December 2020 Newsletter

Drive-thru Sensory Friendly Santa Photos

The holidays can bring many moments of sensory overload for all of us, but especially for those we love with autism. A trip to the mall or local department store to see Santa can be unnerving. At Autism Society - The Heartland, we are hoping to take the stress out of seeing Santa! Our yearly sensory friendly photos with Santa will be a DRIVE-THRU event this year on December 6, 2020 from 9:00am - 2:00pm along Candy Cane Lane in Prairie Village, KS. Espy's Photography will be providing professional photos free to all our members who register! Please find more information and register for an appointment here!

Virtual A.W.A.R.E. Nelson-Atkins Museum Art Class

Want to attend? Sign up with by emailing Duffymp@umkc.edu. We have limited room for this class, so get your RSVP in early to reserve your spot! The Zoom link for the class will be emailed to you on the morning of Thursday, December 3.

Please help us plan our Support Groups and Social Groups for 2021, so that they fit YOUR needs! Take this 5 question Social Group or 5 question Support Group survey to guide when, where, and how we will continue to provide these events!

Join us December 9 for our Virtual Support Group Meeting! This will be held through Zoom. Please find more information by clicking the date above to attend!

Our Saturday Seminar series will continue in 2021! We've had some great virtual seminars this fall and hope to return to in-person seminars very soon! Please let us know what topics and/or organizations you would like to see, by emailing us at ashofficeasst@gmail.com!

Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (KCART) Research Opportunity

The BRAIN Lab team is seeking individuals 8-35 years old for our studies of brain and behavioral development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD and individuals without ASD may participate. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently conducting remote assessments only. If you are interested in participating in our studies*, follow the link above and click on ENROLL IN A STUDY.

*For more information about study participation, or to learn about the safety procedures being implemented by our research team, contacting us at (785) 864-4461 or brainlab@ku.edu.

Kansas University Medical Center Research Opportunity

The University of Kansas Medical Center is recruiting adolescents (ages 11-17) with Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate in a research study about the impact of yoga classes on balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and overall enjoyment of exercise and physical activity. To learn more about the study and to see if your child qualifies to participate, please call 785-766-1944, e-mail bhelsel@kumc.edu, or fill out the interest and enrollment questionnaire at bit.ly/yogalivestudy.

December 2020

Due to continued CoVid-19 concerns in KS and MO, Autism Society - The Heartland has made the decision to cancel, reschedule, or move to a virtual format for our previously scheduled in-person events. We will continue to explore options to provide additional virtual options and supports. Our physical office at the KU Edwards Campus will remain closed throughout the entire month of December as well.