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Registration & Event Info Here
Questions: What if I don’t want to participate in the water park activities? That’s ok! We’ll have plenty to do at the Resource Fair and Walk! Volente Beach has a lovely lawn with picnic tables and participants may bring towels or blankets for the lawn. There will be many participants who do not utilize the water park attractions, and we’ll have all of our festivities on the lawn and picnic area. Our actual Walk will be on the beach which is next to the picnic area. Is there an additional cost? There is no change in fees. If you are already registered -your water park admission is now included. If you are about to register, your water park admission fees are also included. There are no water park admission fees for exhibitors, sponsors, participants and volunteers. What about parking? Parking is free for everyone. If you are a participant, sponsor, exhibitor or volunteer, please tell the Parking Attendant that you are with the Autism Walk, and they will give you a free pass for your dashboard. Parking lot is adjacent to the venue and will be signed. What about safety? Volente Beach lifeguards will be on duty in all water areas. We will have volunteers staged along the lake edge. The lake is currently experiencing a significant lack of water due to severe drought, and Volente Beach’s lake swimming area has completely dried up. (It’s currently an overflow parking lot). Due to the drought, the lake water is quite a distance from the water park and lawn, however, we do plan to have volunteers at the perimeter of the park on the lake side. We have some water safety social stories on our website and encourage families to utilize them. https://www.texasautismsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Water-Social-Story.pdf How will this be Autism-Friendly? A huge thank you to Volente Beach for helping us to make this an Autism-friendly event! We will have some revised rules only from 9-12, our exclusive time. At noon, Volente Beach’s usual rules will apply when the park opens to the public. From 9 AM-12 noon:- Pirate Ship play area- Available to all ages during our event time.
- Water slides – Parent/caregiver and child are allowed on the water slide together during our event time if needed for safety or support.
- Lifeguards – Will get the attention of the parent/caregiver first and try not to blow whistles, unless it’s an emergency. Please help the lifeguards by reminding your child to walk near the water attractions!
This March, we held one of two Virtual Sensory Friendly Healthcare trainings for healthcare professionals to help improve healthcare experiences for the neurodivergent community!
Our SE Houston group had their Easter celebration event for families.
We also presented to multiple community organizations as part of Thinkery’s Joyful Learning Collaborative to provide opportunities for our community to engage with and enjoy the solar eclipse. As part of this initiative, we have created resources for parents to help their children prepare for this special event. Check out our solar eclipse resources on our website here!
We were also hard at work getting ready for Autism Acceptance Month, including preparations for our Texas Autism Walk!
There are many ways you can support our work for the Texas Autism community this April! Create your own Give Back Event, start a friends, family or business Autism Walk team, or participate virtually and we’ll ship you a tee! Check out our Autism Acceptance resources and find a way to get involved!
The Connection is You.
We are so excited Jamba has partnered with Autism Society of Texas again this April!
Every Thursday in April, mention AST at participating locations and 20% of your total will be donated to Autism Society of Texas!
Thank you so much to Donna and the entire Jamba Texas team for organizing this amazing giveback event! Check out the list of participating Jamba locations below.
| 5923 Greenville Ave | Dallas, TX 75206 |
| 6440 N MacArthur Blvd., #150 | Irving, TX 75039 |
| 1201 E Spring Creek Pkwy., #180 | Plano, TX 75074 |
| 13350 North Dallas Pkwy., Ste 3373 | Dallas, TX 75240 |
| Hulen Street: 4811 Overton Ridge Blvd., #216 | Fort Worth, TX 76132 |
| Camp Wisdom: 3040 Camp Wisdom Rd., Ste 100 | Grand Prairie, TX 75052 |
| 2515 Post Oak Blvd., Ste A | Houston, TX 77056 |
| 528 W Bay Area Blvd., #300 | Webster, TX 77598 |
| 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd. #F110 | Katy, TX 77494 |
| 2810 Business Center Dr., Ste 138 | Pearland, TX 77584 |
| 5425 S Padre Island Dr., Ste 112 | Corpus Christi, TX 78411 |
| 4300 W Waco Drive A-4 | Waco, TX 76710 |
| 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd., #1295 | Austin, TX 78723 |
| 290 E Basse Rd. #101 | San Antonio, TX 78209 |
| 5535 W Loop 1604 N, #101 | San Antonio, TX 78251 |
| 8603 State Hwy 151, #101 | San Antonio, TX 78245 |
This February, some of our AST team had the privilege of meeting with and hearing from Temple Grandin at the Paramount Theatre. We are so grateful to the Paramount Theatre for providing us with this incredible opportunity as well as for all of their continued support throughout the years!
We were thrilled to train almost 100 healthcare professionals at the new north Austin location of Texas Children’s Hospital Austin and also provided them with 30 sensory kits. We are so excited to have Autism-friendly hospitals!
We had a fantastic time at the #TeamAutism Mile 19 Aid Station at the Austin Marathon! Thank you so much to our amazing runners and volunteers, as well as all of you who donated to help us hit our $10K Moody Match. Kudos to the Austin Marathon staff for their impeccable organization and a big thank you to the Moody Foundation for supporting area nonprofits through matching funds!
We loved connecting with our community at the Region 20 Transition Symposium Community Outreach hosted by Partners Resource Network and The Arc of San Antonio!
We had a fantastic time at the #TeamAutism Mile 19 Aid Station at the Austin Marathon and we have so many people and organizations to thank for making this year’s marathon partnership the best one yet!
We want to give a huge thank you to the following:
All of our #TeamAutism Runners with a big thank you to our top fundraisers- Jackson Roblow & Patricia Rosen • Thanks to the following Runners for fundraising & supporting Autism Society of Texas- Mary Kristen Cokinos, Hyoselin Chavez, and Jessen O’Fallon
More thank you’s to our amazing group of volunteers, supporters, and in-kind donors:
Ashleigh Alvarez and the ACES Austin Team • Bill Miller BBQ • Houndstooth Coffee • Fleet Feet Austin • Endurance Nation • Ashley Underwood, Advent Health Rollins Brook • Members of Gilbert’s Gazelles • Our volunteers at the Mile 19 Aid Station
Thank you so much to the Austin Marathon staff for their impeccable organization and the Moody Foundation for supporting area nonprofits through matching funds!
Our February newsletter is out! Read the AST newsletter now 📰
We started off 2024 with a free Seminars Across the Spectrum education event on toilet training strategies with guest speakers Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, LSSP, and Janet Firestone.
We also took part in the Thinkery’s Joyful Learning Collaborative session at the Texas School for the Blind in preparation for the collaborative Eclipse events happening in April!
Registration opened for our Texas Autism Walk, happening April 28th at Dreamland in Dripping Springs.
We also opened submissions for the Autism Art Show happening in April (Deadline is 02/29 to submit artwork)!
Registration is open for AST’s 16th Annual Texas Autism Walk happening on Sunday, April 28th at Dreamland in Dripping Springs, TX. Attendees will walk a 1 mile loop around the Dreamland grounds and then reconvene afterwards for an interactive Resource Fair, family friendly activities, and live music all in support of the Texas Autism community.
The Texas Autism Walk happens every April to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month (formerly recognized as Autism Awareness Month) and bring together individuals in the Texas Autism community. 100% of funds raised from the Texas Autism Walk support Autism Society of Texas’ work creating connections for Autistic people and their loved ones across the state of Texas.
Now thru February 16th, register and save $10 per ticket with our early bird discount. Sponsorships for the 2024 Texas Autism Walk are also open now and all sponsorship levels include a resource fair organization spot. Learn more about our sponsorships levels and sign up today here!
Click here for the Tranquility Ordering Guide + Resources
Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, LSSP, and Janet Firestone discuss tips, strategies, and incontinence solutions. Understanding incontinence issues and products that are available for young children through adulthood can lead to better comfort and quality of life! The presentation can be viewed on Facebook live. To learn more about how to get products, please use the link above to access a helpful document on how to get samples and try products, as well as how to get them covered under Medicaid. If you need help or guidance, you can email the Autism Society of Texas Navigating Autism team at support@texasautismsociety.org.