From Autism Delaware, Dan Getman, Director of Development, Kris Grant, Development Manager and Kenzie Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, discussed the statewide programming offered by Autism Delaware. With one in 36 kids receiving an Autism diagnosis, families need whole-life, holistic support and Autism Delaware offers help with education, jobs and social opportunities. They discussed their beginnings as a grassroots family group looking for support and ideas for navigating the systems with a child with autism. Today they offer programming statewide with multiple opportunities for families to socialize and support each other. They schedule bowling and skating events, as well as holiday parties for the clients and families.
We talked about the numbers and how they have increased, rather through increase in incidence or in better reporting and we talked about adults who come to a diagnosis later in life. They talked about their job programming and the value of their clients on the job, they are looking for employers who need a reliable, dedicated employee. They also noted they need a lot of volunteers to run their events and there are opportunities across the state to get involved.
We discussed the different messages of April, while it’s International Autism Awareness Month, in Delaware it’s Autism Acceptance and Inclusion Month; as Dan notes, everyone is aware of Autism, we need to increase acceptance!
We discussed the 2025 Walk for Autism, this year a single walk on April 12th on the Monster Mile at Dover Speedway. There are three start times with the 9AM designated Sensory Friendly with no music or loudspeakers. It’s family friendly and offers space for kids who need quiet time.
Autism Delaware’s services are free, thanks in part to the walk. Walk-ups are welcome, but there are incentives to pre-register. Everyone participating gets a t-shirt. To register go to AutismDelaware.ORG