Events for Children, Teens, Young Adults, and Self-Advocates
Friday, June 7 and June 14; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 8 and June 15; 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 9 and June 16; 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Inclusive Theatre Company Performances
ArtStream
Location: Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910
Cost: $17.50. FREE tickets are available for transitioning youth and young adults ages 16-26 by calling 301-565-4567.
Registration: Registration is required. Tickets may be purchased online or at the box office.
Join us for a fun (and funny) show featuring adult actors with IDDs - including Autism - performing an original musical.
Friday, June 10; 7:30 p.m.
ArtStream’s Cabaret
ArtStream
Location: AMP by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Cost: $0-17
Registration: Registration is required. Tickets may be purchased online or at the box office. FREE tickets are available for transitioning youth and young adults ages 16-26 by calling 301-565-4567.
Join us for solo and small group song, dance, and drama performances by adults with IDDs, including Autism.
Saturday, June 8; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 20; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 17; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Sensory Friendly Storytime
Montgomery County Public Libraries
Location: Little Falls Branch, 5501 Massachusetts Ave., Bethesda, MD 20816
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is required. Contact the Little Falls library at 240-773-9520 or by email at leslie.jarvis@montgomerycountymd.gov to register.
Sensory friendly storytime is designed for children of all ages who prefer smaller groups due to sensory processing disorders. Storytime will be followed by social playtime with educational toys and an opportunity for parents to socialize. Participants are encouraged to bring their own noise reduction earmuffs and weighted items.
Saturday, June 8; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 13; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 10; 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Special Stay and Play
Montgomery County Public Libraries
Location: Quince Orchard Branch, 15831 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is recommended. Call 240-777-0200 or stop by the Quince Orchard Library Information Desk to register. Maximum attendance is ten children with their accompanying caregivers.
Special Stay and Play is a playtime designed for children with autism, those on the autism spectrum, and those who have other sensory processing disorders. However, all children are welcome, so just stop in! At Special Stay and Play, there is a selection of carefully chosen books and toys to play with, as well as a librarian conversant with relevant library materials and services.
Saturday, June 8; 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Writing, for the Neurodivergent
The Writer’s Center
Location: 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
Intended for autistic writers, this workshop will introduce reportage to nonfiction writing, as well as addressing how to best convey and portray autistic people in media. This workshop is a part of the event #OwnVoices: Autism through a Literary Lens, a symposium featuring autistic and neurotypical writers leading creative writing workshops and a panel discussion on the portrayal of autism in the written word. See also #OwnVoices: Autism Through a Literary Lens Panel Discussion below.
Wednesdays, July 3 - August 7; Times vary
Be Social Kids
Center for Communication and Learning
Location: 6208 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 2085
Cost: Contact Sue Abrams at info@ccl-md.com or call 301 468-9343 ext 2 for pricing information. These services may be covered by your insurance company. LISS funding is applicable for our social learning programs.
Registration: Registration is required. Complete the Interest Form to start the registration process.
Fall 2019
PEERS FLEX
Center For Communication & Learning / Alliance Pediatrics
Location: Rockville, MD
Cost: Email inquiries to peers.maryland@gmail.com
Registration: Registration is required. Complete the online form to initiate enrollment.
The Center For Communication & Learning in partnership with Alliance Pediatrics is now accepting applications for our Fall PEERS® Program for Adolescents. PEERS FLEX is a unique program for adolescents with social challenges in middle and high school.PEERS FLEX integrates the innovative UCLA curriculum + Social Thinking Methodology + Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
PEERS® is an evidence-based treatment program developed by UCLA to teach teens with social communication needs how to make and keep friends. Through didactic learning instruction, role-play, and “opportunities to practice” teens will learn the steps necessary to foster interpersonal relationships. The PEERS model includes a social coaching component for parents and family members.
Summer Camp Information
Alliance Pediatrics
Secret Agent Society NEW DATES AND TIMES
July 1 - July 19 (no session on 7/4); M-F; 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. (aftercare available)
July 22 - August 19; M-F; 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. (aftercare available)
Location: Charles E Smith Jewish Day School, 11710 Hunters Ln, Rockville, MD 20852
Cost: Session 1: $2975; Session 2: $3,145; Both Sessions: $6,120
Registration: All interested families will need to complete an interest form and an application. Once the clinicians review the documents, the administration will follow up with the family with next steps. Families can fill out the online registration form.
This Summer Program helps kids feel happier, calmer, & braver while making friends and keeping them! The program was designed to help kids 8-12 with social-emotional challenges. Each 4-week session will include emotion regulation and social skills interventions that have been rigorously evaluated and demonstrate some of the highest clinical change published in the world. Complete details are available online.
MOCO Movement Center
Friendship & Fun Therapeutic Summer Intensive
Weekly Sessions: Monday - Friday, June 17 - June 28; 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m., aftercare until 3:00 p.m.
Location: 5268A Nicholson Lane, Kensington, MD 20895
Cost: Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire
Registration: Registration is required. Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
Join us for a therapeutic summer intensive program that focuses on social participation and relationship-building skills. Complete description available online.
Ready-to-Reach Therapeutic Summer Intensive
Weekly Sessions: Monday - Friday, July 8 - 26; 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m., aftercare until 3:00 p.m.
Location: 5268A Nicholson Lane, Kensington, MD 20895
Cost: Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
Registration: Registration is required. Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
A constraint-induced movement therapy and bimanual skills development Therapeutic Summer Intensive. Complete description available online.
Fun & Food Exploration Therapeutic Summer Intensive
Monday - Friday, July 29 - August 2; 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., aftercare until 3:00 p.m.
Location: 5268A Nicholson Lane, Kensington, MD 20895
Cost: Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
Registration: Registration is required. Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
A therapeutic summer intensive with a focus on social skills and integrated SOS feeding program. Complete details are available online.
Back-2-School Therapeutic Summer Intensive
Weekly sessions: Monday - Friday, August 12 - 30; 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., aftercare until 3:00 p.m.
Location: 5268A Nicholson Lane, Kensington, MD 20895
Cost: Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
Registration: Registration is required. Call MOCO at 301-770-5437 to inquire.
A therapeutic intensive focusing on gross motor, fine motor, social and cognitive skills for school readiness. Complete details available online.
The Treatment and Learning Centers
Speech-Language and OT Summer Camps
June 24 - August 9
Location: 9975 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850
Cost: Varies by program
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
Designed for young children with speech-language and/or occupational therapy needs. Although chronological age is used as a guideline, we also consider the developmental age and needs of the child when determining camp placement. Fun camp activities with weekly themes, arts & crafts, water play, playground, music, drama and much more.
Riding Together Camp
Session 1: Monday - Friday, August 12-16; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Session 2: Monday - Friday, August 19 - 23; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Great and Small, 17320 Moore Rd., Boyds, MD 20841
Cost: $750/week
Registration: Registration is required. Contact Lisa Torvik at 301-424-5200 ext. 306 or ltorvik@ttlc.org to register.
Social skills development led by an experienced TLC Speech - Language Pathologist in an interactive and dynamic group environment. Campers engage with horses along side the qualified and caring Great and Small staff to foster self - confidence, communication, and social skills. Target age group is 7 through 12 grade.
Events for Parents and Caregivers
Saturday, June 8; 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Supporting Autistic Children: Your Stories
The Writer’s Center
Location: 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
This workshop for neurotypical parents and other family members will explore writing respectfully and honestly about our experiences supporting our autistic loved ones. The class will focus on how to write and publish our stories without falling into stereotypes, avoiding both the vilification of autism and overly-inspirational language. Our voices are powerful tools of change and the world needs to hear them!
Saturday, June 8; 3:15 - 4:15 p.m.
#OwnVoices: Autism Through a Literary Lens Panel Discussion
The Writer’s Center
Location: 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
Autism is often poorly understood, and thus, can be negatively and stereotypically portrayed in literature. Autistic people have their own stories to tell and they can, and should, tell them. If you’re neurotypical, writing autistic characters credibly (e.g. with nuance) takes education. With that in mind, The Writer’s Center is pleased to present a panel discussion of both autistic and neurotypicial writers assessing the way the literary community gets it right, and where it needs to do better. Panelists include Eric Garcia, Hannah Grieco, Jen Malia, and Carolyn Parkhurst. More information available online.
See also "Writing, for the Neurodivergent" workshop above.
Thursday, June 11; 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Parent and Student IEP Process Focus Groups
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
Location: 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866
Registration: Registration is required. Parents can register here and children here.
Are you a parent who has a child or youth with an IEP? We want to hear about your experiences! What is working well and what could be done to improve how children and youth receiving special education are educated in Maryland public schools?
Light refreshments and a $10 gift card will be offered. Interpreters will be provided (with advance notice). Child care will not be provided. For questions or help registering, please contact Ashley Shindler at 410-786-911 ext 106 or ashley@ppmd.org.
Thursday, June 27; 6:00 - 7:15 p.m. and 7:15 - 8:30 p.m. (meets monthly)
Parents Together
Starobin Counseling, LLC
Location: 3413 Olandwood Court, Suite 104, Olney, MD 20832
Cost: $45/session
Registration: Registration is required. Please email caron@starobincounseling.com or call Caron Starobin at 301-524-4450 for a brief phone screening and to receive registration materials.
Parents Together offers parents of children and adolescents with autism and parents of young adults with autism opportunities to enhance coping skills and gain insight and understanding of the emotional impact of ASD on the family system. It also offers parents time and tools to develop supportive relationships, share resources, and aims to strengthen the capacity of families to navigate the emotional and practical challenges of raising children on the spectrum. The group has been going since Summer 2017, has both moms and dads participating, and offers a regular, real-time connection for families! More information available online.
Tuesday, July 9; 7:30 p.m.
Book Club - Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World
Guiding Exceptional Parents
Location: 4711 Sheridan Street, Riverdale Park, MD 20737
Cost: Pay what you can - $10-$20
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
Our quarterly book club meetings are a chance to reconnect with other parents while exploring a range of topics related to raising children. Come to the book club ready to discuss what you learned while reading the book selected for that session – what you liked, what was useful, and what didn’t make sense. The book club meetings are highly interactive with lots of discussion. Special Guest Debbie Reber will be joining us by video!
Events for Parents/Caregivers and Educators
Save the Date: Saturday, October 19; 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
6th Annual Innovators in Education Conference: Embracing Neurodiversity: Strength-Based Strategies for Children & Teens
Center for Communication and Learning
Location: The Universities of Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr. Rockville, MD 20850
Cost: Before June 30, Full Day: $170; Parent Half-Day: $99; Educators are encouraged to apply for ½ tuition grants through the xMinds Educator Grant program. Educator Grant applications can be found here.
Registration: Registration is required. Register online.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A., author of The Out-of-Sync Child, the bestseller that demystifies sensory integration. The morning session will be run by Kathleen McClaskey, who will be presenting on Discovering the Learner through the Power of Story and Empowering All Learners with Agency and Self-Advocacy Skills: Personalize Learning through the UDL Lens. The afternoon session will be broken into two tracks. Track A will feature Dr. Sharon Saline and Track B will include three separate talks from Dr. Meliss Brotman, Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, LCSW-C, and Dr. Lance Clawson. For more complete information please see the conference website.
Funding Opportunities
May 1 - June 30, 2019
Low Intensity Support Services
Maryland Community Connection
The Low Intensity Support Services (LISS) will be accepting Random Selection Applications for Random Selection Round 1 starting May 1st, 2019. To be considered please submit application to be entered in to Round 1 from May 1st, 2019-June 30th, 2019. Only submit one Random Selection application for eligible child per round. Submitting multiple application request may impact your child’s selection process.
Applications should be DROPPED OFF OR MAILED TO: Maryland Community Connection, ATTN: LISS Department 4401 Nicole Drive, Lanham, MD 20706
The application form can be found here.
Spotlight on Professional Members
As a benefit to both our families and professional members, xMinds publishes information about our professional member service providers here in the xMindsWire as well as in a Professional Member Services Directory on our website. Inclusion in the directory is voluntary and does not constitute our endorsement. This month, xMinds is happy to welcome the following new member:
Integrated Living Opportunities
5603 Potomac Avenue NW, North Entrance, Washington, DC 20015
202-248-7113; www.ilonow.org
Contact: Maedi Tanham Carney; maedi@ilonow.org
Services: Independent living support
Integrated Living Opportunities is a non-profit organization that is devoted to helping families with special needs build supportive, integrated communities that enable safe, productive, independent living options for their young adults with developmental disabilities.
