November 2020 Newsletter

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!

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 November 11 OR November 19 for our Virtual Support Group Meetings! These will both be held through Zoom. Please find more information by clicking the date above you wish to attend!

Autism Society - The Heartland continues its Saturday Seminar series with this month's VIRTUAL workshop on how Camp is for Everyone: Information and live Q&A about Camp Encourage with Kristi Loftus from Camp Encourage! Follow this link to register and for more information!

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.

University of Kansas Graduate Study

A graduate student at the University of Kansas is working on her dissertation about how employees on the autism spectrum communicate about their private information when they (1) notify their employer about their diagnosis and (2) request and/or negotiate for accommodations needed to be professionally successful. Participants will be compensated for their time with a $25 gift card. See more information in the flyer to join!

November 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 November as well.