Genesis: The Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How
Who/Why
My name is Michele Ensign. I am the lucky mom of a contagiously happy little boy. He is also non-verbal autistic. We need the help of the community to help him reach his potential and it has taken untold effort and countless hours for me to navigate the journey. It should not take graduate degrees and all this effort to navigate and provide my son the support he deserves. Yet, here we are.
Most families on autism island are in survival mode. Rochester has the resources. What families need is an accessible connection to these resources to best serve their loved ones on the spectrum.
Autism Resource Guide was created to be this bridge our community needs. And not only provide a connection for families, but for service providers to connect with one another to better serve the best interest of those in need.
This mission was announced through the Rochester Area Autism Resource Conference this past September.
When/How
While working on my thesis, I was also in a class that had an option to create a local resource guide for families. I was able to generate enough for the 30-point assignment easily off the top of my head, but I stumbled upon the realization I could actually put something together worthy of distribution. As this project was coming to fruition, I realized this was laying the framework for a conference. A conference of the kind the community needs, and has the resources and amazing people to be able to actually pull off, but doesn’t exist.
What We Do
Resource Guidebooks
This is a free resource for families in Southeast Minnesota created to share information about resources and services available for families and individuals with autism.
While working on the initial resource guide, I knew I didn't want to create yet another list of places, that would then sit in front of me (or other parents) that I’d feel guilty for not taking the extra time to then research about to see if it might be a fit for my son, and if it was something to then feel guilty about not fitting into our schedule.
This is why I created the mini-interview questions below. This turns it into a resource, or guide, not "just a list." With this, enough information is provided to go off of, without requiring the usual extra steps. It is also a way to see the personalities of the individuals behind the services being offered.
Questions We Asked Service Providers:
Who are you?
What service(s) do you provide for families with autism and why?
Is there any information/resources you feel families would benefit from knowing?
How may families contact you?
“Our mission is to provide an accessible connection between families and resources within our community to serve the best interests of those on the spectrum.
We connect our community to resources primarily through guidebooks and educational conferences. Sponsor-funded to be 100% FREE for families.”
The Guidebook is available on the website in interactive form, and a downloadable interactive pdf file.
Hard copies are printed annually, coinciding with the annual Fall educational conference.
Family Fun Day
This is our community’s free, sensory-sensitive event. It is a fun, understanding place of support designed to be safe and comfortable for all our friends. Support aids (maps/photos, etc.) for planning and attending the event will be provided.
Local and regional friends are providing free, fun, sensory-friendly activities for us to enjoy.
The main activities currently planned include a petting zoo, pony rides, a silent dance party, live music therapy, art lessons, giant bubbles, crafts, fire trucks, ice cream cart, and much more.
This is made free to families by the support of our corporate sponsors and a startup grant from Rochester Downtown Alliance.
Conferences
Autism Resource Guide's educational conferences are a resource for families and community members, as well as service providers. Attendants are educated on important topics surrounding autism, able to connect and network with others, and discover resources to draw support from.
Accessibility is supported by the no-cost registration, sensory-friendly venue set-up, and weekend scheduling. Local and regional experts in their field who specialize in autism donate their time and knowledge to make this a possibility.
Educational Resources
Newsletters
We plan to create educational posts that help families and caregivers of those on the spectrum. Too much information we seek is not readily available to us. Autism Resource Guide hopes to bridge this gap. If there are topics of interest you would like to see, please contact us to add it to the list! The sky's the limit on the autism-related knowledge we want to put into our community knowledge-base.
Educational Resource Links
There are a lot of phenomenal resources out there. We are working to compile a reasonable, comprehensive list of the best of them in a one-stop-shop. If you know a great resource we haven't added- share your wisdom!
Are you an expert in a field with experience/training relating to autism or special needs?
Contact us to share your wisdom for possible inclusion in our educational resources.
Caregiver Courses and Support Group
We plan to create lessons for caregivers and others wanting to learn more about autism, along with monthly support group meetings. Coming soon!
Calendar
We are working with Rochester Local to provide a one-stop-shop events calendar for special needs families looking for regional events that are both inclusive and special needs specific. When organizations share of their event with us - we will get it in!