Welcome to The Autism Advocate, ANNA’s monthly newsletter! We hope this will be a helpful source of information about upcoming events, tips for caregivers, community resources and more. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas for future editions!
ANNA Announcements
Thank You ANNA Community!
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent events! We loved celebrating Pi Day at our Weston center with Lindsay Munroe, and it was so fun to see families connect and enjoy time together. Our family playdate at Jam Time was also full of play, laughter, and meaningful moments of connection. We’re so grateful for this community and always appreciate the chance to spend time together!
Local Events
We are excited to highlight local sensory-friendly and inclusive events in the MetroWest area and slightly beyond:
🎬 Pizza and Pixar: Toy Story Night | March 27th | 5:30–7pm
Autism Welcoming Center at the Natick Mall
Autism Alliance is kicking off a Toy Story movie marathon in anticipation of the release of Toy Story 5, with one film each month leading up to the premiere. The March event features will be a relaxed, sensory-friendly movie night featuring the original Toy Story and pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. The environment is designed with comfort in mind, including dimmed lighting, lower sound levels, and space to move around or take breaks as needed.
Space is limited and registration is required – register here!
🧸 Inclusive Afternoon | April 7th | 1:30–4:30pm
Discovery Museum in Acton
Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of play and exploration at the accessible, universally designed Discovery Museum and Discovery Woods. This free event is ideal for visitors who benefit from a more sensory-friendly, lower-capacity experience. The Museum remains open to the public, but no group visits are scheduled to help keep crowds manageable. Advance registration is required – register here!
🚒 Autism Acceptance Touch-a-Truck | April 11th | 9–11:30am
15 Winslow St in Arlington
Join the Arlington Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club, and Fire and Police Departments for their annual event, which is designed to create a welcoming, inclusive space for all members of the community. It offers neurodivergent children a chance to become more comfortable with uniforms, vehicles, lights, and sirens they may encounter in emergency situations, while also helping first responders build experience and confidence in supporting autistic community members. Learn more here!
😷 Mask On, Play On! | April 11th | 5–8pm
Discovery Museum in Acton
This special free evening is designed for visitors who feel more comfortable in a mask-wearing environment. Enjoy a fun, welcoming experience in the accessible, universally designed children’s museum, with interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. This limited-capacity event is open to any family or group who would benefit from a mask-required setting. Advance registration is required – register here!
💻 Workshop – Introduction to Autism for Families | April 13th | 7–8:30pm
Virtual – Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE)
This free 90-minute workshop explores common misconceptions about autism, introduces Autistic identity, and highlights key traits, strengths, and challenges. It offers practical insight into your child’s neurotype to support a more informed, affirming approach to parenting. Parents, family members, and caregivers of children who are or may be Autistic are encouraged to attend. Registration is required in order to attend or receive the recording after the event – register here!
🌈 Natick Neurodiversity Fair | April 30th | 6:30pm
Kennedy Middle School in Natick
Natick Public Schools & the Special Education Parent Advisory Council invite all families to this event which features a panel about neurodiversity and neurodiversity-affirming practices, opportunities to share personal experiences, and a resource fair. Learn more here!
Ask ANNA
Do you have something you’d like to ask the ANNA team? Please submit your question here and we will answer it in a future newsletter!
Let’s Talk About Neurodiversity
Here at ANNA, we are committed to delivering services and supports that are neurodiversity-affirming and responsive to the needs and perspectives of the autistic community. A key part of this is reflecting on common practices and how they impact autistic individuals, including ways that we may not recognize immediately.
Neurodiversity at ANNA: Understanding Masking
Masking is when an autistic person hides or changes parts of themselves to fit in with expectations. This can look like forcing eye contact, copying others’ behavior, staying quiet instead of communicating in their own way, or suppressing things like stimming. Masking has been shown to contribute to poor mental health outcomes in autistic individuals.
Many common approaches with young children such as prompting “look at me,” encouraging “quiet hands,” or focusing heavily on “appropriate” behavior, can unintentionally teach masking. While these strategies are often well-intentioned, they may send the message that a child’s natural way of being is inconvenient and not acceptable.
A neurodiversity-affirming approach focuses on supporting communication, felt safety, and connection without asking children to hide who they are. This might mean accepting different forms of communication, allowing stimming, and prioritizing a child’s sense of safety and autonomy over how they appear to others. Reducing the need to mask helps children build a more positive sense of self, which supports positive mental health outcomes as they move through life.
Support Your Child’s Development
If your child has a speech/language delay, you have probably received suggestions like “ask lots of questions” or “narrate everything your child is doing.” These strategies can certainly be helpful, but they can result in too little space being left for your child to process and communicate.
Sometimes it can be helpful to simply pause, and remember that it is ok to just sit with your child during play or a routine without talking or prompting. This gives them time to take in what’s happening and decide if and how they want to respond. When you try this, pressure and expectation decreases and you may notice that this allows your child to attempt more communication. As always, keep in mind that communication can be a glance, movement, sound, gesture, word, or any number of other things.
This month, consider building a few intentional pauses into your day – maybe during play or meal time – and seeing if this extra time and space supports your child’s ability to communicate and engage. As always, every child and family is different and we are here to partner with you in finding approaches that align with your child’s unique strengths, interests, and preferences!
Community Advisory Board Spotlight
Meet Christina Gravina, ANNA Community Advisory Board member!
Christina Gravina is the CEO and Founder of Bridging Independent Living Together, Inc. (BILT), and is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). BILT is a Woburn-based nonprofit organization that specializes in services for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. BILT offers a variety of services from ABA, to skill-building services, recreational events, center based day programming, workshops and more. We are so grateful to Christina for sharing her experience and perspective as a member of our Community Advisory Board!
Featured Resource
Moms of Amazing Kids
Moms of Amazing Kids is a local community for caregivers of children with disabilities right here in MetroWest, and they have recently launched a new website! The website features upcoming events, resources to help with everything from special education navigation to sibling support to self-care, and features local service providers.
Check it out at https://www.momsofamazingkids.org/!
Recommended Reading
I am Odd, I am New, written by Benjamin Giroux
Step into the world of Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old boy with autism, as he invites readers to see life from his perspective. In this picture book, Benjamin’s poem, which he composed during a school assignment, takes center stage!
Caregiver Affirmation
“I bring love, strength, and insight that no one else can.”
As caregivers, we often feel that we need to look to others for answers. We want to know what the experts say and what other families are doing, in order to determine the “right” approach. Sometimes it can be hard to recognize the unique role you play in your child’s life, but remember that no one else brings your combination of love, strength, and insight about your child. You know them better than anyone.
There may be moments when you question yourself, especially when things feel hard or uncertain. When that happens, try acknowledging all that you bring to your child every day – care, persistence, and a growing understanding of what works best for them. You don’t have to be perfect to be exactly what your child needs.
We’d love to hear about your experiences with ANNA! Leaving a Google review is a great way to help other families learn about our services. If you have a moment, you can share your thoughts by clicking this button. Thank you for being part of our community!
