By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Let's Talk Behavior and DSNWK are teaming up to sponsor an event for children to create awareness of autism on World Autism Awareness Day.
The public is invited, and children of all developmental levels are encouraged to attend. The event will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday in the Eagle Plaza parking lot at 27th and Hall streets in front of the DSNWK office
The event will focus on activities that stimulate the senses.
The Hays police and fire departments will be on hand. The fire department is providing a fire suit the children can handle.
Children will be invited to paint colored hand prints on the Let's Talk Behavior office windows. The kids can blow bubbles, draw with sidewalk chalk, play games and create crafts.
Wild Style KickBoxing will provide pads so the children can try some kickboxing moves. Free goodie bags, snowball cards and stickers will also be distributed.
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hays Recreation Commission and Kansas Special Olympics are also participating in the event.
Marsha Avery, board certified behavior analyst, is the only person in the state of Kansas with international behavior analyst credentials.
Avery's practice is new to Hays. She opened her office, 2703 Hall St., Ste. 5, in Eagle Plaza in September.
She works with families who have loved ones who have autism.
She observes individuals with autism and helps caregivers collect behavior data on their loved ones who have autism. She uses this information to develop treatment plans for individuals who have autism.
Those plans can help the individuals who have autism deal with sensory, motor, emotional and communication issues that are common challenges among people who have autism.
"A lot of them have sensory and texture issues," Avery said. "They don't like the taste of things. They don't like the touch of things. They don't like the smell of things, so they kind of shut down."
The event will help children who have autism explore their senses, she said.
"When you're having fun doing it, you don't really realize you're learning and you're building up exposure to say, 'It's OK to touch Play-Doh,' " she said. " 'Hey, it's OK to wear a different type of clothing or it's OK to smell something different and not only be what I like.' "
Engaging children who have autism in social interactions is also important, she said.
"A lot of kids don't understand social cues," Avery said, "so they can't read the emotional aspect of what someone is saying. ... Putting them in an environment that exposes them to [social interactions] helps teach them what society wants others to know."
The event is also meant to help children and adults who don't have special needs become more aware of autism and its challenges.
"When you bring awareness, you can also build on acceptance and then move on to advocacy," Avery said. "In a community that doesn't have a lot of awareness about special differences, the best thing to do is bring them together with kids and activities."
Avery said she hopes the children will learn it is OK for others to look different or act different, Avery said.
"You can still be their friend," she said. "They're humans. They still have feelings. They have emotions. ... The more that we bring awareness, the more people are going to accept that society is full of all sorts of different flowers."
She added, "One of the biggest things I want out of this day is to make the community an acceptable place where people feel safe to be different."
Avery hopes the event will give families the opportunity to connect with resources in the community, including DSNWK.
"This is another opportunity for us to reach back out to our families and to serve our individuals," said Natalie Ellis, DSNWK community support specialist.
Although not directly linked to autism, a representative of DSNWK's new Fam-Link program will be available at the event to speak with caregivers.
The program works with children ages 6 to 24 months and their caregivers to enhance the bonds they have with their children. The connection can be important to brain development, Franses Schmidt, Fam-Link parent coach, said.
The Fam-Link program is open to any family in a six-county region, including Ellis County.
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March 29, 2021 at 06:25PM
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Let's Talk Behavior, DSNWK to sponsor autism awareness event for kids - hays Post
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