News About Past, Present and Future Activities and Events
Here, you'll find essential news updates about the activities, projects and events with Autism in Community participation. Also, our own sponsored events or recommended activities in the autism community, which AIC endorses.
Booth at the Technology, Disability, & Aging Expo
Autism in Community will have an exhibit booth at the upcoming Technology, Disability, & Aging Expo to be held on Sunday, October 4, 2015, at the Colorado Convention Center in Downtown Denver. The Expo is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and is FREE to the public.
We will provide literature about our vision and
programs, and are interested in making
connections with the Autism and service
communities, in general, to become
better acquainted with the needs and resources
currently available or needed.
Michele has donated one of her framed pencil
drawings as one of the many door prizes that
will be awarded to those in attendance.
The Autism Society of Colorado has monthly Pizza Nights at 2 of the Denver metro BeauJo's Colorado Style Pizza restaurents. One is their flagship restaurent at 2710 S. Colorado Blvd. (Yale and Colorado Blvd.) in SE Denver. This pizza night is usually held the 1st Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The other restaurent is located in Arvada at 7525 West 53rd Avenue (Wadsworth Blvd & 53rd). This pizza night is usually the 1st Tuesday of each month. Also, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The restaurent welcomes families and individuals of all ages, with ties to or an interest in ASD. Most adults in the metro area on the spectrum, usually attend the one in Denver on the 1st Wednesday. You can order off the menu or go through the special salad and/or pizza bar. A variety of gluten free pizza is available.
ASC Pizza Nights at BeauJo's
Congresswoman Diana DeGette's Healthy Aging Resource Fair in Denver
Autism in Community had a resource booth at the Denver Healthy Aging Resource Fair in south Denver, on August 5, 2015. It was sponsored by Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette. A separate brochure was created creating awareness about our support of the aging community with ASD, whether diagnosed or not. Many older Americans may be somewhere on the spectrum, but never diagnosed, because diagnosis didn't really take hold until the late 1990's, when most of today's retirees were well into their adult lives. You can review the contents of this brochure here.
Participation at the ASA Conference in Denver, CO, July 8-11, 2015
Autism in Community made its national launch at the 2015 Autism Society of America Nation Conference in Denver, CO by having an exhibit booth.
We had our inaugural organization
brochure available, along with an
announcement giving the dates for our
first annual strategy and inclusion
conference to be held next April. Also
available were samples of possible healthy
snacks for taste testing.
There were 3 flavors each of gluten free
pita chips and gluten free corn chips, and sweet potato picnic
salad. Quantities of the samples were available for sale. Some samples of the founder's artwork were on display and available for sale to raise funds. Tote bags for the Ocate Cliffs Retreat Center were being sold to help support that autism-friendly employment project in New Mexico.
Getting the Conversation About Autism Going
Autism in Community has just launched our open forum discussions, "Conversations About Autism" in Longmont, Colorado. The first will be on Sunday, October 11, 2015. These conversations will be held in the Lucky's Market Community Room located at 700 Ken Pratt Blvd. They will be from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. We are planning to hold these twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The 2nd October meeting will be on the 25th. After the first few meetings, we will determine whether a different time and day would be more convenient for those wishing to attend. If this day an time is not convenient, but you'd like to attend these conversational discussions, please email us to let us know at time and day that is more convenient.
These will be open discussions facilitated, initially, by the Executive Director, Michele Newman. Discussion topics will be determined by those in attendance. We welcome parents of children on the spectrum; youth (age 13+) and adults who are on the spectrum; and any adult who desires greater awareness and understanding about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Autism in Community is willing to facilitate other community conversation forums throughout Colorado. If interested in sponsoring a forum in your own community, please contact the Executive Director at mnewman@autismincommunity.org for more information.
Plan NOW For Our 1st Annual Inclusion Conference
The date has been set for our 1st Annual Adult ASD Strategy and Inclusion Conference. It will be held April 8-9, 2016, at the MEETING PLACE in the Marriott complex in SW Longmont, CO. Put the date on your calendars NOW. This plans to be a very exciting and productive conference. All adults within any community, especially those adults on the spectrum are encouraged to consider attending. Download our initial flyer about the event HERE, and share with your friends, family, associates and community.
Attendance at the Ocate Cliffs, N.M. 2015 Work Camp
Autism in Community endorses Divergent Labs and their Ocate Cliffs Retreat Center project. In doing so, our founder attended the second week of the 2015 Work Camp to help with center infrastructure development. This was the 2nd year the work camp was held, so the center is not yet open to the public as buildings, tent platforms, trails, tree houses and other facilities are developed and built. Prior to this year, it had a solar water well and solar toilet / building constructed on site, but is still relatively remote.
The work camp was not all hard work, but included some social time with hikes and campfires, and a day at a nearby lake. Not as much was completed this year because of an unusually wet & rainy summer.
If you'd like to learn more about this unique project located in northern New Mexico on the mesa above Ocate, check out their website at www.OcateCliffs.org
Because of the rainy summer, the contractor was unable to start construction of the Staff House until after the 2015 work camp.
The solar well was dug and installed in 2014. The pump is powered by the solar panel. Plumbing is already piped to the toilet house, along with water pumps outside the toilet house and to the outside cooking area. Additional plumbing infrastructure is still under development.
This is the first treehouse built at the retreat center. It was placed in a massive evergreen tree.
This toilet house has all the luxuries you normally wouldn't find in a primitive setting. Besides the commode, there's a light, sink with counter, and shelving for supplies. in 2015, the walls were painted a very calming blue with a pink ceiling.
This year, there was a solar oven to bake bread.
Days at the work camp often ended with a campfire. Some nights we'd pop popcorn on the fire, cook s'mores, or create storytelling games. Most of all, we enjoyed many "quiet" lightning shows off in the distance.
