Providing Autism Links & Support Inc

PALS MISSION IS TO OPTIMIZE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDULALS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD), WHO ARE REGISTERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA'S CENTER FOR AUTISM & RELATED DISABILITIES (UCF-CARD) AS THEY LEARN, PLAY, WORK AND LIVE IN ORANGE, OSCEOLA,

STATE CONFERENCE & WORKSHOPS: PALS PROVIDES THE ORGANIZATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO OFFER A CONFERENCE FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM. ONE OF THE MAJOR CONFERENCES THAT PALS SUPPORTS IS THE ANNUAL STATEWIDE CONFERENCE WHICH IS A THREE DAY EVENT. THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES FOR THIS CONFERENCE IN THE YEAR 2021 WAS 1,011. . IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ABOVE CONFERENCE, PALS OFFER A COMPREHENSIVE 2-DAY WORKSHOP CALLED "THE AUTISM DIAGNOSTIC OBSERVATION SCHEDULE (ADOS-2)." ADOS-2 HAS BECOME THE STANDARD INSTRUMENT FOR ASSESSING AUTISM AND PDD (PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER) ACROSS AGE, DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL, AND LANGUAGE SKILLS. FOR THE 2021, 270 PSYCHOLOGISTS/PSYCHAITRISTS AND THERAPEUTIC PROFESSIONALS WERE CERTIFIED TO ADMINISTER THE ADOS 2. . IN ADDITION TO THE STATEWIDE CONFERENCE, PALS HOSTED 16 SESSIONS OF STAFF TRAININGS WITH 262 PARTICIPANTS IN 2021.

SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM: PALS PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR CAMP TWO CAN, WHICH IS A SUMMER DAY CAMP PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT ASD (AUTISTIC SYNDROME DISORDER)IN VARIOUS CENTRAL FLORIDA LOCATIONS. CAMP PROVIDES CAMPERS WITH NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS TO HELP BUILD FRIENDSHIPS, LEARN AND USE SOCIAL SKILLS, EXPLORE NATURE, MAKE ARTS AND CRAFTS, PARTICIPATE IN SWIMMING/SPORTS/GAMES, AND USE VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL SKILLS. SMALL GROUPS OF CHILDREN ARE SUPERVISED BY ADULTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCED IN WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. IN 2021, THE CAMP TWO CAN WAS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC. PALS PROVIDED 3 UNIQUE ONLINE VIRTUAL SUMMER CRAFT/GAMES AND LEARNING ABOUT SELF CAMPS IN THE MONTH OF JULY. VIRTUAL CAMP FOR 8-12 YEAR OLDS SUPPORTED 51 KIDS FROM ALL COUNTIES, WHILE CAMP INTROCEPTION, A CAMP FOR TEENS AGES 13-17 (BROKEN INTO 2 GROUPS) AND FOR THOSE THAT MAY REQUIRE MORE SUPOORT RAN THROUGH THE MONTH OF JULY, MEETING 2-3 TIMES A WEEK HOSTED 149 PARTICIPANBTS FROM ALL COUNTIES SUPPORTED BY PALS. PALS ALSO PROVIDED A TEEN ONLINE CRAFT/GAME CAMP IN WEEK INTERVALS THROUGH JULY WITH A TOTAL OF 50 ATTENDING. .

SOCIAL PROGRAMS: PALS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTON OF INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM DIAGNOSIS IN GENERAL COMMUNITY SETTINGS WITH SUPPORT OF FACILITATORS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE SEPARATED BY AGE APPROPRIATENESS (AGES) ARE CALLED ASPIRE (+18), U13 (8-12), TEEN TIME (13-17) AND AEIOU (2-7). TYPICALLY, PARTICIPANTS SELECT TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS AT LOW TO NO COST SUCH AS BOWLING, PICNICS, BINGO, CORN MAZES, MINIATURE GOLF, KARAOKE, DANCING, CHAT SEESSIONS, DINNERS, BOARD GAME NIGHT, AND TRIVIA. THESE EVENTS ARE TYPICALLY HOSTED AT COMMUNITY VANUES WITH PALS FACILITATORS SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE COMMUNITY. ALLTHOUGH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS STARTED TO BE HELD IN PERSON, MANY OF THE PROGRAMS WERE STILL HELD ONLINE. ONLINE EVENTS CONSISTED OF MOVIE DAYS, LUNCH AND CHATS, OR DINNER AND CHATS, TRIVIAL KAHOOT, PICTIONARY, JEOPARDY, CHARADES, NAME THAT EMOJI, SLEUTH GAMES, BINGO, DESERTED ISLAND, SCAVENGER HUNTS, AND DANCE OFFS. PALS FACILITATORS STILL PROVIDED SOCIAL INPUT TO ASSIST WITH SOCIAL SKILL GROWTH. ANY OR ALL MEMBERSHIP/SOFTWARE WAS PURCHASED TO MAKE SUCH PROGRAMS CONTINUE. FOR 2021, THE SOCIAL PROGRAMS PAL PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 528 UNIQUE EVENTS WITH A TOTAL OF 4,160 PARTICIPANTS. . FAMILY EVENTS: PALS PROVIDES FAMILY EVENTS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY TO ATTEND. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TPICAL SIBLINGS TO MEET OTHERS AND PARENTS NETWORK WHILE INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD TO WORK ON SOCIAL SKILLS, BEING IN GROUPS, ENHANCE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS AND WORK ON SENSORY ISSUES ALONG WITH BEHAVIORS. THE COVID PANDEMIC FORCED US ONLINE FOR SUCH EVENTS AND PROVIDED NEW CHALLENGES. PALS HOSTED 23 FAMILY EVENTS IN 2021 WITH A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 1,011. . ASPIRE (ASPERGER'S SYNDROME PURSUING INTERESTS, RECREATION, AND ENTERTAINMENT) IS A 18+ ADULT SOCIAL COMMUNITY GROUP TYPICALLY MEETS 1- 2 TIMES A WEEK AT VARIOUS COMMUNITY VANUES FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS HOSTED BY PALS FACILITATORS. PARTICIPANTS HAVE A CHOICE TO SELECT WHICH ACTIVITIES THEY WISH TO PARTICIPATED IN. IN 2021, PALS OFFERED 121 UNIQUE ASPIRE EVENTS WITH 1,329 PARTICIPANTS. . TEEN TIME IS A GROUP FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13-17 TO PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILL ENHANCEMENT IN A SAFE, WELCOMING, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH PALS FACILITATORS AS SUPPORT. TEEN TIME MEETS TYPICALL DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AND OR SCHOOL BREAKS AND PROVIDED VARIOUS ACTIVITIES LISTED ABOVE VIRTUALLY. IN 2021, PALS HOSTED 25 UNIQUE TEEN TIME EVENTS WITH 202 PARTICIPANTS. . U13 IS A GROUP OF INDIVIDIDUALS WITH AUTISM BETWEEN THE AGES OF 8-12 TO PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILLS ENHANCEMENT IN A SAFE, WELCOMING, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH PALS FACILITATORS AS SUPPORT. IN 2021, WE HOSTED 19 EVENTS WITH 92 PARTICIPANTS. . AEIOU (AUTISM EARLY INTERVENION OPPORTUNITIES AND YOU) IS FOR INDIVIDUALS AGES 2-7 WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM TO PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILL ENHANCEMENT IN A SAFE, WELCOMING, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH PALS FACILITATORS THAT INCORPORATE PLAY AND MEETING NEW FRIENDS. IN 2021, PALS PROVIDED 4 AEIOU EVENTS WITH 28 PARTICIPANTS. . COMMUNITY COLLABORATION PROGRAMS: PALS COLLABORATES WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY VENUES OFFERING SPORTS/DANCE AND EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR TYPICAL PEERS BY PROVIDING AUTISM AWARENESS TRAINING, BASIC BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES AND FACILITATOR SUPPORT DURING PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS PALS COLLABRATED WITH WAS XL SOCCER, JUDO, AND MARTIAL ARTS. PALS COLLABORATED WITH XL SOCCER WITH 177 UNIQUE EVENTS AND 760 PARTICIPANTS; JUDO COLLABRATION HOSTED 81 EVENTS AND 387 PARTICIPANTS; VALLYBALL, TENNIS, AND PICKLEBALL HAD THE PATICIPANTS OF 72, 230, AND 21 RESPECTIVELY. DANCE AND LIMITLESS HAD 12 EVENTS COMBINED AND A TOTAL OF OF 31 PARTICIPANTS FOR 2021. . DIACTIC SODIAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMS ARE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO TEACH SOCIALS SKILLS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE ACTIVE IN THE SPRINGS AND FALL FOR 16 WEEKS 1.5-2 HOUR WEEKLY SESSIONS WITH INSTRUCTORS TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS, LIFE SKILLS, COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL REGULATIONS, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS, AND BASIC BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES, ALONG WITH BULLYING AND SELF-ADVOCACY. CURRENTLY, PALS PROVIDES TO AGE GROUPS OF 8-12 (EIGHT-12), AND 13-18 (TAG) YEAR OLD GROUP. IN 2021, PALS PROVIDED 154 UNIQUE TAG SESSIONS WITH A TOTAL OF 1,288 PARTICIPANTS, 108 EIGHT-12 SESSIONS WITH 614 PARTICIPANTS. TAG IS HOSTED IN VOLUSIA, SEMINOLE, ORANGE, OSCEOLA, AND LAKE COUNTIES. EIGHT-12 IS HOSTED IN ORANGE, SEMINOLE, AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. . IN ADDITION TO THE AFORMENTIONED PROGRAMS, PALS HOSTED GIRLS CLUB FOR 13-17 AGE GROUP IN 2021. IT HAD 24 UNIQUE SESSIONS WITH 186 PARTICIPANTS. . IN ADDITIONED AFORMENTIONED THE GROUP PROGRAMS DIVIDED BY THE AGE, PALS ALSO HOSTED SUPPORT GROUP AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS. MORE SUPPORT ALL AGES HAD 14 UNIQUE SESSIONS WITH 74 PARTICIPANTS, AND NUTRITIONAL SENSE HAD 18 SESSIONS WITH 97 PARTICIPANTS. .