Upcoming events.
Abilene League of Trucks
The first Junior League of Abilene LEAGUE OF TRUCKS! This event features food, kids activities, and plenty of cool trucks and equipment for kids to see, touch, and learn about! Free admission!
Sensory Friendly: 9:30-10 AM
General Public: 10 AM-1:30 PM
21st Annual Autism Extravaganza
This community event is held at the ACU Hunter Welcome Center. Morning speakers are Aimee Day and her son Ty Day. They will be speaking on Ty's self-advocacy in their session titled: "Stop Talking About Me and Listen to Me." Since 2017, Ty and Aimee Day have used person-centered planning and trauma-informed support to help him become a young adult who is not afraid to speak up for himself. Ty will share his story of feeling powerless and misunderstood, even by his own mother! Mom learned how to truly listen and discover what he was trying to tell her. Together, they taught others the importance of having the POWER to make informed choices. After our lunch break (lunch on your own), John Halloran, MS, CCC-SLP and the creator of LAMP will talk about his journey to helping others find their voice through Augumentative and Alternative Communication in "Autism: Finding Joy in Communication." This is a free community event that includes a Resource Fair (open 8:30am-4pm). Program begins at 9am.
Sensory Santa
Sensory Santa is an event for children and families wanting a sensory-friendly holiday experience.
Fox West Texas Christmas Lights Parade
Enjoy 100 festive floats decorated with lights along with bands and other entertainment! This event is enjoyed by 15,000 people a year!
Respite Care Training
One of the struggles that families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder face is the inability to find short-term caregivers for their children. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, a day at the spa, or a date night out, parents deserve the freedom that comes with the ability to leave your child in the hands of competent caregivers. Seeing a need in this area, Big Country Spectrum Connection is creating a database of trained caregivers as a way to connect parents and caregivers.
We are excited to offer a unique opportunity for students interested in gaining hands-on experience in supporting children and families. Our nonprofit organization is hosting a 6-hour Respite Caregiver Training that will equip you with the essential knowledge and skills to care for children aged 0-18 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and allow you to be listed as a trained caregiver on our database.
Why You Should Join:
Gain Specialized Knowledge
Hands-On, Practical Skills
Make a Meaningful Impact
What the Training Will Cover:
Autism Spectrum Disorder Overview: Understanding characteristics and challenges of children across the spectrum.
Communication Techniques: Strategies for verbal and non-verbal communication.
Sensory and Behavioral Support: Tools to help children regulate their environment and emotions.
Health, Safety, and Care: How to provide physical and emotional care for children with high needs.
Social and Play Skills: How to engage children in meaningful social interactions and play.
Regulation Skills: How to care for yourself while caring for children with ASD.
Training Details:
Date/Time: Nov 16, 2024 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Location: ACU Campus (Room TBD)
Registration Deadline: Nov 9, 2024
Cost: $10 (Lunch provided)
Contacts: Hailey Frazier or Jessica Jacob
If you are interested in registering, please fill out the form using this link.
This is a fantastic opportunity to develop both personally and professionally while making a meaningful difference in the lives of families with children on the autism spectrum.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at spectrumconnectionabilene@gmail.com
Walk Against the Silence, Find Your Inner Voice" Color Walk & Resource Fair
The purpose of "Walk Against the Silence Color Walk" is to create awareness around the fact that lack of education on self-autonomy and personal rights regarding individuals with disabilities puts them at an unfavorable position not understanding if they are being taken advantage of. Research indicates that Individuals with disabilities are at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted and repeatedly sexually assaulted than their non-disabled peers.
At the Walk Against the Silence Color Walk event, there will be a resource fair that will give individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families the opportunity to find long-term services and support to help them remain in the community. The event is open to the public and welcomes all community members to come out and have a fun time outdoors at the beautiful Oscar Rose Park with music, games, and food. We will also have Self-Advocates with IDD giving speeches throughout the event.
The walking portion of the event is a short and easily accessible 5-minute horseshoe walk around the park while volunteers play educational information connected to IDD through set up speakers around the track while also lightly spraying participants with color powder.
We will also be speaking on our grant project's curriculum provided by Elevatus Training LLC, which is trauma and evidence-informed. This program has three main components consisting of tracks for Individuals with disabilities, parents and loved ones that provide care and support for people with disabilities.
The track for educating people with disabilities is primarily focused on providing participants with a sense of understanding in having and maintaining happy, healthy and safe relationships, including the use of the internet and social media.
All trainings promote all participants to better understand and support self-autonomy and understanding personal rights, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
The program also has tracks for family and friends of individuals with IDD as well as a track for professionals who may work with individuals with IDD. These tracks include how to talk with loved ones and individuals with disabilities on topics such as sexuality and encouraging and reinforcing healthy personal habits (both online and personal relationships).
For more information, contact Sarah Mendoza at smendoza@westcentraltexas.org.
Annual Autism Walk
Save the date! The next Spectrum Connection Walk for Autism will be April 6th, 2024 from 9-11am at Redbud Park in Abilene.
Bring the whole family for a morning of sensory-friendly fun, vendors, and of course our walk!