Families with ASD 1st Annual Autism Expo
Newly Added Expo Pictures....
The 1st Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo was a huge success. An estimated 2,200 people attended. We had 70+ Service Providers, Therapist and Organizations that work with children and adults on the spectrum, set up information booths at the Anderson Hills United Methodist Church. The Expo was free to families. It was a great opportunity to go to one location and receive a ton of information. Families with ASD also handed out the "Families with ASD Autism Expo Program Guide" which is being billed as the "Autism Yellow Pages" to each family. If you missed the Autism Expo, don't worry. We are already planning our 2nd Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo for September of 2007!
February, 2007:
Kate Hawkins from Hamilton County MRDD was our special guest. She is a Community/ Government Liaison for the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Chair of the CARA Group,and the Community Ambassadors Resource Alliance.
1Year Anniversary Party
Families with ASD's first meeting was Saturday, March 4th, 2005. There were only 7 families that attended our first meeting. Our son Luke was all of a sudden having major problems and Greg and I were desperately looking for another family out there that was going through the same experiences that we were, and that maybe could help us understand what we were seeing happen to our son Luke. Also, our other son, Joel, needed to be around other siblings so that he could see that he was not the only one that lived the life he lived. We wanted a group that was for the entire family and that you could go to and be yourself with no worries. This is our group one year later. We went from seven families to 100 plus!
2 Year Anniversary Party
Families with ASD has come a long way since March 4th, 2005. We just celebrated our 2 year Anniversary Party on Saturday, March 17th, 2007, and we had a ton of good things to celebrate. Kathy Morris from Community Fund Management Foundation came out to our party to talk to families about planning out the finacial future for our children. Kathy and her husband even brought all of our children wonderful gifts, giant squish balls. They were the hit of the party. Thank you Kathy!
Families with ASD is now a 501 (c)(3) Public Charity, non-profit organization!! We have hosted our 1st Annual Families with ASD Autism Expo that had an estimated 2,200 people in attendance, and are feverishly planning our 2007 Autism Expo! We have been in the newspaper, on the radio, and featured on "In the Tank Cincinnati". We really have a lot to celebrate!! We are now 155 families and growing!!!
Baseball Game 2005
Baseball Game 2006
Have you ever wanted to try your child out for baseball but was afraid how they would react? Our annual Families with ASD Baseball Game is your chance for your child to experience a friendly game of baseball, without the worries. Everyone gets into the game. You can have the ball pitched or you can hit it off the tee. Here are some pictures from the second annual Families with ASD baseball game....this year was a blast !!!
Movies
Charolette's Web
Many thanks to the Midway Theater in Bethel, OH. We were able to have the sound and lighting adjusted to make the movie comfortable to all of the kids. So far, our group has been to the Midway to see "Barnyard" , "Cars" and "Charlotte's Web". Each time, they went above and beyond to make the experience great !!!
Halloween Party 05
Halloween Party 06
Taking your child on the spectrum to a party can be a scary experience. The surroundings and noises can be over stimulating. Families with ASD is proud to host an annual Halloween party where you don't have to worry if your child is having problems. Our party is geared for your ASD family. Everyone can dress up in their favorite costume. Yes, parents too! Each child is given a pumpkin to decorate and a treat bag to take home!
North Pole Express 05
North Pole Express 06
Each year Wyoming, Kindervelt #8 host the North Pole Express Train Ride, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The money raised goes to help Cincinnati Children's Hospital. 2005 the train departed from Sawyer Point and was our first year going as a group. We had 76 members go, and member Robert Parish brought his camera and did a segment on his "In the Tank Cincinnati" about our group. In 2006, our group was so big, we had 166 members go. We filled two trains with our group!! The train departed from Lebanon, OH this year.
Christmas Party 05
Christmas Party 06
Christmas time is supposed to be a magical time of year. Having a child on the spectrum during the Christmas season can prove challenging. Schedules are off, and routines are out of whack. Family traditions like putting up the Christmas tree, getting your child's picture taken with Santa or getting together with friends and family can be a nightmare. Families with ASD proudly host a yearly Christmas party that takes away some of the worries. We offer a ASD Friendly Santa. He is a one-of -a kind Santa that takes his time to spend time with each child. Every child at our Christmas party receives a Christmas gift from Santa then has the chance to sit and talk to him. He even sticks around for pictures. Leave the hurry and worries behind, and bring your cameras and come have some good old fashioned holiday fun!
If you have pictures that you have taken at any of our events/meetings, and you would like for us to add it to our Website, please e-mail us the JPG to familieswithasd@yahoo.com . I am especially looking for more Expo and Polar Express pictures. I was unable to be on both train cars, and I want everyone that was there represented. So please e-mail me your pictures and Greg will add them to our site. Thanks!
