Summer is heating up, and it’s time for our July local events roundup!

We do our best to post events on social media, and you can Like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter to stay current with the latest news. But it’s also helpful to have a listing of each month’s events, so that you can review the options available and decide which to attend.

The events below are listed in approximate chronological order.

SCDHHS Autism Services Guidance

In case you haven’t heard, the SC Autism Society has announced that, “the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) has set up a temporary process where families who have a child (or children) diagnosed with ASD can request ASD services.”

Click here to read the full announcement, and be sure to request services for your loved one.

Dive Into Special Needs Swim Night

Via Charleston County Parks: “Come Splash Around With Us! People with special needs, their caregivers, and families are invited to three unforgettable nights at the waterparks!

Enjoy the lazy river, race down the slides, and take a leisurely dip in the pool. This event is for special needs guests and brought to you by the AccessABILITY program of your Charleston County Parks.”

Admission is just $7 per person, and free for ages 2 and under and Splash Pass holders.

Click here for details on the Saturday, July 18, 2015 Special Needs Swim Night at Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark, 6:30 – 8:30pm.

CML SuperStars!

Did you know that The Children’s Museum is open before hours on the second and fourth Sundays of every month for SuperStars?

In this FREE, registration-required event, children with special needs and their families can visit the Museum, explore, and play without the crowds and over-stimulation.

Click here to register for Sunday, July 12, 2015’s SuperStars, 10am – noon.

Click here to register for Sunday, July 26, 2015’s SuperStars, 10am – noon.

Sensory Integration: How Can I Help My Child?

Via SC Autism Society: “The majority of students with autism have Sensory Processing Disorder. Students can be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to certain sights, sounds, smells and especially noises. This disorder can interfere with everything in the child’s life.

We will discuss what this disorder is and how we can help to desensitize children who experience problems in this area and how exercise and movements is vital to calm and relaxed to they can attend to various tasks.

We will demonstrate items that can help students in these areas and discuss books that can help educators’ and parents to learn more about SPD.”

RSVP to attend this FREE workshop from the SC Autism Society on Thursday, July 30, 2015 from 10am – 12pm.

Free ABA Training Course for Parents and Educators

This summer, Trident Academy is offering a FREE course on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Via Trident Academy: “Participants will learn about the ABA methods and principles needed to work effectively with children with autism and other special needs.

Trident Academy will provide background information on autism spectrum disorders, how to take data, and how to teach new skills using prompting, shaping, chaining, task analysis, and more.

This training will help you understand why problem behaviors occur and what interventions you can use to reduce problem behaviors.

This course will be held August 3 – 6, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Trident Academy. Child care will be available as well as transportation. For more information, contact Courtney Thames at cthames@tridentacademy.com. Register for this event online.”

Looking Ahead to Fall …

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Lowcountry Autism Consortium’s 4th Annual Lowcountry Autism Forum, the largest free live autism conference in the world! This one-day conference will be taking place on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at The College of Charleston.

Forum keynote speakers include:

  • Nadine Vogel, the CEO and Founder of Springboard Consulting LLC in New Jersey
  • Chris Abildgaard, the Director of the Social Learning Center in Connecticut
  • Melissa DeRosier, the CEO and Founder of the 3C Institute in North Carolina
  • Lorri Unumb, Vice-President for State Government Affairs for Autism Speaks and SC resident

Finally, we have dates and times set for our Project Rex Fall Groups! Check out the Groups page for more information and be sure to register soon.

Enjoy the sunshine!

~ The Project Rex Team