This month’s Lowcountry autism events roundup includes our new fall Groups, ongoing Rex Hangouts, a new featured book, and more!
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 too.
The events below are listed with new or one-time events first and recurring events next, so be sure to read through the end!
New or One-Time Events
There’s Still Time to Register for Fall Groups!
School-Age Group (ages 5-10):
Tuesdays, 2:00 – 3:00pm
September 27 – November 15, 2016 (8 consecutive weeks)
MUSC IOP 5 South, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC
This 8-week group is designed to enhance social skills of children with high-functioning ASD and ADHD. Diagnosis is not required for participation.
Social skills are introduced through social stories and include greetings, conversation skills, types of social relationships, boundaries, managing frustration and anger, and more. Groups include sensory and gross motor activities to enhance play skills.
Note that a mandatory parent group meets at the same time as this group.
To schedule an intake, call (843) 792-9162 and request a Project Rex Assessment.
Once the intake is complete, contact administrative assistant Lavinia Bowens at (843) 792-0037 to confirm attendance in the group series. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early to each group meeting for sign in and registration.
Medicaid covers the program 100% and most private insurance is accepted. There is a discount for self-pay.
Want to help get the word out about Project Rex?
- View and download a PDF of our School-Age Group flyer.
- View and download the PDFs of our English-language brochure or the Spanish-language brochure.
Pre-Teen/Teen Group (ages 11-15):
Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:30pm
September 29 – November 17, 2016 (8 consecutive weeks)
MUSC IOP 5 South, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC
This group’s curriculum will be an introduction to social conversation skills. Participants will practice skills through role-play and will receive relevant homework assignments.
With parent permission, video modeling will be used in group as a learning tool; participant role plays will be videotaped, shown to participants, and shared with parents as well.
To schedule at intake, call (843) 792-9162 and request a Project Rex Assessment.
Once the intake is complete, contact administrative assistant Lavinia Bowens at (843) 792-0037 to confirm attendance in the group series. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early for sign in and registration.
Project Rex groups include a mandatory parent component that meets at the same time as the pre-teen/teen group. Medicaid covers the program 100% and most private insurance is accepted. There is a discount for self-pay.
Want to help get the word out about Project Rex?
- View and download a PDF of our Pre-Teen/Teen Group flyer.
- View and download the PDFs of our English-language brochure or the Spanish-language brochure.
The Fun Continues at Project Rex Hangouts!
FREE Project Rex Hangouts take place every Thursday through September 22 from 4-5:30pm at MUSC IOP 5 South, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425.
Hangouts are a place where participants can come in and socialize, as well as play games and complete fun activities along with their peers.
Ages 11+ are welcome to join us for this open-house style event designed to fill the gaps between our ongoing Group programs. (Parents can come and socialize in the parent room next door too.)
Want to help us get the word out? Click here for a high-res, print-ready PDF flyer.
Finally, if you plan to attend please RSVP via the form below, or by clicking here:
Ongoing Events
Autism Family Network of the Lowcountry
Have you heard about this new Facebook group, created to provide South Carolina families a chance to get together to discuss and share topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorder? Click here to join today.
Paws With A Cause
“Does your child love animals? In need of a program that is adapted to individual need and skill level? Enroll in Paws With A Cause, an animal interaction program to help individuals with autism to build social skills and behaviors while having fun!”
Interested? Contact Misty Stinnett of The Charleston Animal Society by phone at 846-329-1565 or by email at mstinnett@charlestonanimalsociety.org.
Charleston Young Adult ASDs
Charleston Young Adult ASDs is a social enjoyment group for young adults (17-32 +/-) in the autism spectrum in the Charleston area. Its purpose is to give individuals the opportunity to:
- Practice different social scenarios in a safe and non-judgmental environment
- Connect with others like them (and realize they’re not alone!)
- Develop skills (through fun activities) to navigate life more smoothly
- Increase chances to make/keep friends and get/keep a job
- Share experience, strength and hope
To get involved, join the Meetup page or the private Facebook group (just click “Join Group” so an admin can approve your request).
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Charleston Meeting
The Charleston-area NAMI meeting takes place in Moncks Corner on the first Tuesday of the month. This month’s meeting is Tuesday, September 6 from 6 – 7:15pm at Moncks Corner Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at 500 E. Main St., Moncks Corner, SC 29461.
This meeting is for both individuals in recovery and family and friends of people with mental illness. All meetings are confidential. For a full list of Charleston-area NAMI meetings, visit the NAMI Charleston Area website.
Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry’s SuperStars
SuperStars is a FREE, registration-required event in which children with special needs and their families can visit the Museum, explore, and play without the crowds and over-stimulation. The Museum is open before-hours on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 10am-12pm for this event.
Click here to learn more and register for SuperStars.
Parent Support Group for families of children with Asperger’s, HFA, & related conditions
Location: Cherokee United Methodist Church, 2105 Cosgrove Avenue, North Charleston
Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm every Tuesday
For families of children with Aspergers, HFA, Anxiety & Related Conditions
Share your concerns and tips with other parents who understand what it’s like to raise a child with special needs. Give and get support in a safe and non-judgmental place.
Free childcare is provided. Contact Tracie Hayward at thayward@familyconnectionsc.org for more info.
Featured Book of the Month
This month’s featured book is Ketchup Is My Favorite Vegetable: A Family Grows Up With Autism by author, speaker, and autism parent Liane Kupferberg Carter. The Amazon description reads:
“How do you create an ordinary family life, while dealing with the extraordinary needs of an autistic child?
Meet Mickey – charming, funny, compassionate, and autistic. In this unflinching portrait of family life, Liane Kupferberg Carter gives us a mother’s insight into what really goes on in the two decades after diagnosis.
From the double-blow of a subsequent epilepsy diagnosis, to bullying and Bar Mitzvahs, Mickey’s struggles and triumphs along the road to adulthood are honestly detailed to show how one family learned to grow and thrive with autism.”
Enjoy!
~ The Project Rex Team
