AUTISM EXPO

Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders Inc., is proud to announce that we are planning our 2nd Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo for Saturday, September 27th, 2008.   

We are asking local therapist, doctors, service providers and organizations that work with children and adults on the Autism Spectrum to set up information booths on their specific organization.  We are inviting over 100 different service providers and organizations from the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky Area to join us. We would like your organization to join us too.  This is going to be a wonderful event in which families will be invited to come, browse the many different information booths, and leave with a wealth of information that is specific to services for autism.   Admission to the Expo will be free to the community.  This will be a wonderful chance for your service/organization to reach out to families who are looking for help for their children, or adults with ASD.


We had over 80 different organizations to attend the 2007 Expo !!!.  There was an estimated 3,700 people attended this years event !!!   Hopefully, we can follow up our success with an even better turnout in 2008.


We want as many service providers as possible to give the autism community of Cincinnati as much information as possible !!!   The Families with ASD Autism Expo is also a fundraiser for "Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders Inc.", a non-profit Organization. 

Corporate Sponsors are invited to advertise in our "2008 Families with ASD Autism Expo Autism Yellow Pages".   You will be helping to support our group and spread the word that Autsism Awareness matters to your organization. 

The money raised will fund the following:
  • Families with ASD Monthly Support Group: Meetings are scheduled one Saturday a month.   Meetings are for the entire family and friends of people with autism.  Currently we have over 200 families which include, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even therapist, teachers, anyone who has been touched by Autism.  We have members on the spectrum as young as 2 yrs old, and as old as 21 yrs.  We have children that have been diagnosed with ASD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD Not Otherwise Specified, and children with Sensory Integration problems.  We have many families that have more than one child on the spectrum. 
  • Organizing and Hosting the Annual Families with ASD Baseball Game: Sporting events are often hard for children on the spectrum.  Parents want to sign their children up for a sport, but are afraid of how their children will react.  This is a chance for the families to try out baseball/t-ball without the worries.  Each August, Families with ASD host a Family Baseball/T-ball game.  Everyone gets a chance to play all positions.  Parents and siblings also enjoy playing this game where everyone is a winner!! To make this even more a true baseball experience, we will have hotdogs, peanuts, and crackerjacks for the families.
  • Organizing and Hosting the Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo:  Contacting service providers, organizations through mass mailings so that we will have at least 100 different local service providers/organizations available for families with children and adults on the spectrum.  Organizing and paying for advertisement to the community for the Expo.  Organizing and paying for the  Families with ASD   "Autism Yellow Pages  that list advertisements for local service providers, and organizations that purchased ads.
  • Organizing and Hosting a Halloween Party, and a Christmas Party: Holidays for children on the spectrum are always hard.  Since many children on the spectrum have anti-social behavior, just being invited to a party is sometimes a hardship.  If a child is invited, the over stimulation of the crowd, change in routine, sensory issues when you place a costume on your child, or just the food issues can be hard.  Families with ASD is proud to host a Halloween and Christmas party for our families.  Parents do not have to worry if their child is having a bad day.  Families are surrounded by others who live with Autism 24/7.  The parties are held in a ASD child friendly environment.  For our Halloween party, each child receives a pumpkin to paint and a treat bag.  Our Christmas party has a special visit by Santa.  He brings every child a present, then sticks around to socialize with the children.  Each family is then given the opportunity to get their picture taken with Santa. 
  • Organizing and Hosting Group Outings: Taking your child/adult with ASD out to the grocery store, or eating out can be a trying event for your family.   If your child is having a bad day, outsiders looking in often give looks of disapproval, sometimes even making comments on what a bad child, or tell us we have bad parenting skills.  Parents often avoid trying new things because they have been judged before.  Families with ASD is proud to organize and host group outings.  In November, we go as a group to the Wyoming, Kindervelt #8’s North Pole Express Train Ride.  It is a wonderful event in which families take a ride on a train while a Kindervelt volunteer reads Chris Van Allsburg’s  "Polar Express  to the children.  Santa comes aboard and hands each child a bell, just like in the story.  Santa also takes time to talk to every family, sign books, and allows pictures to be taken.  Last November, our group had a 3-minute segment on "In the Tank Cincinnati", which featured us on this wonderful train ride.  We also have planned private screenings of movies at the Midway Theater in Bethel, Ohio.  Families actually get to view a movie with their entire family without the worry of having to leave early because their child is having a bad day.  Families with ASD is also looking to schedule more group outings for our families.

If your organization is interested in joining us for the 3rd Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo, please contact Julia Ann Smith at 513-528-1595, or familieswithasd@yahoo.com .  We are making plans for the 2008 Families with ASD Autism Expo Program Guide, and will need all submissions no later than August  15th, 2008.  If you know of another service provider or organization that works with children and adults on the spectrum, please pass this on to them.  Our goal is to have at least 100 different service providers at our Expo, so our parents will leave with a wealth of information.

Sincerely,

Julia Ann Smith
Founder of Families with ASD