AUTISM SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA INC

IN 2022, ASSA SERVED 4,069 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS, INFORMATION & REFERRAL SUPPORT, AND OUTREACH. WE OFFERED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS ON A MONTHLY BASIS: ADULT SOCIAL CLUB, TEEN MEETUPS WITH PLAYFORMANCE, PARENT PEER SUPPORT GROUP, EMPOWER HOUR, SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES, SENSORY FRIENDLY SANTA, AUTISM FRIENDLY COMMUNITY TRAININGS, AND THE NAVIGATING AUTISM PROGRAM. ASSA OFFERS AUTISM TRAININGS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND IN 2022, WE EDUCATED U OF A PUBLIC HEALTH, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, NORTON, TOHONO O'OODHAM DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AMAZON, HUMANE SOCIETY, TUCSON PUBLIC LIBRARIES, WILCOX POLICE DEPARTMENT, TUCSON POLICE DEPARTMENT, TROT, AND TOHONO O'OODHAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND LA PALOMA ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL. OUR TRAININGS REACHED OVER 700 INDIVIDUALS.WHILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC STILL POSED A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO THE COMMUNITY, WE ADAPTED OUR LARGE SCALE EVENT TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND OFFERED A DRIVE-IN MOVIE WHERE 100 FAMILIES HAD THE ABILITY TO COME RECEIVE A BAG OR RESOURCES FROM LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ENJOY A DRIVE IN MOVIE TOGETHER.DURING 2022, WE BEGAN TO TRANSITION OUR GROUPS BACK TO IN-PERSON IN THE SUMMER. THE ADULT SOCIAL CLUB AVERAGED 26 INDIVIDUALS PER MONTH AND SERVED 313 IN 2022. THE ADULT SOCIAL CLUB FOUND THAT SOME PEOPLE STILL PREFERRED THE VIRTUAL OPTION, SO WE TRANSITIONED INTO MEETING IN-PERSON ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH AND MET VIRTUALLY ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 6 - 8 PM. THIS GROUP PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND "HANGOUT" VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON. THE GROUP IS FACILITATED BY OUR PARTNERS AT UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY AND OUR BOARD MEMBER/SELF-ADVOCATE WHO BOTH CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR CULTIVATING FRIENDSHIP AND COMMUNITY.TEENS CONNECTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS THROUGH OUR PLAYFORMANCE MEETUPS. THIS GROUP TRANSITIONED BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS IN JUNE. THE MEETUP IS FACILITATED BY COACH KEVIN FROM PLAYFORMANCE. THE GROUP LEARNED NEW GAMES, INTERACTED WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND OVERALL HAD FUN. THIS EVENT IS SCHEDULED ONCE A MONTH. WE SERVED A TOTAL OF 111 TEENS AND ON AVERAGE 9 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED EACH MONTH.ONE OF THE GREATEST NEEDS WE DISCOVERED FROM PARENTS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC WAS SOCIAL ISOLATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. IN RESPONSE TO THIS NEED, WE PARTNERED WITH A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST, GUY GARCIA TO OFFER SOCIAL SKILLS CLASSES. THE FOUR-WEEK PROGRAM OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILLS THAT FOSTER AUTHENTIC SOCIAL INTERACTIONS THAT FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRIENDSHIPS. ASSA OFFERED THREE CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH THREE PARTICIPANTS IN EACH CLASS AND SERVED A TOTAL OF 12 INDIVIDUALS.DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, ASSA WAS ABLE TO HOST OUR FIRST IN PERSON SENSORY FRIENDLY SANTA EVENT. WE WELCOMED FAMILIES INTO THE LOBBY OF OUR OFFICE, WHICH HAD BEEN DECORATED AND HAD STATIONS WITH HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AND CRAFTS, IN SMALL GROUPS TO PREVENT OVERWHELM AND THEN EACH CHILD WAS ESCORTED BY AN ELF TO A SEPARATE ROOM TO MEET SANTA IN A SENSORY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. WE SERVED 59 INDIVIDUALS AT THIS EVENT.