March 31, 2023, WKYC Good Company
CLEVELAND, Oh. (WKYC)-April is Autism Acceptance Month! Alli Frazier, CEO of Frazier Behavioral Health joins Joe from Good Company to discuss what autism acceptance means, how to celebrate, and what should be in your sensory bag.
Many people will notice there’s been a change in the past few years from Autism Awareness Month to Autism Acceptance Month. Alli states that awareness was a great start, but acceptance is a call to action. “We’re looking for understanding, acceptance, and inclusion into a child’s environment or for an adult into the workplace,” Alli says.
So how can you celebrate Autism Acceptance Month? There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Alli says. World Autism Day is April 2nd and it’s a great time for families to go to a special dinner or engage in a special interest with their loved one. The city of Cleveland will be “lighting it up blue” to celebrate! You’ll see landmarks such as tower city and first energy stadium all lit up to celebrate autism acceptance. Other businesses such as Playhouse Square will have a ton of sensory-friendly plays that will be happening all month long. Alli says that the team at Frazier will be celebrating all month long by not only wearing blue but putting together sensory bags for neurodiverse individuals and families in need.
Sensory bags are essentially a bag of tips and tricks for families to get through the unexpected. A neurodiverse individual oftentimes doesn’t appreciate changes in their schedule or unexpected things happening so it’s nice to be able to pull out a bag of tricks. These bags can be filled with behavioral tips as well as some sensory items. Some things that can be included are a first and then a board to help them understand what is happening and what is going to happen next. Something else to consider including would be some things to keep their hands busy like fidget toys and pop-its. Noise-canceling headphones are also a great addition to help those with noise sensitivity. The Frazier Behavioral Health team will be creating sensory bags all month long to give out to the community as well as to have in their office.
To request a consult or connect with the experts at FBH, give them a call at 216-446-2944.
You’ll find them at 5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 310, Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
To watch the full segment on WKYC’s website please click here.