Community Outreach
Autism Awareness Projects
Staff from the Center and trained parents are available to speak with regular education classes to heighten their awareness of what the Autism Spectrum is and how peers can help. Professionals from the Autism Resource Center are available to speak with teams of teachers about the Autism Spectrum. A parent, teacher or administrator may initiate the request.
Businesses and Service Organizations may also request a presentation and overview of the Autism Spectrum to better meet the needs of those living with autism spectrum disorders in the Community.
Email the Center for more information.
ARCCM/SEPAC Partnership
The Autism Resource Center partners with local SEPACS to bring trainings to local communities. Interested SEPAC's should contact the Autism Resource Center to discuss grant proposals or submit an application.
The Center has a list of possible speakers on autism and therapies, up to $250.00. PAC's may combine grants to fund a speaker for a region. The Center reserves the right to decline to fund a speaker if another PAC in the region has already received funding for the same speaker, or if the topic is not specific to autism. PAC's must allow parents from outside their town or region attend and submit details and a W-9 form from the presenter to the Autism Resource Center 4 weeks before an event to publicize. PAC's must acknowledge the sponsorship of the Autism Resource Center for presentations in all notices, on website and social media advertisements of the event.
For an application click here.
Community Recreational Inclusion Program
With a grant from the Children‘s Division of DDS we are offering scholarships to programs to encourage inclusion in the community for kids with ASD. The Autism Resource Center will provide scholarships to the Greendale YMCA in Worcester, the Montachusett YMCA in Fitchburg, the Tri Community YMCA in Southbridge, the Hockomock YMCA, Franklin Branch, the Boroughs YMCA Branch in Westborough and The Clark YMCA in Winchendon for children (under 18) with ASD who are DDS eligible, which will run through to the end of June. Children who qualify may be accompanied by 1 parent or 1:1 aide. Access to some of the program areas for children under the age of 13 will require the person accompanying the child to have a CORI & SORI check done, which would take 24 hours. This is to protect all the children. What each YMCA offers for children may differ and parents should check out the amenities available on each YMCA website. Swimming, use of the Gyms and teen centers are some of the possibilities. Hours that children can swim are different at each YMCA and each Y also offers other programs that may be of interest to your child. Initially simply visiting the Y for a preferred activity may be all your child can handle. But the possibilities of increasing their comfort level at the facility exists, and some children may be successfully integrated with peers in programs. Some pro-grams may have additional costs, and families will be responsible for covering the cost of programs they wish to explore.
Another Community Inclusion Recreation Program we are partnering with is MJA Martial Arts in Spencer to offer Mar-tial Arts to children on the spectrum. We are able to offer families a 3 month session from April - June of martial art classes. MJA Martial Arts offers families an opportunity to meet with them prior to committing to a session, to have a child acclimate to the facility, meet with instructors and "try out" a class. This will allow parents to see if the classes are a good fit for their child, as well as allowing the program to assess a child's readiness to be included in an integrated class, or if they need some time in fewer classes a week to get acclimated and comfortable before entering a full inclu-sion model. Students at MJA Martial Arts can take as many classes a week as they desire. MJA has successfully included many students with ASD in their program and look forward to working with us to provide this for children ages 3-18. Check out their website at www.MJAmartialarts.com and then contact Lori Agbay at 508-885-9100 to make an intake appointment. If you decide you want to pursue this program for your child, fill out the application below and mail to the Autism Resource Center- This program is open to children who are DDS eligible or Autism division eligible. MJA Mar-tial Arts is located at 64 Main St in Spencer MA
For more information click here
College Internships
College students interested in a truly supported learning experience may choose to work with staff in various areas of the Center operations. Those seeking increased knowledge of the Autism Spectrum may choose to spend time with these unique children, and in conjunction with utilizing various aspects of what the Resource Center has to offer, developing a greater understanding of Autism with its many perplexing issues.
Students may also choose to work on other projects, communications, and marketing. While these areas do not include working hands-on with our children, students will gain knowledge of how to effectively fundraise for the autism community, promote awareness through outreach campaigns; organize and effectively lead volunteers.
Email the Center for more information.
Volunteer Program
Individuals of all ages donate time working on a regular weekly schedule or just intermittently for specific projects. Volunteer time could be at the Resource Center or with families and community. The Center’s Steering Committee has a number of subcommittees that work on special projects, such as Fundraisers, Conference planning and Family Activities. Volunteers serve on subcommittees for short term and long term projects.
Email the Center for more information.
