By Eileen Toomey
April, recognized as Autism Awareness Month, is dedicated to raising awareness about autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Spectrum disorders affect individuals differently and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. The month-long observance is an opportunity for families, friends and organizations to promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion of individuals with ASD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with ASD, and the prevalence of autism in the United States has increased significantly over the past two decades.
Organizations, nonprofits, learning centers and more are working to help individuals and their families dealing with autism find ways to be accepted and included in society. Nonprofits like No Limits Cafe in Middletown offer training and employ individuals with intellectual disabilities and RallyCap Sports offers sports specifically designed for children and young adults.
Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc., runs weekly social skills friendship clubs for children in kindergarten through 12th grade.
“When we run our eight-week sections, each week the kids meet in a different place,” explained Nicole Monat, president and founder of Friends Grow Friends. “Four out of the eight weeks we meet in a private studio in the back of a coffee shop, where we have free, unstructured play, then a quick interactive discussion about the skill of the week, which could be making friends or finding a common interest. Then the other four weeks we are out in the community doing things like going to Yestercades, a video arcade in Red Bank, or playing mini golf or bowling.”
According to the Friends Grow Friends website, instructors coach the children through social interaction during different activities that include cooperative building, sports, recess games, mock birthday parties, typical playdate activities and community-based activities like art, LEGO workshops, trips to the park, shopping, eating at a restaurant, community service projects and more.
One group will host a mock birthday party for younger kids and a “teenage” party for pre-teens and teenagers, simulating environments kids find themselves in.
Peer mentors – similarly aged students with strong social skills who can give respectful feedback – are part of each group. Monat, a mother of three boys, founded the organization when she was looking for ways to help her own son with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and ADHD connect with peers and build friendships.
“Everything we do is to build that acceptance of peers who are different,” said Monat. “Inclusion is a big piece of the program, that’s where the peer mentors fit in. We do find that the peer mentors, usually the ones typically developing, are actually forming true friendships with some of the kids who are participants in the program. We try to foster that kind of inclusion.”
OASIS tlc is a nonprofit organization based in Middletown that provides services and support to young adults, 18 to 27 years old, on the autism spectrum. According to its website, OASIS tlc offers post-high school programs to “promote inclusion and acceptance of autistic individuals in their local communities by establishing environmentally exemplary farm centers that provide meaningful work, peaceful and healthy residences and community interactions.”
With so few programs available for autistic adults, the organization truly is an oasis for its interns and residents. Available vocational programs are listed under the heading Homesteading Skills for Survival and Employment: animal care, farm building, food preparation and menu planning, canning, cheese making, grain grinding and more.
During Autism Awareness Month, OASIS tlc hosts events such as three Social Graces Tea Services, a traditional tea run and created by the OASIS student-interns. Additionally, the group is kicking off its seasonal goat yoga sessions starting April 29; Carton Brewing released its Planning Jersey Barn Beer with OASIS hops this month.
Speech Start, LLC, which offers pediatric speech, language, feeding, occupational and academic services, has locations in Fair Haven and Hazlet. They provide resources to children and adults with various communication disorders, including autism. The center, run by the mother/daughter team of Bernadette Mullen, M.S. Ed., and Shaylyn Stilwell, M.S. Ed., offers a range of services, including social skills, summer camps, occupational and individual and group therapy.
Speech therapy can be particularly beneficial for individuals with ASD, as it can help to improve communication and social skills. Occupational therapy helps community-based learning by regulating sensory systems, fine motor skills and providing “activities of daily living” which is a big part of the reason for Speech Start’s recent second center in Fair Haven.
According to Stilwell, Fair Haven is an ideal location. “It’s in the nature of this town” to offer access to community outings such as planning a shopping trip – complete with a list – to the supermarket or ordering and paying at the counter of the local pizza place.
By promoting understanding, everyone can help create more inclusive and supportive communities for people with ASD. Autism Awareness Month is an essential time to foster and celebrate the strengths and accomplishments of autistic individuals. With acceptance and inclusion, we can help everyone feel valued and appreciated for who they are.
The article originally appeared in the April 6 – 12, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
