April is Autism Awareness Month and to celebrate we want to share two organizations that are doing amazing things for people with autism!
The Arc of Palm Beach County aims to “change the conversation around disabilities by defying definitions, inspiring possibilities and improving the lives of the people we serve, their families and our community.” They are an amazing resource for finding out how to get diagnosed, what schools offer the best services, and what services there are for adults with autism too. The Arc of PBC is looking for donations to their food bank that provides food for families hit especially hard during this time.
The Els for Autism Foundation is local to Jupiter and was founded by professional golfer Ernie Els in 2009. Els for Autism assists families by providing early diagnosis resources, recreational programs, and career training. The Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter is home to these services and two schools serving kids with autism from 3 all the way through 21. They have lots of free resources for families during the COVID-19 pandemic including Virtual Storytimes with Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Virtual Families Coping through Conversation to name a few.
And for your event needs, we are leading the way in the event rental industry! In addition to undergoing Autism Friendly Business training with FAU’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), we have also designed a social story that is available on our website. Social stories are a tool used by educators and guardians to give a visual guide of what to do in new situations so the individual has an idea of what to expect. Our social story gives a step-by-step guide of what someone can expect when visiting one of our inflatables. To continue our commitment to inclusivity, we also undergo semiannual autism-friendly training for all of our employees to participate in.
In addition to bounce houses and water slides, we have a wide variety of games that can provide some light to individuals of all abilities during this particularly difficult time. Our interactive and carnival games provide new sensory experiences to keep kids engaged while cooped up at home.
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