houndstooth CoffeeFleet Feet AustinEndurance NationAshley Underwood, Advent Health Rollins Brook • Members of Gilbert’s Gazelles • Our volunteers at the Mile 19 Aid Station

Thank you so much to the Austin Marathon staff for their impeccable organization and the Moody Foundation for supporting area nonprofits through matching funds!

February 2024 Newsletter
Our February newsletter is out! Read the AST newsletter now 📰
 
Stay informed on what’s happening at AST by subscribing to our newsletter: www.texasautismsociety.org/subscribe/
Connections Created: January 2024 Recap

We started off 2024 with a free Seminars Across the Spectrum education event on toilet training strategies with guest speakers Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, LSSP, and Janet Firestone.  

We also took part in the Thinkery’s Joyful Learning Collaborative session at the Texas School for the Blind in preparation for the collaborative Eclipse events happening in April!

Registration opened for our Texas Autism Walk, happening April 28th at Dreamland in Dripping Springs.

We also opened submissions for the Autism Art Show happening in April (Deadline is 02/29 to submit artwork)!

Texas Autism Walk Registration is Live – Join us 04/28 at Dreamland!

Registration is open for AST’s 16th Annual Texas Autism Walk happening on Sunday, April 28th at Dreamland in Dripping Springs, TX. Attendees will walk a 1 mile loop around the Dreamland grounds and then reconvene afterwards for an interactive Resource Fair, family friendly activities, and live music all in support of the Texas Autism community.

The Texas Autism Walk happens every April to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month (formerly recognized as Autism Awareness Month) and bring together individuals in the Texas Autism community. 100% of funds raised from the Texas Autism Walk support Autism Society of Texas’ work creating connections for Autistic people and their loved ones across the state of Texas.

Now thru February 16th, register and save $10 per ticket with our early bird discount. Sponsorships for the 2024 Texas Autism Walk are also open now and all sponsorship levels include a resource fair organization spot. Learn more about our sponsorships levels and sign up today here! 

 

 

 

 

Resources – Toilet Training Strategies & Products

Click here for the Tranquility Ordering Guide + Resources

Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, LSSP, and Janet Firestone discuss tips, strategies, and incontinence solutions. Understanding incontinence issues and products that are available for young children through adulthood can lead to better comfort and quality of life! The presentation can be viewed on Facebook live. To learn more about how to get products, please use the link above to access a helpful document on how to get samples and try products, as well as how to get them covered under Medicaid. If you need help or guidance, you can email the Autism Society of Texas Navigating Autism team at support@texasautismsociety.org.

Connections Created: December 2023 Recap

We had a very active December connecting with our community!

We kicked off the month with our AST Family Holiday Party at Boys & Girls Club Austin. Thank you to our Holiday Party committee members – Ashleigh from ACES, Amanda from RiverKids, and Kate from KidsCare, thank you for all of your hard work! Thank you to Boys & Girls Club for donating your amazing space. Also, thank you so much to ASPIRE for leading our fun holiday games and thank you to our awesome Santa Tim! Finally, thank you to Jamba Juice for providing smoothies, Bennu for the coffee and cocoa, and Texas Cannabis Clinic for the yummy grilled cheeses!

We also had our Holiday Party for our Autistic Recreation Group and Thrive Parent Group with food, games, and holiday carols! Thank you to Love Supreme for donating enough pizza and salad to feed our large group of party goers!

Autism Society of Texas staff also had a chance to meet with students from UT’s MBA program who will be completing their capstone on AST. We are so excited to be working with this group of talented business professionals!

We also held our AST Virtual Sensory Friendly Training for Healthcare Professionals, which focused on educating and empowering healthcare professionals and providers with the knowledge, understanding, and resources they need to meet the diverse needs of our communities.

We also had our Year In Review where we highlighted our impact on our community in 2023, which you can check out here! 

Sensory Friendly Clinics: A Kinder Healthcare Experience for Children with Autism and their Caregivers

Without noise, crowds or intense lights – and with the support of sensory toys, tools to reduce the pain of injections, and the help of specially trained personnel – the process is much more bearable for patients and their caregivers. Irene Arellano attests to this after participating in the vaccination day offered by the Autism Society of Texas with the support of the Vaccine Education Initiative.

By: Maria Isabel Capiello

Every time Irene Arellano takes her son Anthony to a doctor’s appointment, she prepares for the worst. Not only does she have to help him deal with the overwhelming sensory load of the usually crowded and noisy waiting rooms, but she also has to tolerate the lack of empathy from other patients and even nurses and doctors.

From a very young age, the 17-year-old, diagnosed with non-verbal Autism at the age of 2 in 2008, has shown resistance to any type of medical intervention; more so if it involves the administration of a vaccine or a blood test.  

“Every time we go to the clinic it is chaotic. As a child he would lie on the floor, cry or run in the office while people stared at us. There was so much pressure that I felt from the people and the doctors themselves that there came a point where we just avoided going,” says Arellano.

Now that Anthony is a teenager, Arellano has lost count of how many times they have resorted to extreme measures to vaccinate him: “They have had to hold him down with up to ten people because he won’t cooperate.”

But everything changed in 2022 when they went to the Autism Friendly Vaccination Clinic, organized by the Autism Society of Texas, to give him the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I thought it would be the same, but it turned out to be completely different. We saved ourselves all the stress, crying, anxiety and frustration, as well as all the stares. Anthony left there happy, without crying or anything. I could not believe it.”

That is precisely the goal of the Vaccine Education Initiative (VEI), a project of the Autism Society that seeks to address systemic barriers and promote education, confidence and access to vaccines in this population.  The idea is to rethink the vaccination experience to reduce stress and thus increase access for people with autism and other disabilities that are characterized by sensory, cognitive and social differences.

It is estimated that currently 1 in 36 children in the United States has Autism, a condition whose prevalence is increasing in the country. Like other individuals with special needs, they are at higher risk for vaccine-preventable diseases, but they also face significant health disparities that limit their access to vaccines.  Studies indicate that children with Autism are significantly less likely to be fully vaccinated than their peers.  Accessible vaccine clinics, like the one offered by the Autism Society of Texas with support from the Vaccine Education Initiative (VEI), seek to close that gap.

“The main thing is that we make adaptations to make vaccination easier for people with Autism” explains Adriana Crostley, Director of Education and Outreach for the Autism Society of Texas, which in 2022 offered special events in cities including San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas. 

Small details make a big difference at Autism-friendly vaccine clinics.

The vaccination experience is made more enjoyable for people like Anthony and his family from the moment they walk through the door.  Appointment scheduling is set so that there are fewer people in the waiting room to avoid crowding and noise, and dimmed lights help those like Anthony who suffer from extreme light sensitivity.  Noise-canceling headphones are available, as well as a number of sensory toys (stress balls, infinity cubes, bubble poppers, and lap pads among others) that help relax and distract the patient during the process. They also have social narratives and other brochures that visually explain the step-by-step process of vaccination to reduce anxiety about the unknown, something that was very useful in Anthony’s case.

“In the past, no one ever explained to him what was going to happen. They thought that since he was non-verbal he wouldn’t understand, but he understands everything. Here they took the time to understand who he was and that made everything easier for them and for us,” says Arellano, who also appreciates that the nurses spoke Spanish.

In these clinics the waiting time is minimal – something that parents like her also appreciate: “The whole process did not last more than ten minutes.”

In addition to having friendly medical staff trained in working with individuals with Autism, they use available devices such as “Buzzy Bee” and Shot Blockers, designed specifically to control pain associated with venipuncture and superficial injections.  All of this allows patients like Anthony to receive the vaccine with less apprehension and resistance. 

“For the first time he didn’t get angry or anything. They let him calm down and they congratulated him,” says his mother.

Once the shot is given, a wide variety of bandage selections, toys, and other positive reinforcements help the individual remember the vaccination experience in a new light. The figures reflect the effectiveness of this formula. In the 35 clinics offered in 6 states as part of the Vaccine Education Initiative, they have managed to immunize 550 people, with a 99% successful vaccination rate. 

Among the vaccines administered are not only that for COVID-19, but also many others such as influenza. In total, they have trained more than a thousand medical professionals and established 60 alliances with regional, local and national organizations, as well as managed to distribute thousands of vaccine kits to medical providers and the community.

Now that we are in flu season, mothers like Arellano are confident that the initiative will continue expanding: “I’m waiting for them to open another day. These clinics offer what we parents want: for medical personnel to see our children not as just another statistic, but as a whole person.”

To access more information about this project and other useful resources for adapting the medical care for sensory sensitivity, visit the Autism Society of Texas website.

Connections Created: November 2023 Recap

This November, we had a lot of opportunities to connect with our community.

We kicked off the month with Spark Learning’s Putt Fore Autism, which raised over $25K for AST and our community!! Thank you so much to Spark Learning for your continued support, you have made a HUGE impact on our work in the Texas Autism Society and we are so grateful!

We also had our Board Retreat where our staff and board met to discuss plans for the future on how we can best meet the needs of our community and expand our support. Thank you, Mara, for hosting us in your lovely home!

We also had our AUTonomy Virtual Zoom Panel, “Autism and Addiction”, where our panelists working in the field of addiction and recovery as well as with personal experiences with addiction discussed what’s important for Autistic people to know about addiction as well as guidance to maintain wellness.

Take Action: Oppose School Vouchers!
Take Action Now! It takes just seconds to ask your Texas legislator to oppose school vouchers in HB 1 & SB 1.
The Autism Society of Texas and every major disability advocacy group in Texas opposes private school vouchers because they are not in the best interest of students with disabilities including Autism.
Key Concerns-
1. Loss of Disability Protections
2. Discrimination
3. Lack of Accountability
4. Increased Segregation
5. Insufficient Funds
Read the press release issued 10/30/23 by united disability orgs: https://tinyurl.com/PressReleaseVouchers