Iryna Ashby IIACC, IIACC Meetings

IIACC Meeting Summary (March 10, 2022)

On March 10, 2022, members of the Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IIACC) met virtually to discuss the agenda topics.

Attendance at the meeting by group, March 10, 2022

Several topics were covered at the meeting, including

  • Updates on the work of IIACC and its presence on social media.
  • Revisions to the Indiana Comprehensive State Plan for Individuals with ASD
    • Inclusive and accessible language
    • SMART objectives/action points for each goal
    • Justification of goals and action points through research
    • Updates to align with research and Needs Assessment (e.g., Goal 6)
    • Opportunities for wider dissemination of the comprehensive plan
    • Opportunities for added content
  • Review of materials and resources created as part of the trajectory for Goal 2: Family and Professional Partnership
  • Planning for new trajectories

For each of the topics, members had a chance to share their insights, provide suggestions, and discuss ways to distribute across Indiana and to engage more people in the IIACC efforts

To review the materials covered at the meeting, visit: Quarterly Meeting – March 10, 2022

RSVP for the upcoming meeting on June 2, 2022: https://indiananetwork.org/

Iryna Ashby IIACC

UPDATE: Comprehensive Plan

Based on the need for relevance and accessibility of the Comprehensive Plan shared by the community and IIACC members, a new Plan structure was developed in 2020-2021 with ongoing input from IIACC members. These modifications allow us to set foundation for future adaptations by reformatting the structure, organization towards greater simplicity, to allow for greater accessibility and use across all stakeholders and communities. The updated Comprehensive Plan structure reflects four main sections for each goal to improvement of navigation, reader friendliness, and ability to quickly find the needed information. All information has been tailored for simplified verbiage that is both accessible and relevant (see figure below).

Note: Background information is available on the website.

Learn more and download the plan

Iryna Ashby Behavior, Safety

Navigating the Holiday Season: Tips

Photo of big family sit feast meals table around blessing roasted turkey eldest grandfather making slices hungry relatives waiting excited in living room indoors

The holiday season brings a lot of fun and opportunities to connect with families. However, it may also bring challenges due to schedule change, sensory overload, need to travel, and social engagement expectations.

Here is a list of resources to help you successfully navigate this holiday season!

Iryna Ashby Behavior, Education, Health

Tips and Tricks for Fun & Safe Halloween

Halloween can certainly be fun for individuals with ASD/DD, as long as you do some preparation for it and address sensory sensitivities. Here are several resources to consider to make your Halloween enjoyable and memorable!

HANDS in Autism®: SENSORY FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN CRAFTS AND GAMES

Autism Speaks: Happy Halloween: Making the holiday fun for everyone

Autism Society of North Carolina: Making Halloween Fun for Individuals with Autism

Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin: Halloween Toolkit

Autism Society: Make Halloween a Better Experience: 7 Tips That Set You Up for Success

Seattle Children’s Hospital: 8 Tips for a Safe Halloween for Your Child With Autism