The Autism McLean Holiday Party and Awards will be held at the Children’s Discovery Museum on Sunday, December 1st from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Everyone is welcome! We will provide pizza and beverages - please bring a side dish or dessert to share (we encourage your child's favorite, whatever that may be).

We will have volunteers to help with the kids, Santa Clause, treat bags, and tons of fun. Our annual board meeting and recognition will take place promptly at 5:45 to 6:15. If you are interested in serving on our board, please contact Nikki Michalak at: [email protected]. If you have someone you would like to recognize, please contact Jacquie at: [email protected].

Come join us for a frozen night filled with snacks, photo opportunities, table activities, and plenty of dancing at this year's SSID's Special Needs Friendly Frozen Formal.

The formal will be located in the Circus Room in the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University. This event is special needs friendly and will include sensory supports for all guests who want one. Come with a date, group, or as a single party - This event is open to ALL individuals in 7th grade and older! 

We cannot guarantee your ticket if your name is not on the RSVP list! Each ticket is $5. Cash and check ONLY will be accepted AT THE DOOR for all guests. There will also be select merchandise sold during the event for those interested.

Must register: https://ssidfrozenformal.app.rsvpify.com

Bring all of your special trick-or-treaters out to the Bloomington-Normal Courtyard for a fun family event. There will be 20 rooms throughout the hotel designiated for this event. So that all children can participate, the treats will be mostly non-food items with a special few allergy-friendly exceptions.

This is an open event for all children with special needs!

We do need volunteers to hand out candy so please let us know if you’re available to help.

Dress up in your favorite costume and come join us for music, dancing, snacks and crafts! Everyone is welcome!

Who is SSID? Students Supporting Individuals with Disabilities is a registered student organization at Illinois State University that focuses on providing volunteer opportunities for students to volunteer with individuals with disabilities.

A Noodles Fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd from 4-9 PM at the Normal location, 609 S. Main Street. For dine in and take out. Please join us for a great meal and a good cause! 10% of sales are donated back to Autism Mclean. Please mention Autism McLean when making your order.

Noodles has been a great supporter of Autism McLean and we truly appreciate their continued support and partnership.

Did you know you can now save up to $100,000 without it affecting your child’s benefits?

Come learn more at this free presentation by Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs

Join us for a family night of play, designed specifically for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other sensory processing differences! Your family will experience all three floors of interactive exhibits in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Sensory friendly accommodations will be provided along with special sensory activities. This FREE event is presented in partnership with Autism McLean. Advance registration is required and space is limited.

Register here!

What is Contra Dancing? It has been in the USA since the 1700’s. People walk in repeating patterns to folk music. A caller first explains the movements and tells you what pattern to do.

When: Thursday, September 19th, October 17th, and November 21st

Where: Normal Public Library Community Room

Time: 6:30 – 7:30 pm

How is it Autism Friendly? Contra dancing is a wonderful opportunity to be around others. It is easily accommodated for people with ASD or other social/sensory issues. So you can participate without needing to talk, touch or make eye contact, unless you want to. The dance is a repetition of various patterns that are walked. So no fancy Michael Jackson moves are required. You dance with a partner, but that can be anybody in the dance! Almost nobody attending knows how to do this, so no worries about looking silly.

More information can be found on the Normal Public Library website.

Sensory story Time encourages children of all ages and abilities to engage their senses with specialized stories, music, and activities. A portion of each session will be reserved for sensory play and socialization for children with autism or other special needs. caretakers, siblings, and children of all abilities are encouraged to attend.

Join Family Matters for a webinar beginning on Oct 09, 2019 at 1:00 PM CDT and October 16, 2019

Register now!

In this FREE 2 part webinar series you will learn how sensory processing issues can affect children socially, emotionally, academically, and behaviorally. You will learn ways to help children at home and school using sensory diets and strategies to help them regulate their senses. You will also learn about ways to help the school understand your child's sensory difficulties and accommodations that can be added to the IEP or 504 Plan to address those needs.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If accommodations are needed please call two weeks prior to training, 866-436-7842.

Family Matters is funded by the U.S. Department of Education with additional support from Community Support Systems. The contents of this announcement were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M150037. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.