Aug 16, 2021, Norfolk Virginia Gazette: Hampton Roads nonprofit gives families with an autistic child a community, resources and fun activities for children https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-autism-0814-20210820-tosnj5nd6vcizivhwnleqs7roy-story.html
…Noyes, a Virginia Beach resident, responded by founding a local support group for parents with children on the autism spectrum — a safe place where families could encourage each other, tackle tough questions, connect with local resources and just be real.
That group has grown into a nonprofit, Spectrum Parents Events, which offers activities for kids of all ages, educational workshops and parent retreats for a region that stretches from upper James City County to northeastern North Carolina.
“I want to give everybody the childhood I had, which was go-go-go with adventures and fun,” says Noyes, a Realtor and former special education teacher and social worker whose older son, Payton, 19, has ADHD and anxiety. “I want people to feel normal.”
The latest event is a multi-city scavenger hunt that helps families explore outside their homes, follow directions, be patient and flexible, and work with others on one of five teams. The competition runs through September….
Heidi French of Moyock, North Carolina, is competing with her five children, two of whom have been diagnosed with autism. The family has ridden a barrel train at Hickory Ridge Farm in Chesapeake and taken photos as they ate huge bites of muffins at the Hitching Post Education Center, also in Chesapeake….
Through Spectrum Parents Events, kids have surfed and played at beaches, feasted at cookouts, watched magic shows, tackled crafts such as sunflower wreaths and scarecrows, and celebrated holidays with Santa and the Easter Bunny.
For Halloween, volunteers pass out candy before the actual holiday. Kids with autism often feel anxious in crowds and have been scolded for grabbing too much candy due to poor fine motor skills or not saying “trick or treat” because they are nonverbal, Noyes explains.
“If my kid has a meltdown, no one is going to stare,” says Amanda Deville of Newport News, mother of 11-year-old Mason. “It’s just normal. It feels like a warm blanket — so relaxing and comfortable. Everybody is like, ‘You do you, and we’re all here for you if you need us.’”…
Spectrum also organizes parent-only gatherings such as meals, comedy shows, meditations and lectures, with the next planned weekend retreat at a private home in Toano.
“Sometimes you want to laugh together, and sometimes you just need to vent,” Deville says.
French recalls one of her children having a meltdown after hearing thunder at a beach outing. Another mother, then a stranger, insisted on watching French’s kids while she walked to get her car. When French hesitated, the woman handed over her wallet as a token of trust….
Suzi Noyes hopes to keep growing the nonprofit, especially as autism now affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Komentáře