2024–2025 xMinds Program Year Highlights

During this program year, xMinds launched a strategic planning process led by a dedicated committee. Informed by a wide-ranging survey of 260 families, we are now finalizing a three-year plan to ensure we continue meeting the needs of autistic students and their families in Montgomery County. Even in uncertain times, xMinds remains committed to serving and including all families of autistic children and young adults in our community.

Priority 1: Deepening parent empowerment by providing families with information and resources

• Provided 232 free consultations to families through the parent advocacy team and two clinics, offering guidance on special education and transition to adulthood benefits and services. 

• Presented 9 online speaker events, broadening the knowledge base and perspectives of parents, caregivers, and educators who support autistic students.

• Hosted 6 autistic presenters through our speaker events, as part of our continued emphasis on centering autistic voices.

• Hosted the in-person Annual IEP Clinic attended by over 150 people. Provided almost 50 free 25-minute individual consultations with an educational advocate. The clinic featured 8 professional advocates and attorneys, 2 professional sponsors, and 20 volunteers, and translation services for Spanish speakers. The Clinic’s keynote speaker was a special education attorney and advocate who gave a presentation about how parents can prepare for a successful IEP Meeting.

• Provided individual guidance to 128 families who requested assistance advocating for appropriate special education services, with help from our volunteer Parent Advocacy Team.

• Attracted over 57,000 unique visitors to our online resources.

• Received 28,512 pageviews of our popular webpage on common classroom Accommodations for autistic students — everything from kinesthetic seating to speech-to-text software.

• Updated the xMinds Guide to MCPS Special Education Placements for Autistic Students with the latest information including interactive maps of MCPS special education services to reflect changes made to program locations. 

• Developed new website content including: 1) Resources for families on Nurturing Supportive Sibling Relationships 2) A special resource guide on an autism profile called Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA) 3) Critical strategies and resources on Elopement and Water Safety and 4) a video explainer on the MCPS budget process including key dates and timelines. 

• Updated and expanded our Summer Camp Guide, a popular resource drawing nearly 2,600 views, directing families to camps and programs that autistic students have enjoyed in past years.

• Offered five targeted monthly virtual discussion groups, providing opportunities for parents/caregivers to connect and share resources, including the newly launched Lunchtime Reboot, a self-care group for parents of autistic children.

• Hosted 320 families at playground and open gym meetups for families with autistic elementary and preschool students, offering opportunities to build community and providing a judgment-free place for autistic children to play

• Expanded our efforts to publicize our free resources and services to parents by staffing tables at 12 different events including 6 MCPS schools, 2 MCPS special education resource fairs, and 4 county-wide events. 

• Co-hosted with the Autism Society of Maryland our first-ever Transition to Adulthood Clinic which provided 55 free consultation appointments with 13 local professionals, 25 community resource tables, and two keynote speeches from a disabilities planning expert.

Priority 2: Increasing and diversifying xMinds’ reach

• Continued our efforts to reach Spanish-speaking parents of autistic students by 1) publishing a Spanish version of the monthly xMindsWire online newsletter2) offering free consults with Spanish speaking advocates at our IEP Clinic and through our Special Education Advocacy Team 3) providing simultaneous Spanish interpretation at all our speaker events, and 4) making a Spanish recording available afterward on our YouTube Channel.

• Helped connect Spanish-speaking families of autistic students through our WhatsApp group “xMinds en Español,” and our virtual monthly discussion group for Spanish-speaking parents. 

• Introduced a new monthly series, Autistic Voices to the xMinds monthly newsletter, highlighting the diverse perspectives and contributions from autistic authors, artists, and other self advocates.
  

• Strengthened our connection to the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community through our BIPOC Outreach Committee. Offered the monthly People of the Global Majority parent discussion group and hosted the BIPOC SplashPark summer get-together.

• Offered multiple language services including Spanish, Mandarin, and Amharic at the Transition to Adulthood Clinic.

• Established a collaborative partnership with Marriott International. Hosted a resource table at Marriott's international headquarters on Autism Acceptance Day where we engaged with employees and resource groups to educate and create sensory kits as free handouts.

• Offered ALL xMinds programming for free to ensure that resources and events are available to all families, regardless of their financial status. 

Priority 3: Promoting improved educational experiences for autistic students in MCPS through teacher and staff training and through advocacy concerning systemic problems

• Hosted a listening session for MCPS administrators to hear from families who shared their experiences of special education and autism services for their autistic children.

• Distributed $5,190 through our Educator Grant Program to 52 MCPS educators and paraeducators. The program enabled educators to purchase autism-related supplies and attend autism-related trainings, in all cases with the goal of providing better support for their autistic students. 

• Exchanged ideas and information in consistent communication with MCPS administrators. Participated as stakeholders in the MCPS development of the Special Ed Budget and Staffing Plan.

Priority 4: Shaping special education public policy

• Expanded the Policy Committee and added a new chair and members to influence public policies improving outcomes for autistic students. The Policy Committee sent letters to MCPS, the Board of Education, County Council members, and the media to raise awareness on issues such as the teacher shortage crisis, the adverse effects of proposed budget and staffing cuts, and the closure of an autism program.

• As a member of the Educational Advocacy Coalition (a group of more than 50 organizations and individuals that represent the interests of special education students and their families in Maryland) proposed, lobbied for, and helped to enact legislation impacting school districts throughout the state. 

• As a member of Enriqueciendo Vidas (EV), a coalition of 24 Maryland disability organizations, continued to advocate for the Hispanic community to have equitable access to disability services in Maryland. Signed onto letters and legislation to require state agencies to provide resources in Spanish and fund grants to nonprofits to help in breaking down barriers so underserved populations can access services.

• As a member of the Maryland Autism Coalition, a group of nearly 20 nonprofit organizations and state agencies, we collaborated on a number of campaigns including producing a PSA on drowning prevention, and wandering and elopement prevention and response.

• Joined the Maryland Equity Coalition for People with Disabilities, an organization formed in 2024 consisting of 40 community-based organizations who partner to ensure people living with disabilities have equitable access to services regardless of their background.

Priority 5: Preparing ASD students in Montgomery County for life

• Offered our monthly Let’s Talk Transitions virtual parent discussion group for parents/caregivers of autistic students in middle or high school to share information and resources for supporting their children's transition into adulthood.

• Held social events for autistic teens including a new board game hangout and a Star Wars-themed Teen Jedi night party for 88 teens and parents.

Priority 6: Growing our organization

• Increased xMinds’ staff with the addition of a full-time Program Assistant.

• Welcomed the valuable contributions of over 90 active volunteers, assisting in our programming through our working committees or events; 8 high school students earning SSL hours, including 4 autistic students; 10 professional educational advocates and education lawyers, and 14 disability benefits consultants and attorneys in our local community who provided their expertise for free.

• Recruited and trained 13 volunteers under the supervision of a professional special education advocate to provide families with free team consults.

• Benefited from the help of a team of independent contractors who continued to expand our website resources, develop our social media presence, maintain our bookkeeping, and file our fourth Form 990-EZ with the IRS.

• Raised $58,329 from 555 individual donors through our annual Bike to the Beach DC fundraiser.

• Raised over $61,195 (including a $15,000 grant) and $4,230 from 34 active professional members.

• Earned a 2024 Gold Seal of Transparency from Guide Star charity rating agency.
  

See more of our past accomplishments in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-2024