The Autism Advocate

Welcome to the first edition of The Autism Advocate, ANNA’s monthly newsletter! We hope this will be a helpful source of information about upcoming events, tips for caregivers, community resources and more. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas for future editions!

ANNA Announcements

Important Dates

ANNA will be closed on Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th for Independence Day 🎇 🗽 

Caregiver Connections

We are so grateful for the parents and caregivers who trust us with your amazing children, and look forward to working together with you to plan events, improve our services and make sure all of our families feel supported and connected. Ashley Falandys, ANNA’s Director of Community Outreach, will be speaking directly with each family to find out what would be most helpful for you. In the meantime, please feel free to contact Ashley by email at [email protected] or by phone at (617) 307-3989 if you have ideas or are looking for support.

Ask ANNA

Do you have something you’d like to ask the ANNA team? Please submit your question here and we will answer it in a future newsletter!

Support Your Child’s Development

A simple and effective way to build skills with your child is to imitate them! Have you ever repeated an action your child did or a sound that they made? Or maybe you have thought about doing this but wondered if it was a good thing to do? After all, you want them to learn new things and expand their skills. How can this be possible by simply copying what they do?

Not only is it possible, but imitating your child can actually enhance their ability to learn new things. When you copy something your child does, they feel validated in their skills and interests. You are communicating to them that what they do is good and interesting enough for you to want to join in and do it too! This builds confidence in your child, which in turn helps them feel more comfortable continuing the interaction and maybe even trying something new.

Try imitating things your child does or says, and notice how they respond. If there are times when they continue what they are doing or saying in response to you copying them, keep up the exchange and then try introducing a slightly different action or sound. This is a great way to meet your child where they are while providing them with a low-stress opportunity to expand their skills.

Please keep in mind that no strategy can be a perfect match for every child and family. We are always here to partner with you to develop personalized approaches that take your child’s unique strengths, interests and preferences into account.

Staff Spotlight

Dr. Ellie Harrington is a School Psychologist and Licensed Psychologist in the state of Massachusetts with extensive clinical and research experience in school consultation, parent training and interventions for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.

She has worked with children with a wide range of behavioral, emotional and cognitive support needs in many different settings, and is dedicated to translating scientific insights into compassionate care for autistic children and their families. When she’s not supporting children and families here at ANNA, Ellie enjoys crafting, crocheting and spending time with her miniature wiener dog, Bacon!

Featured Resource

The Autism Alliance of Metrowest

The Autism Alliance of Metrowest is the Metrowest region’s Autism Support Center, and provides a wide range of opportunities for families of children, teens and adults with autism. From a comprehensive directory of resources to support groups and sensory-friendly events, the Autism Alliance is a wonderful source of support for families and a leader in promoting inclusivity and accessibility in the community. Their Autism Welcoming initiative has helped numerous local business learn how best to welcome and include autistic individuals and their families. We are so grateful for the Autism Alliance’s amazing work, and encourage you to learn more at autismalliance.org.

Recommended Reading

A Day With No Words

This New York Times Bestseller brings young readers along on a beautifully illustrated journey with Aidan, an autistic child who communicates nonverbally by using his tablet. The story highlights unique sensory experiences and the love between parent and child, while gently reminding us that being nonspeaking does not mean that a child can’t communicate or understand.

Written by Tiffany Hammond, an autistic mother of two autistic sons and the incomparable voice behind the @FidgetsandFries social media platform, A Day With No Words champions representation and affirms autistic identity while celebrating all methods of communication.

Tiffany herself says it best: “A Day With No Words is a call to action. We all have a role to play in helping foster understanding, acceptance, love, and accommodations for those like Aidan. Our story is a vehicle for connecting: Aidan’s world to mine, our family’s world to yours, and ultimately, all of us to one another.”

Feel free to take a look at this amazing book next time you visit our center- it is prominently displayed in our front office!

Caregiver Affirmation

“I can learn and grow with my child”

As parents and caregivers, we do everything we can to support our child’s development and still find ourselves questioning whether we are doing enough or doing the right things. Caring for any child is a journey with many ups and downs, and caring for a child with autism can present challenges and opportunities that you didn’t expect. You don’t have to know it all! You are already exactly who your child needs, and being willing to learn and adapt is one of the best things you can do for them.

Give yourself permission to grow and evolve along with your child. Just as they learn from you, you will learn so much from them. Thank you for letting us be a part of that journey!

How can we improve? Please share any feedback about our services, this newsletter or anything else you’d like us to know!