PHILADELPHIA AUTISM PROJECT SEED AWARD GRANT 2021 Philadelphia Autism Project Seed Award Recipients The Philadelphia Autism Project is excited to announce the 2020-2021 seed award recipients. Please see below for group descriptions. Feel free to contact recipients directly to get involved. To learn more about all seed award groups, please visit: www.phillyautismproject.org/seed WHERE ARE THE PROJECTS? FAR NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA Autism Friendly Environment GERMANTOWN/ Creative Arts CHESTNUT HILL OLNEY/ OAK LANE NORTHEAST Family Focused PHILADELPHIA Events ROXBOROUGH/ MANAYUNK UPPER NORTH PHILADELPHIA Life Skills LOWER NORTH KENSINGTON WEST PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA Recreation CENTER CITY Social Skills SOUTH Support Group PHILADELPHIA SOUTHWEST Workshops/ PHILADELPHIA Training Efforts ADVOCATE FOR ME - MOMS NIGHT OUT Autism Mom’s Night Out is an event which honors mothers of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Contact: L’Vonne McMillen @AdvocateforMe1 Email: [email protected] Group: Moms Educating to Thrive On! Phone: 267.265.7792 @lvonne_mcmillan_advocateforme Website: lmadvocateforme.com Region Served: Southwest Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Near Northeast Philadelphia, Far Northeast Philadelphia, Olney/Oak Lane ASCEND GROUP INC. - VIRTUAL PARENT SUPPORT GROUP The ASCEND Group provides monthly meetings for up to 20 parents with children with autism. Includes a licensed marriage and family therapist. Includes tools that help focus on behavior modification, building on existing strengths, reducing isolation, self-care, and maintaining positivity. Contact: Elena Perri Email: [email protected] @AscendPhilly Phone: 610-449-6776 @AscendGroupPhilly Website: ascendgroup.org @ascendgroup Region Served: Greater Philadelphia Area SIGN LANGUAGE FOR AUTISM Sign Language for Autism provides sign language workshops for children and their families. Sign language holds a unique promise for every child on the autism spectrum. It can empower the child with a non-verbal, autonomous means of communication-with no limits to their self-expression. This in turn could strengthen the child’s close relationships, alleviate anxiety, and improve literacy in spoken/written English. Contact: Ashrita Nagpal Email: [email protected] Phone: 510-423-8527 Region Served: Center City, West Philadelphia AUTISM R.E.C. - INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS Autism R.E.C. provides social skills groups for kids with autism. Also offers a cooking class for adults and teens with ASD, inclusive sports, and arts and crafts. Contact: Jamila Tucker-Mulero Email: [email protected] @AutismREC1 Phone: 215.200.0405 @autismr.e.c Website: autismrec.org Region Served: Southwest Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Center City, West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Near Northeast Philadelphia, Olney/Oak Lane 2 AUTISM SOCIETY GREATER PHILADELPHIA - MAKE A WEIGHTED BLANKET CLASS Need sensory comfort? Join ASAPhilly on Zoom and learn how to make a weighted blanket. We supply the fabric and sensory polypelts, you supply your sewing skills. Contact: Patti Erickson Email: [email protected] @ASAPhilly Phone: 610-574-0831 Website: asaphilly.org Region Served: Southwest Philadelphia BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES - BHS SAFER AT HOME-WORKSHOP SERIES Behavioral Health Services will continue their Safer at Home Series. Virtual programming will be offered focusing on creative arts, health and safety. Contact: Elissarh Jackson Email: [email protected] Phone: 215-300-3667 Website: behavioralhealthsolutions.org Region Served: Near Northeast Philadelphia BLACK GIRLS WITH GREEN THUMBS BGWGT will build a sensory garden for children at Elmen Elementary School’s autism support program. This garden will serve as a safe space to have outdoor classroom and decompression time. The sensory garden will include edible food and children will participate in building the garden area. Contact: Pamia Coleman Email: [email protected] @blackgirlswithgreenthumbs Phone: 267.800.6657 @blackgirlswithgreenthumbs Website: blackgirlswithgreenthumbs.org Region Served: Olney/Oak Lane CAROUSEL CONNECTIONS - DIVERSITY, LITERACY, AND COLLABORATION This program will promote the understanding and awareness of diversity and disability, while empowering self-advocacy through building a collection of books for local libraries. Contact: Amy McCann Email: [email protected] @CarouselConnections Phone: 215-948-2527 @carouselconnections Website: carouselconnections.com Region Served: Southwest Philadelphia, Near Northeast Philadelphia, Olney/Oak Lane, West Philadelphia 3 CHASE BOOKS - STORY TIME WITH COUSIN JOHN Chase Books will create a virtual story time and distribute books from the Chase series for young readers to enjoy with their families. Each family will benefit from the visual aspect of the prerecorded story time, which they can watch at a time best for their child. Contact: John Butler Email: [email protected] @_chasebooks Phone: 215-219-5862 Region Served: Philadelphia Area CHIT CHAT: EXPLORING PHILLY’S FOOD AND OUTDOORS Chit Chat is a social support group that targets young adults with autism in the Philadelphia area. They focus on providing support through social activities. This can be done through events such as game night, escape rooms (both virtually and in-person) and visiting parks/restaurants. Contact: Jordan Lazaroff Email: [email protected] @chitchatphilly Phone: 484-574-1938 Region Served: Greater Philadelphia Area ELWYN FOUNDATION (FOR ELWYN EARLY LEARNING SERVICES) - ELWYN RESOURCE LIBRARY OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY The Elwyn Foundation will use funding to develop a Therapy Resource Library of assistive technology (AT) devices to improve and maximize developmental and education needs of preschool-aged kids with disabilities in Philadelphia. Contact: Ann Hedges Email: [email protected] Phone: 610-891-7393 Website: elwyn.org Region Served: Greater Philadelphia Area FAMILYMATTERS SIBSHOP PROGRAM The FamilyMatters Sibshop Program provides supportive workshops for siblings of children with special needs. During the workshops, siblings can safely acknowledge both the positive and challenging aspects of having a sibling with special needs. Master’s level clinicians use interactive and fun activities to allow siblings to express themselves among other children who share their experience. Contact: Rebecca Salus Email: [email protected] @familymattersnetwork Phone: 610-525-1040 Website: familymattersnetwork.org Region Served: West Philadelphia 4 SPECIAL ED ART Special ED Art will be hosting virtual classes for all participants on the spectrum in the Philadelphia area. They will be working on creating abstract and color field paintings. Once completed, participants will put together artwork in a zine format to share with family and friends! Contact: Edwin Perez Email: [email protected] @artatcades Phone: 703-967-7743 Region Served: Greater Philadelphia Area FRIENDS OF TORRESDALE LIBRARY VIRTUAL SENSORY STORYTIME Friends of Torresdale Library will develop a virtual sensory story time with supplementary craft kits and to later make the program available via YouTube to Philadelphia residents. Contact: Linda Colwell-Smith Email: [email protected] @FriendsOfTorresdaleLibrary Region Served: Near Northeast Philadelphia, Far Northeast Philadelphia THE GREEN TREE SCHOOL: MONTHLY FAMILY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND TRAININGS The Green Tree School is working to deepen their connections between school and families by creating monthly events and opportunities for families to connect with each other as well as Green Tree Staff. Contact: Isabel Kats Email: [email protected] @GreenTreeSchoolServices Phone: 215-866-0200 Ext. 407, or 267-307-4826 Website: gts-s.org Region Served: Chestnut Hill-Germantown KHALELIAH’S KIDS, INC. Khaleliah’s Kids, Inc. provides books and weighted blankets to children. Contact: Priscilla Welcome Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 446-6166 Region Served: North Philadelphia 5 MIGHTY WRITERS Mighty Writers teaches kids ages 3 – 17 how to think and write with clarity so they can achieve success. Our project, with generous funds from the Philadelphia Autism Project, provides autism support kits at four sites to support the educational activities of students on the autism spectrum. Contact: Gabrielle Bonder Email: [email protected] @MightyWriters Phone: (267) 239-0899 @MightyWriters Website: www.mightywriters.org @MightyWriters Region Served: Southwest Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Near Northeast Philadelphia MAURICE RUSH FOUNDATION INC.: AU-PARENTS NEED, VIRTUAL AUTISM PARENT SUPPORT GROUP This group is a place where parents of children with autism can come together and talk about what they need to! This group meets Wednesdays at 9 PM. Group also includes professional speakers to touch on topics such as toilet training, relationships, eating for autism, intentional wellness, and more! Contact: Jasmine Poole Email: [email protected] @mrushfoundation Website: www.mrushfoundation.org @mrushfoundation Region Served: Greater Philadelphia Area PEGASUS THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY: VIRTUAL EQUINE AUTISM CEREMONIES Pegasus will hold virtual seminars to virtually introduce individuals on the autism spectrum to the world of horse care. 10 seminars will cover a variety of horse care topics. Contact: Barbara Wertheimer Email: [email protected] @PegasusPhilly Phone: 215-742-1500 @PegasusPhilly Website: pegasusridingacademy.com