April 2017 Autism Awareness Activities in Chapel Hill

As always, April is a great month to learn more about autism and to find fun activities for people on the spectrum. Here are several things going on around Chapel Hill this month - please share!

Push Play Sing! Spring Concert:

A participatory music workshop for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Afterward, stay and jam! Instruments will be available for everyone to play. Sponsored by the Adapted Recreation and Inclusion program of Chapel Hill Parks & Rec. For more information, contact Marian Kaslovsky at 919-968-2813 or mkaslovsky@townofchapelhill.org.

When: Friday, April 14, 2017 from 7 - 8 pm
Where: Chapel Hill Community Center, 120 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: Free

No registration necessary - just stop by!

"How to Dance in Ohio" Movie & Reception:

How to Dance in Ohio is a documentary that profiles three young women with autism preparing to attend a formal dance. The movie "reevaluates the definition of normal by emphasizing the universal need to belong, connect and grow, and by celebrating every individual's unique path". A discussion and reception will follow the screening. Co-sponsored by the Autism Society of NC Orange-Chatham Chapter and the Adapted Recreation and Inclusion program of Chapel Hill Parks & Rec.

When: Saturday, April 15, 2017 from 2 - 4pm

Where: Chapel Hill Public Library (Meeting Room B), 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Cost: Free

Open to anyone with an interest in learning more about youth and autism. Please R.s.v.p. to asncoc@gmail.com to indicate how many people are attending.

Sensory Friendly Playtime at Kidzu Children's Museum:

A special playtime open to children ages 8 or under with any kind of disability/special need. Designed so families can enjoy the hands-on exhibit spaces without the extra stimulation found during the museum's busy open hours. Co-sponsored by the Adapted Recreation and Inclusion program of Chapel Hill Parks & Rec, the Autism Society of NC Orange-Chatham Chapter and Kidzu.

When: Thursday, April 21, 2017 from 5:30 - 7pm

Where: Kidzu Children's Museum, University Place, 201 Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Cost: Free

Spaces are limited, so please register soon at: www.townofchapelhill.org/register. Click on Adapted Rec. & look for activity #230630A  Siblings are welcome too, but must also be registered.

See the Newest Additions to Our Therapists and Recreation Pages

We appreciate all of the area therapists and other providers who reach out to us to share their services with the local autism community. Please take a moment to check out our newest additions to the Therapists page: Psychologist Jon Ross in Carrboro and Greenleaf Psychological & Support Services in Durham. We are also delighted to welcome the drama therapy program Acting is Awesome! to the Recreation page.

Drama therapist Amy Elliot, Ph.D. LPC RDT of "Acting is Awesome!"

New ABA Therapist Added to CHART

Our list of Triangle area autism therapists is ever-growing. Today we have a new addition to our Therapists Page: Stafford Behavioral Consulting, PLLC, which offers in-home intensive ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy. (New to the world of autism treatments? Learn more about what ABA therapy is from the Autism Society of North Carolina.)

Please visit our Therapists Page for more information about Stafford Behavioral Consulting. Are you an autism therapist in Chapel Hill, Durham, or Raleigh (or a parent who knows of excellent local therapists?) - feel free to contact us to request inclusion in our list. Thank you!

Image via Stafford Behavioral Consulting, PLLC.

Keep Up with the Latest News on Our Facebook Page!

While it is our dream to be able to share helpful posts here on the blog on a regular basis, sometimes life gets in the way - like attending last night's Board of County Commissioners meeting to advocate for public school funding (Orange County folks, there is still time to email the BoCC and ask them to fully fund our schools!)

Although we can't keep up with the blog as often as we would like, we do share as many resources as possible on the CHART Facebook page on an ongoing basis. Recently we've shared information about quite a few upcoming social skills groups for summer 2016 - not only for boys, but even a new group for girls with autism and other social-communication challenges. So be sure to "like" our page, check the box to see our posts in your news feed, and turn on notifications so you don't miss a thing (Facebook has a lot of hoops to jump through in order to see posts from your favorite pages!).

See y'all there!

April 2016 Autism Awareness + Acceptance Month Events

No doubt you already know that April has been designated Autism Awareness + Acceptance Month. But did you know that there are a huge number of autism-related events going on around the Triangle in April? The list of offerings seems to grow every year, so these are just some of them. Be sure to follow CHART on Facebook to hear about more April autism events as we learn about them!

Friday, April 8th:

Visible Spectrum: Portraits from the World of Autism - Photographs by Mary Berridge

Chapel Hill photographer Mary Berridge shares her portraits of individuals on the autism spectrum.
Photography exhibit runs from April 5th - May 8th.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 8th from 6 - 9 pm
Where: FRANK Gallery, 109 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Presented in the Community Outreach Gallery.

Saturday, April 9th:

"Autism in Love" Movie by Director Matt Fuller

Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation’s Adapted Recreation & Inclusion and the Autism Society of North Carolina Orange Chatham Chapter invite you to celebrate Autism Awareness Month at a free showing of the movie Autism in Love by Director Matt Fuller

When: Saturday April 9, 2016  from 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Where: Chapel Hill Public Library (Meeting Room B) 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Please R.s.v.p. to ASNCOC@GMAIL.COM so they can plan for refreshments.

The film rating for this movie is PG13 but parents should be aware that strong emotions are displayed and adult themes are discussed.

Please note: There will not be childcare at this event, as it is intended to be a family event.

LuLaRoe Pop Up Boutique Benefit

Shop for a great cause! A LuLaRoe Pop-Up Boutique will be held to benefit the Autism Society of North Carolina. LuLaRoe is a fashion brand that sells cute and comfortable women's and girls' leggings, dresses, maxi skirts, pencil skirts, and A-line skirts. 

When: Saturday April 9, 2016  from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m
Where: The house of Meredith Dangel, 44 Little Bend Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

 

Amelia dress by LuLaRoe

Sunday, April 10th:

Autism Society of NC UNC Chapter Annual Spring Soiree

Music, Food, Drinks, Silent Auction, Raffle, Entertainment & Child Care

When: Sunday, April 10th from 5 - 8pm
Where: UNC Farm, 1 Alice Ingram Circle, Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: $6 per ticket

Tuesday, April 26th:

Dine4Autism

Sponsored by the Autism Society of North Carolina Durham, Orange-Chatham, and Wake County Chapters.
Dine 4 Autism is both a fundraising and an autism awareness event. More than 40 restaurants, Triangle-wide, will be donating a portion of their sales — breakfast, lunch and dinner — to support local individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Eat at a participating restaurant on this date and restaurants will donate 10% to the Triangle ASNC chapters. Join the event on Facebook and invite your friends!

When: All Day!

Where: List of Participating Restaurants

Know of another Autism Awareness Month event this April? Feel fee to share it on our Facebook page and tag us so we can spread the word (please note that reaching out on Facebook is a faster way to have your event shared than emailing us the flyer). Thanks!

New Additions to Therapists and Organizations Pages

Please join us in welcoming the newest additions to the resources on CHART.

Dr. Caroline Hexdall of the Center for Mindful Development, PLCC can now be found on our Therapists page. She offers a comprehensive range of psychological services for children and adolescents and their families, with a specialization in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. Of particular note are her support groups in Hillsborough for parents of children with disabilities and mindful parenting classes.

Image via Community Partnerships, Inc.

We are also pleased to welcome Community Partnerships, Inc. to our Organizations page. They offer a broad range of services to children and adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, as well as to adults with mental health or substance abuse issues. The program that particularly caught our attention is their Partners in Inclusion service in Durham and Wake Counties, which helps children succeed in community settings. They provide individualized on-site guidance to staff of childcare centers, preschool, and recreation centers to ensure successful inclusion of the child with a disability. It sounds like an outstanding resource for families whose children struggle in summer camp, after care, or other community activities.

As always, we welcome suggestions for other resources across the Triangle; please let us know!

Valentine Events for Children with Autism

The Autism Society of North Carolina UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Chapter is sponsoring two great Valentine's events for children with autism! First is their Hearts and Crafts event - parents can drop off their kids with autism or developmental disabilities (free respite!!) for an afternoon of playing board games, making crafts, and making Valentine's Day crafts.

When: Saturday, February 6, 2016 from 4 - 6pm
Where: Chapel Hill Public Library, Meeting Room B
R.s.v.p. is required as spaces are limited: http://evite.me/9wrWRXxamR

Download the press release for more details: 

Hearts and Crafts

Not only that, but the ASNC UNC-Chapel Hill Chapter is also sending Valentine's Day cards to children of all ages with autism or other developmental disabilities. Don't you just love that? To request a card for your loved one, please submit your request by February 4th at 5pm using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tLlnxvHlgIlYfHOp33LbRl5KyMRaTjpOkzhPplRxlJ4/viewform.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!