CampAbility is a recreational and educational summer program for school-aged children with Autism and other intellectual/developmental/physical disabilities being provided in a fun and safe environment.We host 2 camps simultaneously - a kids camp (elementary ages) and a youth camp (6th - 12th grades).We also offer summer camp sessions to the elementary-aged siblings. This is in order to help alleviate the burden on parents by keeping their children in one location, as well as provide familiarity to the camper with special needs by having his/her sibling nearby and give the sibling(s) companionship with other siblings who understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes.

Our camps are offered for 6 weeks throughout the summer, Monday - Friday, from 9AM - 2PM (25hrs/week). Campers are welcome to participate all summer or select particular weeks to meet their needs. The camps provide the routine and structure those on the Spectrum need throughout the summer, as well as continue to work on social skills, life skills, and academic skills in a creative and fundamental way.

The "Snoezelen" room is a combination of two Dutch words that mean "to explore" and "to relax". It is aunique environment for individuals who live with sensory processing disorders. It's a space where theycan control their surroundings.
Snoezelen room is a multi-sensory environment that offers therapeutic benefits for individuals on theautism spectrum and people of all ages who need help managing anxiety or sensory overload.Snoezelen multi-sensory environments are spaces, intended to be relaxing, that help reduce agitationand anxiety, but also engage and delight the user, stimulate reactions and encourage communication.The room offers a relaxed atmosphere with pleasant surroundings, soothing sounds, captivatingaromas, tactile experiences, massage and vibration, and gentle movement.

In this room, it’s completely safe and they are not being told no. They can come in here and they canjust explore as much as they want. It can calm and relax or it can stimulate. It’s all about engaging thesenses.
The individuals served by the BASCA Life Skills Program are individuals with mobility issues, autismand individuals with other more involved physical and behavioral disabilities that require a therapeuticprogram room in order for them to be able to be worked with more effectively.

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The BIG North Florida program is a unique community serving adults (ages 22-older) diagnosed withAutism in Northeast Florida. The program provides much needed and meaningful work, social, andrecreational opportunities for our members.
Our program launched in August of 2022 and has gotten off to a tremendous start! Our vocational operations have already seen orders and requests for business. At this time, we are seeking specific funding to purchase required technology and materials for our products – both in the development and ready for distribution phases. Our program requires the technology to take, track, and manage orders, communicate with customers, and schedule our workflow. Our community members are making soaps, candles, fragrances, crafts, screen printed items, and our newest enterprise – cutting board resign pours! The small business ventures serve as meaningful, part-time work opportunities / job training for program participants.

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Leading a balanced and fulfilling life can be a daunting prospect for individuals with IDD. Faced withisolation and exclusion, people with IDD often avoid social environments that most young people freelyembrace. Attending school functions, participating in sports teams, or simply making a friend can be anearly impossible prospect for someone with special abilities. Students with IDD may sit alone in thecafeteria or hide in the back of any setting where socialization is required to avoid mistreatment. Arecent study revealed that many subgroups of students with disabilities report higher levels ofperpetration and victimization than do their peers without disabilities (Rose, Simpson, Moss, 2015).Best Buddies is committed to creating an environment of inclusion and support to ensure people withIDD are empowered to participate in everyday activities without the fear of being ostracized or bullied.

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Summer Fun at the Ranch will include Summer Adaptive Riding Season, Open House, Movie Outings and Caregiver Respite Events.
Summer Adaptive Riding Season: Participants will have equine assisted sessions which include grooming and riding with support of a team of volunteers. Mustang Volunteers for high school age and up, utilize equine assisted learning to develop social, life and work skills.
Open House:
Open to the entire community (including participants, their families, potential riders, donors
and other local autism community groups). All are invited for a fun relaxing evening at the Ranch.Activities include dinner, horse grooming, golf cart rides, fun and games.

Movie Outings: Partnering with Special Nation, we host a monthly private movie showing for 50participants and their families. Our guests are comfortable to enjoy the movie however they want (walk around, make noises, even dance). It's a great opportunity for our participants to experience movies - often for the first time. This remains one of our most popular programs so we remain committed to continuing this opportunity.

Caregiver Respite Events: Hosting a mom/care giver retreat weekend which enables them to get away to
rest, refresh and rejuvenate. Additionally, we host monthly gatherings for mothers with children/family members impacted by autism or related disabilities. This affords moms the opportunity to gather with fellow moms facing similar parenting challenges and being with others

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who “get it.” We are now happy to host a new dads/caregiver meetup.

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BridgeHaven Academy is a small, non-profit private school in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL serving non-speaking high school aged students diagnosed with Autism. BridgeHaven utilizes FacilitatedCommunication and Spelling 2 Communicate within the school environment to provide an enriching, age-appropriate education to our students. We believe in presuming competence and every individual’s right and ability to communicate.

BridgeHaven Academy is seeking grant funding to support our wellness / recreation initiatives. Many of our students struggle with motor control and intentional movement, and therefore often do not have the opportunity to participates in games and sports. Grant funds will be utilized to purchase much needed game/sports equipment, which will provide our students with the opportunity to learn new games and develop new skills. Benefits will include increased motor control; purposeful movement; gross and fine motor skill development; socialization; and wellness.
Additionally, BridgeHaven Academy is seeking grant funding to further support online and technological initiatives within the school. We are in need of new laptop computers for use in classrooms on avariety of academic topics and interactive lessons. Grant funding will also be used to purchase iPad stands and letter boards to be used in classrooms for our spellers and typers.

The BridgeHaven Communication Clinic provides Facilitated Communication and Spelling 2Communicate coaching for non-speaking individuals diagnosed with Autism in the Jacksonville area.The clinic provides ongoing training, coaching support, and typing sessions on a daily basis to nearly20 families at this time.

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Connecting Thru Music (CTM) has provided music therapy and enrichment for children and young adults with Autism and related disabilities since 2019. The program was founded in 2016 at NeptuneBeach Elementary School as a music enrichment program. In 2019 realizing that we needed a data-research-based program, we added board-certified music therapists to the program and now serve over400 students in 24 sites aged 0-30.

CTM provides services primarily in Duval County because of available funding. However, the vision is to provide services through Northeast Florida.
The majority of the students that we serve are after school and during the summer, thanks to a 4-year grant from The Kids Hope Alliance.

CTM provides music therapy and music enrichment for student with special needs. Music therapy is provided by board certified music therapists who have a minimum of a 4 year university degree, 1200intern hours and are board certified. Music therapists utilize music to reach non musical developmental, communication and learning goals. Because music is the only modality which affects the entire brain, music is especially effective in reaching students with disabilities in a way that other therapies and learning modalities may not.

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Smile Camp is a week-long day camp run by Girl Scouts, for 40 children ages 5 to 11 with autism and other physical and intellectual differences including cerebral palsy, TMH (trainable mental handicaps),EMH (educable mental handicaps), spina bifida, and visual and hearing impairments. Smile Camp offers campers, who might not have the opportunity otherwise, to experience a week of new friends, outdoor adventure, and a sense of belonging in an inclusive environment.

Smile Camp will take place at Northeast Florida School of Special Education, an ADA compliant campus designed to foster and support each child’s unique abilities.

Campers engage in themed activities that include music, art, and outdoor adventures. Smile Camp gives children living with autism and physical and intellectual differences a break from their day-to-day routine and brings them to camp for an entire week of new experiences. The camp also provides much needed respite care for the camper’s parents and caretakers.

The camp is run by as many as 40 Girl Scouts who are trained counselors ages 14 to 18. Supporting them is a team of up to ten Girl Scout directors ages 16 to 18 and Girl Scout adult volunteers including two adult advisers, a registered nurse and a chef. Depending on the intensity of care needed, counselors are paired 1:1 or 1:2 per camper.

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Our 8-week summer Transition Camp will focus on social skills with structured group activities thatrotate on a weekly basis, daily living skills such as meal planning and preparing with daily cookinglessons, pre-vocational and vocational skills with work readiness lessons, exercise to promote bodymovement and health/wellness, and weekly community outings. Our program is specially designed forteenagers and young adults. Teenagers and young adults are often overlooked and have limitedsummer program options. In addition, many providers cap their ages for services at 10 years old. Wehave certified staff who have the skills, abilities, and experience to work with teens and young adultswith continued oversight and support on teaching methods and activities. The HEAL grant will help ourfamilies to reduce the cost of camp, fund stipends for each camper to use during field trips in thecommunity to generalize skills learned in camp to real-life situations, food for our campers to work onfood preparation skills, and provide a scholarship to a family in need of financial assistance to attendthe camp.

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We are excited to present the Growing Together Behavioral Center's grant proposal to establish a social skills program for individuals with autism of all ages. The program aims to address the critical need for social connection and support for those with autism, and we believe that our innovative approach can make a significant difference in the lives of many individuals.

At Growing Together Behavioral Center, we understand that social skills are a critical component of leading a fulfilling life, and we are committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based interventions to support individuals with autism in developing these skills. Our social skills program includes a range of interventions designed to promote social connection and build social competence, including group activities, peer modeling, and social coaching.

Research has consistently shown that social skills programs are effective in improving social outcomes for individuals with autism. For example, a study by Bauminger and colleagues found that children who participated in a social skills program had improved social cognition, social communication, and social interaction skills compared to a control group. In addition, a meta-analysisby Laugeson and colleagues found that social skills interventions had a moderate to large effect size on improving social skills and reducing problem behaviors in individuals with autism.
By providing funding for the Growing Together Behavioral Center's social skills program, you will be supporting an innovative approach to addressing the critical need for social connection and support those with autism. Your funding will enable us to expand our services, provide high-quality interventions to more individuals with autism, and ultimately improve their social outcomes and quality of life.

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Funds will be used to provide 3 days of instruction of golf to up to 16 junior golfers. In addition, wehave daily lessons from the Golf Course Maintenance team and even do a nature ride on course to seethe wildlife in their habitat. We start each day with physical warm ups like stretching and jumping jacks.

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Many children in Northeast Florida are unable to access fun summer activities simply because of theirdiagnosis, personal care needs and/or behaviors. For the last 20 years, we have been fighting for therights of people with developmental disabilities. At Henderson Haven's Camp Possible (as well as ALLour programs), we believe in the potential of each camper and their abilities. We rely on communitypartners to help us fund these enrichment activities for families in Northeast Florida. Each week willhave a different theme which will provide campers with an awesome fun summer experience. We willutilize community resources and volunteers to enhance the experience.

Henderson Haven, Inc is seeking funds to support our 6-week summer day camp experience, CampPossible 2023. Funds will help provide learning in a fun environment while promoting age-appropriatesocial skills. Funds will also be used for art & craft activities, music therapy, waterplay activities,puzzles, games, and Friday Funday experiences.

HorseTherapy Center is devoted to bettering the lives of children with special needs by providing some horse powered fun! In addition to our hippotherapy program, where we offer physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, we also have been able to provide our Breeders’ Cup SummerCamp in 2021, 2022, and upcoming in 2023! This camp will be a half day camp where our campers get to experience therapist lead equine-assisted activities, sensory trails, music, arts and crafts, life skills cooking activities, and story time with one-to-one child-to-counselor ratios. This camp is put on by our clinical team, and counselors are Masters in Speech-Language Pathology students from JacksonvilleUniversity - Palm Coast Location. Last year, we were fortunate enough to be supported by HEAL to do the Breeders’ Cup Special Needs Camp free of charge for our campers!

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HEAL Summer Scholarships will provide group art therapy scholarships for young adults and teens with autism. Group art therapy sessions are created to support individuals with developing social skills, cultivating self-care routines, navigating life transitions, and cultivating creative self-expression.

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We are a League that provides opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to play baseball, regardless of their abilities. We cannot change or cure the medical issues life has dealt them. What we can do is provide them with an opportunity to experience the joy and benefits that come from playing baseball. We believe Every Child Deserves A Chance To Play Baseball. We are Jacksonville's adaptive baseball league.

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JSA requests grant funding to provide students the opportunity to experience a broad range of summerenrichment programs. In past years we have been gifted the opportunity to provide experiencesincluding music therapy, art, cooking instruction, zoo trips, surfing experiences, dolphin interactions,and other community outings. This year we will be providing more on-site activities such as musictherapy, art instruction, and adaptive physical education classes. For most children on the autismspectrum, the abrupt change of a schedule that transitions from school to summer can be a challenge.To facilitate comfort in regard to this transition, JSA offers an intensive learning continuum along witha focus on physical activity and social fun during the summer months.

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The Summer Community Experience enriches our Intensive Summer ABA Program by allowing childrenon the autism spectrum to make outings and excursions out in the community. The experiences wehave within our community are as important as our experiences in the school or home. Being engagedin the community makes us feel connected and safe. People with Autism gain much from communityengagement. They also play an important role in enriching communities by adding to diversity withincommunities. As with most people, most individuals on the autism spectrum want friends and socialengagement. Yet, social isolation is common among people on the autism spectrum. Trouble withcommunication and social interaction sometimes makes community participation difficult andfriendships hard to attain. Each week during our four week Intensive Summer ABA Program will have adifferent opportunity for community engagement.

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Kids Connect today offers social skills classes for children, teens and young adults with autism.

Licini, Inc. is a clinic setting to provide exceptional Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  The benefit of a clinic setting is your child will have access to an enriched learning environment while gaining access to peers to foster their social skills.  

Licini, Inc. provides ABA services to children birth to 18 once they have been diagnosed with ASD.  

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Mainspring Academy's "Full STEAM Ahead" Summer Camp is a 4-week program which will foster interests in science, technology, art, engineering, and math, relevant to our unique population of students with intellectual and developmental differences through activities, crafts, and community outings. Week 1 "Strange Worlds" will focus on exploration of the human body, the ocean, and emotions of the human brain. Week 2 "Innovation Invention" will focus on primitive simple machines, modern innovations, and conservation. Week 3 "Toymakers" will focus on the engineering behind today's toys (aerodynamics, magnetism, and lever/fulcrum). Week 4 "Math Magic" will focus on shapes, patterns, probability, and physics. Each subtheme will be introduced to students through a specificDisney film in order to create foundational relation to the STEM concepts to be learned for the week.For example, during Week 2 "Innovation Invention", students will view "A Bug's Life" in which Flik, the main character (a clumsy inventor ant) inspires the ant colony to construct a fake kite-like bird to wardoff deadly predators. During this week, students will learn about aerodynamics and aeronautics by flying a kite, then constructing their own flying paper airplanes and replicating primitive inventions, and end the week with a trip to the Museum of Science and History to view examples of primitive inventions. According to AutismConnect, STEM concepts foster systemizing, analyzing, logical and creative ways of thinking, teamwork/communication, and the synthetization of details into innovative ideas. Amin Clinics notes STEM is an appropriate fit for visual, verbal, and pattern thinkers.

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Mandala Family Wellness is a family-focused health and wellness practice to maximize developmental  abilities. It is led by licensed psychologists, a pediatrician, psychiatrists, board-certified behavior analysts, licensed mental health counselors, registered behavior technicians, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, certified teachers, education specialists and tutors, and certified yoga and recreational therapy instructors. They serve Northeast Florida serving Duval County: Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach; and St. Johns County: Marsh Landing, The Plantation, Palm Valley, Vilano Beach, St. Augustine, and Nocatee.

Our summer program, which will be over an 8-week period, involves creating safe spaces to bring together children and teens on the autism spectrum who are current students/clients of Music TherapyServices, Inc. Their neurotypical siblings/friends will be invited to be a part of the group. We will beusing singing protocols to improve speech and communication, playing percussion instruments to improve dexterity, focus and control, and dance/movement strategies to improve body awareness andwork on tension & energy release. This program will enrich their lives by providing continuity of therapyservices during the summer months through research-based Music strategies aimed at improvingsocial skills and a feeling of connectedness. Creating a diverse community of music-makers whocelebrate each others unique abilities and differences will lead to understanding and personal growthfor all participants, which, in turn, will impact their families, schools and community in positive ways.High quality musical instruments that were funded by the HEAL Foundation through a separate grantwill be utilized by the participants throughout the entire summer program. These instruments consist ofbongo drums, xylophones, ukuleles, autoharps and more.

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This parent training fair consist of myself, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, partnering with related service providers such as Occupational Therapist and Speech Language therapist. We will present actionable strategies that parents can use for their children with Autism and IDD to help increase their child’s mobility, reduction in maladaptive behaviors and ways to increase communication. Funds are to be used to secure space and light refreshments for the training. The space I am looking to use is theConference room of the Jacksonville Iceman office at the Igloo skating rink located in Jacksonville Fl, and the Link located in Nocatee Fl. A training to help service the South St Augustine area will occur at the conference room of the Flagler Connect + office building. I am looking to have 10- 20 parents at each training. This training will be 1.5-2 hours long and held during the weekday.

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We all want the right fit for our children. At Palm Valley Child, we are committed to providing high-quality education and related services in which the uniqueness of each child is valued and understood. We believe each day should include quality academics, movement, socio-emotional development, family involvement, and recognition of the spirit at the heart of childhood.

We are a team-teaching cooperative program offering small mixed age classes from preschool through elementary. Our center is a cooperative program based on the 4 essential pillars of early intervention: Child, Parent, Education, Therapy.

Our small ratios allow for individualized instruction for core academics as well as functional learning skills. We offer multiple resource classes including: Art, PE, Music, TimberNook, and Dinosaur School (our Social Skills Curriculum). On and off site field trips, a minimum of once per month, enrich our learning experiences within the community.

Services focus on the development of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills through comprehensive trans-disciplinary instruction that recognizes and maximizes the individual strengths of each child.

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Provide music therapy for our residents utilizing outsourcing to a professional organization, MusicTherapy Services. They provide music therapy one day per week onsite to include bringing varying instruments, music, song selections and engagement opportunities with the residents.

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Our Enrichment Program was founded to give individuals living with autism purpose and opportunity fora more fulfilling life. The Peace of Heart Enrichment Program creates a sense of belonging for individuals, so they know they are loved, valued, and supported. We believe that they can accomplish amazing things with the right understanding, acceptance and atmosphere. Our farm allows us the opportunity to enrich the lives with autism through sustainability, organic gardening, and farming.

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Let’s Get Working
1. PossAbilities Plus' programs strive to build on the talents and successes of our participants and to avoid the stress and anxiety that can plague them in the work environment. We seek to match our program-trained individuals with work experience opportunities. Our job coaches will work closely with each participant and employer to help develop the skills and natural supports needed for success during an eight week period. The amount of time spent on the job site will be determined per individual, but the average amount of coaching for each participant for an eight week period will be 32 hours maximum. This model provides significantly more support than job placement models currently being used in Duval County. Effectiveness of the training and progress towards goals will be evaluated every two weeks.
2.Growing in the Garden
We are seeking funding to expand our Secret Garden job experience project this summer by adding a small greenhouse and hydroponic growing system. Our current garden program provides opportunities to cultivate our butterfly garden and vegetable garden. With additional funds, we will add a greenhouse to protect the germination of seedlings and propagated plants as they mature. This will allow participants to grow plants from seeds and propagate cuttings to put in our garden as well as to sell.The hydroponic growing towers will allow participants to learn new systems of growing. The towers will be used to grow lettuces and herbs for our tearoom and to sell. Working in the garden provides our individuals the opportunities to build new skills and confidence as they grow towards greater independence. Selling the produce will provide opportunities for participants to build relationships with customers as they learn to market their products.

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“REACHing Out” is Reach Academy’s Transition and Life Skills program. Designed for our olderstudents, aged 15-21, REACHing Out teaches and supports self-sufficiency and workplace skills neededfor independent living into adulthood. This summer REACHing Out will be hosting a STEM camp thatprovides students hands-on experience with a variety of STEM careers including computer coding andvirtual reality. We will partner with the Equitable Learning Technology Lab (ELTL), part of the UF Institutefor Advanced Learning Technologies. They will provide curriculum and instruction while our REACHingOut staff provides individualized student support that will help make the instruction accessible to all students.

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Special Nation’s goal is to provide social, recreational and therapy activities throughout the summer for individuals of all ages in the community with autism and their families. Our activities will include:regular Wednesday Night Friends Group gatherings at Redeemer Church and other locations throughout the community including Peace of Heart and Bit of Faith Ranch. This is a time for families to fellowship together, enjoy community and enjoy a Bible Study/Lesson with adapted curriculum. Once a month, we celebrate Birthdays and have a Karaoke Night celebration. Additionally, we provide respite on Sunday mornings for parents to attend on-site services. Special Nation (partnering with Bit of Faith Ranch)hosts an At the Movies event once a month for up to 50 people to gather to see a current movie in a sensory-friendly private theater. We also partner with Bit of Faith Ranch to organize monthlyMoms/Caregivers Meetups and now a new Dads/Caregivers Meetup! We offer a monthly SecondSunday Special Praise which is a family-friendly, full church service including worship, a sermon, and communion for all abilities. This is a very special intimate time for the individuals we serve and their families to go to church where they find total belonging and acceptance. We will be hosting five sessions of Music/Art Therapy over the summer. These once a week sessions will be available by signup for those impacted by autism and related disabilities. Special Nation plans to have a summer social gathering as a back to school dance/event for the entire family. The grant funds will be used to fund these activities, which are open to the community, and provided at no cost to families.

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Spectrum Sailing offers 3 day camp opportunities for children 10-17 with a diagnosis of Autism. Each is provided professional sailing instruction in a structured learning environment appropriate for children with autism. They are taught knots, parts of the boat, how the boat moves using sails, and HOW TO SAIL. We have expanded sailing camp opportunities to 8 locations across the US and Jacksonville was a site for the first time this year. We are requesting funding to help cover Jacksonville camp costs.

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The request for a grant is to help employ autistic individuals in our organization. Our goal is to use funding to employ five autistic individuals in Spectrum Thrift Store for a period of three months and in that time teach them new job and life skills that will improve their enrichment. Within our program we want to make a concerted effort to teach these autistic individuals a new skill every time they come to work such as learning how to use a register, how to resolve customer issues, and how to conduct themselves within a workplace all while they are learning at their own pace. We here atSpectrum Thrift Store want to teach these autistic individuals with your help. By granting this funding request our organization can help more autistic individuals learn in a work environment that understands their needs and how to react to them. Patience and guidance are key and in our safe work environment these autistic individuals can learn so much more than they would in a training program that does not provide proper services to those with developmental disorders. Your help would be life changing for these autistic individuals.

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The  funds will be used to create a sensory garden for our students.  We would love to have planter boxes, soil,  plants, and tools so out students may explore while learning about the  environment.  So many of our students  enjoy the dirt and the sensory satisfaction and this is a perfect opportunity  for us to teach a functional skill.  We  also will utilize the funds to keep up with much needed sensory toys that  continue to be outdated and broken over the years.  Calming cubes and cube chairs are also on  the list as we have tried to get from district although have not been  successful.

As  part of the day program, BIG North Florida community members will participate  in part-time employment job training, which is aimed at providing a variety  of creative and meaningful work opportunities for our members.  Work opportunities will include making  screen-printed items and creative gift baskets incorporating many artisan  items like infused olive oils, soaps, fragrances, and uniquely designed  mugs/glasses.  These items will be sold  both online and in our local community.     Heal Grant funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipment and  supplies to enhance our small business ventures.

Since  we do not currently charge for our riding participants, the HEAL grant will  help fund our School Year Adaptive Riding and Equine-Assisted Learning  programs.  We will also use funds to  pay for our movie outings, recreational events and for Caregiver Respite  meetups.

BridgeHaven  Academy is seeking grant funding to support our wellness / recreation  initiatives.  Many of our students  struggle with motor control and intentional movement, and therefore often do  not have the opportunity to participates in games and sports.  Grant funds will be utilized to purchase  much needed exercise equipment, which will provide our students with the  opportunity to develop new skills.   Benefits will include increased motor control; purposeful movement;  gross and fine motor skill development; socialization; and wellness.    Our goal is to acquire a variety of outdoor sports equipment through HEAL  grants and donors and create an outdoor exercise area.  We intend to name this area in honor of  HEAL’s sponsorship and commitment to our programs.

The  BridgeHaven Communication Clinic has been in operation since 2020, and over  the past three years has grown and thrived.   We are seeking funding for several reasons in order for our program to  continue to serve this community.     In an effort to expand our services to the community of typers and  spellers, the BridgeHaven Communication Clinic would like to offer ongoing  workshops to current and potentially interested families in the Jacksonville  area.  These workshops would be led by  our trained and accredited Facilitated Communication and Spelling 2  Communicate staff, and would be focused on implementing best practices,  developing fluency, and increasing individual independence.      Moreover, as our clinic continues to grow in name, reputation, and size, we  continue to receive requests for services from individual families that  cannot financially afford proper evaluations and coaching sessions.  We are hoping to secure funding to provide  financial assistance to these families so that funding is no longer a barrier  to individual communication.  The  financial assistance will be awarded to those families in need as determined  during the intake process, overseen by our Clinic Director.    Lastly, grand funds will be utilized to purchase the necessary equipment  for new typers and spellers, including Ipad stands and letter boards.

Funds  will help the students to continue to learn to grow visually with being able  to watch video's as a class together. To build social interaction to be able  to discuss what they learned about.     Some students also learn with being hands on and this will also help  enhance their education.

Grant  funds will specifically be used to fund lessons for 7 children from our  clinic.

Facilitated  Communication is a valuable tool to provide people with autism and other  diagnoses which present barriers to communication to have a voice.  As one of our participants used to say/type  "no longer a quiet person".   Staff at Henderson Haven have been on the journey of supporting people  to access Facilitated Communication since 2015.  Sherri Henderson and Marla Henderson began  coaching in 2017.      Currently, Sherri Henderson is an  accredited coach and in the final portion of Trainer accreditation.  Many of the families in the Clay County area  have been unable to consistently access the only other services in the Ponte  Vedra area.  Henderson Haven is working  to expand their ability to provide Facilitated Communication to more  "quiet" people in our community. The funds we are requesting will  offset the costs to serve 15 current participants in Henderson Haven programs  and then branching out to others in our community.

Henderson  Haven provides a unique opportunity for students before and after school and  through school breaks.  Most of the  students in our programs come to us after being turned away from other  opportunities due to their diagnoses, personal care needs or behavioral  issues.  Henderson Haven's after school  program has been facing a lot of funding shortages while trying to keep  services affordable for families.  The  after-school program receives no state or insurance funding.  With the cost of labor increases over the  last 2 years, we are relying on community partners and private donations to  help us keep our program fresh, equipment up to date and safe.

Hope  Therapy’s immediate need is scholarship funding which is hugely driven by two  factors.  First is the gap that has  been created since Florida did not adopt a Medicaid expansion program to  continue coverage for eligible participants beyond the Families First  Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Terminations began in April 2023 for those  participants who no longer qualified for Medicaid benefits.  Many patients that began equine therapy  before and through the FFCRA period are now automatically being terminated  until their individual statuses can be reviewed for eligibility  reinstatement.  The immediate  termination of these benefits has left several of our patients without the  coverage to continue their personalized equine therapy program.  Scholarship funding will allow several  patients to continue their assigned equine therapy treatment program until Medicaid  determination can be re-established.       The second area that is driving the need for scholarship funding is that of  mental health.  Mental health issues  have been on the increase since the start of the pandemic.  We have seen direct evidence of this  through the number of new applications we have received requesting equine  therapy for mental health conditions related to anxiety and depression.   What makes this challenge even more unique  is that in Florida, the Sunshine Health program only covers equine therapy  for those 21 years and older and only covers 10 sessions per year, nor is  equine therapy coverage offered to minors through the Florida KidCare  program.  The majority of new patients  reaching out to our facility are between the ages of 12 and 18.

This grant would go to continued scholarships for our low-income families to participate in hippotherapy  services. At HorsePlay Therapy Center, no child is denied the use  of horses in their therapy services due to ability to pay.

HEAL  Scholarships would provide group and individual art therapy scholarships for  young adults and teens with autism. Group and individual art therapy sessions  are created to support individuals with developing social skills, cultivating  self-care routines, navigating life transitions, and cultivating creative  self-expression.

For  children and adults facing serious disaabilities, the opportunity to play  baseball can be difficult to achieve. Baseball diamonds weren't exactly  designed with wheelchairs and crutches in mind. Miracle League teams play on  a custom-designed synthetic rubberized field that accommodates wheelchairs  and other assistive devices.     Our games are also played under modified rules:     - Every player bats once each inning    - All base runners are safe    - Every player scores a run before the inning is over    - Last batter up hits a home run each inning     - Community volunteers serve as "buddies" to assist the  players    - Each team and each player wins every game    *Safety is our #1 goal. The fun comes naturally!

For  the current school year, JSA is serving approximately 65 students, ranging in  age from 3 to 34, all diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). To  maintain an effective staff-to-student ratio, we employ nearly 75 staff  members. Our primary goal with our Annual Staff Training Program is to equip  our teachers, therapists, and administrative staff with the essential tools  required to facilitate each student's success.     Our training encompasses CPR/First Aid, Professional Crisis Management  (PCM), RBT Certifications (Registered Behavior Technician), and participation  in the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) Conference. CPR,  First Aid, and PCM certifications are mandatory for staff working with  students with ASD. We actively support our paraprofessionals in obtaining RBT  certifications under the guidance of our BCBA's or BCaBA's.     Attending the FABA Conference keeps us abreast of the evolving field of  behavior analysis.    Ongoing training is essential to keep professionals updated with the latest  research findings, intervention techniques, and best practices. The field of  autism research and therapy is continually evolving, and staying informed is  paramount for providing the most effective and up-to-date support.    As our student and staff numbers continue to grow, the demand for these  critical training opportunities intensifies. Collaborations with community  partners have played a pivotal role in our expansion.     Presently, we are seeking a $2,500 funding award from the HEAL Foundation  to bolster our $20,000 training budget, exemplifying the transformative  impact of community partnerships on our students' lives.

Grant  funds will be used to offer scholarships to families who cannot afford our  classes.Saturday Social Skills Class series    Friday Night Teen Club series    Budget Details    (one eight-weeks session)    1 class every Friday for eight weeks    1 class every Saturday for eight weeks    Dates for Social Skills Classes    Friday Night Teen Club 7:00-10:00pm (3 hours )    Saturday Social Skills Class 10:00-12:00 pm (2 hours ) 8-Week Saturday  Social Skills Class Series: 10:00am-12:00pm 8 week Friday Night Teen Club  series: 7:00pm-10:00 pm    

I was placed at  Lake Asbury Elementary as the new behavior site coach this year. My main job  is to support the ASD classrooms at Lake Asbury. When the students become too  dysregulated, they can come to my room as a place to de-escalate and calm  down they can come to my classroom. Unfortunately, I do not have many items  to help them regulate. I am requesting funds to set up a sensory room with a  swing, floor tiles, wall tiles, lights, etc for the students to use as they  need.

Resources  needed for the sensory room:     -Mini Trampoline    -Bean bag chairs    -Noise machine    -Sit n spin    -Padded Floor Mat     -Sensory Pea Pod    Resources needed for sensory supports within the classroom:     - adaptive wobble seats    - kick bands for seats    - noise reducing headphones    - Chewies    - weighted lap pads    - visual timers

Mainspring  Academy seeks to introduce adaptive playground equipment for the sensory  input of our 63 students with autism and intellectual and developmental  differences (IDDs). The purpose of an adaptive playground is to help foster  progress in the self-advocacy and social-emotional development goals  specified in each student's individualized learning plan (ILP), which will  support the mission to provide quality, individualized education in a safe  learning environment where children with IDDs can thrive. In 1995, clinical  psychologist Patricia Wilbarger based the concept of sensory diet  interventions on the assumption that individuals (with or without ASD) need  certain types of sensorimotor experiences (i.e., passive [e.g., weighted  vest, massage], active [e.g., jumping, climbing]) to stay alert, stay  organized, and to successfully participate in many aspects of life. Wilbarger  further proposed that sensory diets can provide controlled sensory input or  utilize already existing sensory input for an individual to maintain a  “regulated behavioral state”. Particularly for students with neurological  disorders such as autism and other developmental and intellectual challenges,  current research on self-advocacy and emotional regulation, increasing  students’ abilities to focus and engage with learning, therefore we expect  students to improve in these areas. Equipment that encourages coordination,  motor development and vestibular and proprioceptive play such as climing,  rocking, creating sounds, riding, and swimming will be integrated into the  playground.

We  have a outside area out back. We have a fire pit and would like to clean up  our back area and get some cornhole and outside games. We have monthly  events for families and would love to have more outside now that the weather  is cooling off.

Adding adaptive seating and technology to my classroom for my students

PossAbilities Plus seeks to serve individuals with autism and related  abilities in our local community. Through our many programs our participants  learn job skills and socials skills to enhance their opportunities to work in  the community. EDCESS drama club is a researched based program that allows  the participants the opportunity to learn to express themselves through many  forms. The program fosters teamwork and problem solving as well.  PossAbilities Plus understands how financially trying it is to live within a  disability bound budget. We strive to keep our programs affordable to all and  to provide scholarships to those in need. Funding from HEAL would allow us to  provide these opportunities to eight individuals this fall.

Our  Extra Special Moms Group, designed & led by Janeen Herskovitz, LMFT &  mom of two neurodivergent young adults, is designed to help special needs  moms adjust to their new normal & receive critical mental health support.  Janeen is grateful to have been able to create, launch & lead this  program while employed with HEAL in 2009, and the program has been running  ever since! Data has been collected over the past decade which has informed  the group curriculum, based on the needs of the group members, as well as  input from the autistic community themselves, which we view as a crucial  component.    Our Adulting 101 group will be the first of it's kind, designed for  neurodivergent and autistic individuals who need help learning the skills  that lead to independence. It is our goal to be able to serve the entire  community, regardless of income. Each program runs for 6 weeks and is lead by  licensed,  clinicians, trained in how  to work ethically with the neurodivergent community.     We have recently hired Starrina Paul, a certified life coach and  non-clinical counselor who works for vocational rehab and is experienced in  helping people with disabilities gain independence. Katherine Scott, marriage  and family therapist, will co-lead the Adulting group to oversee that our  mission and vision are adhered to, as well as provide mental health support. We would  like to offer partial and full scholarships to these programs, as well as  cover supplies including a research based curriculum.

A  comprehensive program that works well with the students is called the  News2You Unique Learning System (N2Y).   The program help students through visuals, technology and presentation  of material.  It covers four core  academic subjects (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science),  incorporates a library, a database for visual communication and a current  events activities. The grant funds will cover the following for 15 students  for one year.    

The  funds will be used to purchase a variety of adaptive sports equipment for our  Specially Designed PE program that will encourage students to not only get up  and moving, but have fun while doing so!     The Specially Designed PE program has a diverse group of learners, who have  a wide-range of abilities and interests. The funds will be used to motivate  and encourage movement in and out of the classroom.

Our  ASD VE classroom serves students of varying abilities and exceptionalities.  Our primary objectives are the academic advancement of every student and the  development of independent living/life skills. The classroom is home to  students from 9th grade all the way to transition age. We can potentially  have students for a total of 8 years. Because we are publicly funded by the  school board we lack essential equipment to meet each student's individual  needs. Grand  funds will be used to rebuild our sensory/calming corner as well as kitchen  items for living skills.    

These  are the items we believe will help our students: privacy blocker, water  cooler, kinetic sand, sensory toys, noise reduction headphones (3) color  printer, print ink, laminator, markers, hand sanitizer, bean bag  chair, white noise machine, microwave

The  Panther Challenge Transition program is offered to students who have  completed requirements for their  high  school diploma who have not reached the age of 22.  I see it like a college setting where the  main purpose is adult living skills.   We will learn about cooking food, following recipes and kitchen  safety.  Safety in the kitchen is  essential for the student to know to avoid accidents in the kitchen. The  funding would be used to purchase food to cook in the classroom.  Since Transition classes no longer get CBI  money we do not have funds to purchase food with is essential to this  program.  We do run a micro business  selling muffins to faculty and staff but its not enough to allow us to  cook.  On Fridays we all make lunch in  the classroom such as chili, spaghetti, hot dogs and fries to name a few  items.  My students are very interested  in the cooking process which helps them in their quest for independence.

The  funds were are requesting will go towards providing opportunities to take  these students out into the community in order to work on life and social  skills through experience learning. Some of the funding will also go towards  improving the students' work experience while at DIS.

Our  goal is to provide after school and weekend activities throughout the school  year for individuals with autism and related disabilities. Our activities  will include:    Regular Wednesday night Friends Group gathering at Redeemer Church and  other locations throughout the community including Peace of Heart and Bit of  Faith Ranch.  This is a time for  families to come together and enjoy community, music, and Bible Devotions. We  utilize adapted curriculum and object lessons during weekly meetings. Once a  month we will also celebrate the birthdays for that month and have Karaoke  night.    Special Nation at the Movies (partnering with Bit of Faith Ranch) - One  Saturday of every month up to 50 people can gather at the movies in a sensory  friendly, private theater.    Second Sunday Special Praise is an adaptive, family-friendly full church  service with worship, sermon, and communion for all abilities.  This is a very special time for the  community allowing families to go to church together where they find total  belonging and acceptance.    Sensory-Friendly Night to Shine – A prom experience in conjunction with the  Tim Tebow Foundation.    Fall Festival Sensory-friendly Hour - an hour dedicated to families  impacted by disabilities to utilize Fall Festival activities. The  grant funds will be used to pay for half of the movie outings over the school  year, gifts for birthday parties and special occasions, food, sensory items  and equipment, supplies, curriculum and staff for social gatherings.

We are  in need of funding to help provide students with reinforcements, and a  sensory space. We currently operate a store in our department to encourage  desired behaviors.  The students are  able to earn Wolverine bucks to purchase items from the store.  We would like to stock the store with  necessities such as food, clothing, school supplies, fidgets, sweets and  keepsakes. The  grant money will be used to help fund the development of the CSS program at  Westside High School.  We will use the  funds to purchase sensory kits for the classes and sensory room.  We will also use the funds for the  Wolverine store.